How about pouring a kettle of boiling water into them? You still might end up in the home, but maybe you could get your evergreens in place before they cart you away.

ThinMan

Or just a bucket of hot water?

Libby

Hi perplexedinny- you are not alone. I was hoping for a thaw - baring that, I will be bringing in what I can, and pouring boiling kettles onto the others!! I think I'm going to get my greens cut 1st!! ;-)).

Nancy.

btw, one pot of boiling water, one windowbox at a time. Have EVERYTHING ready to insert. You have no info on your page about where you are, but you are likely about the same as ThinMan and I. It was just over freezing today, and I got 2 window boxes half done. That was when I realized that the small sets of lights I have bought were battery operated...sigh. There's always tomorrow. Just remember that the soil freezes back quickly.

TM - the home's going to have great gardens!!!!

Nancy.

Love your sense of humor! Don't worry about being carted away...you will be in such good company with all of us!

Carol

TM - the home's going to have great gardens!!!!

True, but we won't remember what anything's called. A lot like now, actually.

TM

That happen to me couple years ago. So put 4 flower pots in windows boxes. So if want to transplant flowers can do it. Seen it on HGTV. Put have used drill before. My neighbors allready know I'm nuts.

Thanks to all!! It's good to know I'm not alone. I will try the boiling water. Why do I feel like I should be wearing petticoats while I do it??? I've surely lost my marbles. As I type, I'm enjoying a post-Thanksgiving glass of wine in a hotel looking out on the Statue of Liberty, yet I'm thinking how I can drill into my frozen soil. YIKES!! Happy holidays and thanks for taking the time to respond.

Hey - we want to see pics of the finished product!!

Nancy.

Tried the hot water, am unsuccessful , it’s impossible to being the pots as they are massive . I put some pet friendly salt in the soil hoping that will help , will let you know if this works.

You will need to swap out the soil in the pots in spring as the salt makes it unusable and dispose of it somewhere that you don’t want plants to grow.

For future reference, check out how the Detroit area landscape designer does her winter pots using large sheets of foam cut to size to sit inside the container. The greens, branches and ornamental picks are placed in the foam in a slightly warmer workspace, and then the finished pieces placed into the pots.

https://deborahsilver.com/blog/the-winter-pots-a-visual-tutorial/