I planted an Artemisia vulgaris 'Janlim' ORIENTAL LIMELIGHT last year in a pot to control the spread, although this cultivar is supposed to not spread too much. It's rated as a zone 4. It came back very nicely and, despite the pot, has a few shoots of it surrounding the outside of the pot. But, I think this was a terrific idea. I'm thinking of trying lily of the valley using pots. Never thought of doing my chives like that. That's a good idea. I'm assuming that you mean burying the pot to the soil line, not patio style pots?

Reminder to self: Dig those shoots out.

Shauna

I hadn't thought of patio style but would that work? It would be less labour intensive and would save some of my limited space? Hmmmmm?

Fern

Actually I have had stuff overwinter (by accident) in above-ground pots. Shauna's method of burying the pots (permanently, or just for the winter) greatly improves the chances of survival. This past fall I moved, and I accidentally left a large pot of orange tiger lilies and a pot of blue flag irises without planting them. Both had some still alive in the spring, but some had died.

I think chives and mint would be excellent candidates for pots, especially if you are able to bury them for the winter.

My other two experiences with above-ground wintering were Opuntia cacti (and Sempervivum in the same planter), and a foxglove of all things. The cacti/semps did really well for years on a low deck covered in snow, but this past winter they were up on a 4' deck and got a cold wind from underneath, and the cacti are mad at me. Not dead but not happy. Most of the semps are dead but there are a couple still alive. The foxglove I grew in a pot many years ago, which I turned upside down for the winter. In spring when I turned it back up, it grew great but unfortunately didn't have a chance to flower and that was the last I saw of it.

Just my $0.02

well come to think of it, I did accidently [thought it had died of neglect from not planting it during the summer] left a gorgeous and kind of pricey Bugbane [Black neglege] in it's 6 inch pot all winter and it has sprung back to like - but that was an accident so likely wouldn't work if I intended it to - I might however try for the mint - I have some ginger and apple mint popping up in my yard [from a previous eronius planting in ground - so pretty and smells so nice [ha]] so maybe I will pluck them out of the earth and plop them in a pot on my patio - won't cost me anything and will be a good experiment

Fern

I have never planted anything in a pot and left it above ground for the winter. I have done some research in the past and it seems that succulents can survive winters in our area. I remember them recommending to insulate the pot.
One thing that I do grow in a pot for the summer is my golden hops.(Wish that I would have done this for the green ones as well) I then just take the whole plant and plop it into my garden for the winter. In the spring I dig it out and put it back into my pot. I have done this for 3 or 4 winters already. And have divided it a few times. Invasive plants are tough, so I can put these pots in areas where annuals do not thrive.

I have also cut the bottoms out of the black pots from greenhouse and sunk them into the ground to help control invasive plants such as some of the grasses.

Shelley

Although a clump of chives will get larger, the invasiveness is due to rampant reseeding (at least in my yard). The cure is not to plant it in a pot, but to rip those buds off and throw them away before they send seeds all over.

I have accidentally forgotten to plant out some perennials over the years.

The ones that come to mind that made it through with no problem were hostas and campanula left in a 2 x 3 x 5 containers, lilies that were left in a 1 gal pot, a peony in a pail and assorted sedums in assorted sized pots.

This milar planter, in the front of the picture, I planted with assorted sedums about 5 years ago and haven't moved it since. The sedums have grown up and over the sides of the pot and onto the ground. In the winter the area is covered with the snow from the walkways. It should be blooming in a few weeks and I will try to remember to take another picture at that time.

I also have another mini planter that is planted with sedums. This is 3 years old and I just move it in the landscaping to where there is an empty spot.

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The yellow stonecrop sedum and kamschatka sedum are the two I use in the planters.

If you have extra sedums like I did, why not plant a planter up and see if it overwinters for you, just like it does for me?

Brenda

That bed is a really nice planting design, Brenda.

My above ground pot wintering experience has been much the same as above - sedums, sempervivum and opuntia winter quite well with the occasional loss. What has done very well in above ground pots (those hypertufa ones I made) has been Dianthus.

But, back to the question on invasive plants in pots, I suspect, Fern, that mint will grow just fine in a pot. In the winter just place that pot on the ground where you get good snow cover. Tilt the pot some so that melting snow will drain off instead of pooling on top and freezing again during spring thaw.

As Mytime said above, my experience with Chives is the same - they spread more by seed so you should not have to contain these due to a running habit.

After fighting mint in several areas of my gardens I now only plant in pots and it has been coming up very nicely for several years. I do a mix of wholly thyme and mints in a lot of my pots and both do very well... Just leave them where I have them in summer and the next spring here they come.

Thanks so much for all the info. Brenda your pictures are simply beautiful - encouraging. I bought some cat mint and am going to pull up all emerging ginger mint and put them in separate levels of a 3 tiered little planter and see what happens

Fern

Brenda,
You have inspired me with that picture of the small planter with sedums. I have a similar ceramic pot that I know I'll never use indoors. Trouble is, I'm afraid to try drilling drainage holes. Is yours ceramic? If so, how do you prevent it from cracking in the winter?
I had a tall strawberry pot that I liked to put semps in, but last year after dumping it out to store for the winter, I knocked it over and broke it. Now I see I should have just left it planted. It probably would have been safer that way.

For invasives in pots, how do you prevent them from growing so root bound they look terrible? I tried that with ribbon grass, and it looked good for awhile, but then became too crowded. What's your experience? Are you dumping them out and dividing regularly?
Thanks for your help,
Marie

I use a drill bit meant for drilling into ceramic tile. It works great on ceramic pots.

I agree, use the drill bit for drilling into ceramic tile. I believe I drilled a hole in the bottom with my diamond bit. I turned it upside down and there is a 1/4" hole in the bottom and I seem to remember drilling the hole. I remember, because if it broke, then I was going to sink the cracked pot into the ground and then plant sedums around it instead.

Prevent from cracking in the winter...don't know. I leave it outside somewhere in the landscaping for the wintertime. Never had a problem yet. You hear of problems with cracking but this little strawberry milar planter has never cracked (probably will now, next winter). I wonder whether it has no ability to absorb moisture and that's why it is still whole. I also don't move it when it is frozen in winter.

Did you sink your broken tall strawberry pot into the ground sideways and plant around it? Or did you throw it out?

Brenda

I have also drilled clay and ceramic with a drill - just a normal bit, it takes a little longer that's all.

There are plant pots that are specially labelled frost resistant. Maybe yours is that kind and you didn't realize, Brenda?

Thanks for the advise. Dh doesn't think he has a ceramic bit but I think I'll get him try to drill a hole with whatever he has on hand. (Good to know that should work, Northspruce.) I asked him to repair a small yard sale ladder I bought and he's turning it into a major production, LOL. He's spent more on parts than I paid for the thing. He doesn't seem to realize it's going to sit outside and deteriorate.

I still have the strawberry pot parts, just haven't found the spot to sink it in the ground yet.