Yep--all of them plastic, some of them round, some square, mostly deep. It's a testament to winter sowing that spirea, globeflower, heuchera, rudbeckia, Siberian iris, columbine and a few others seem to survive winter in containers, the majority of them in black plastic gallon pots. I also have Euonymus that seems to thrive year after year no matter how paltry the pot or amount of soil in which it's growing. Makes me give thanks it's a slow grower.

I don't have ceramic pots. They're too expensive and, in my experience, haven't held up as well as plastic. They're also too heavy to make moving them practical (unless you've got a wheeled handcart).

Most of my plastic garden containers were purchased at WalMart (sorry) because (1) they met my requirements at the time; (2) were a neutral color; and (3) the price was within my budget.

Hopefully someone else can "point you in a good direction." Best of luck.

PM2, Google 'Fiskars resin planters" and see if any appeal to you. I've used resin planters outdoors , year round, for years quite successfully. Dicentra has lived since the mid1990s in a resin planter. I buy what I can carry and a 22" resin pot is very manageable. Worth a look, the big box stores and warehouse stores carry them locally. And, they can be painted if you choose. Some of mine were given a verdigris finish using a cheap paint kit from Walmart.

Jane

PM2, do a search here and/or maybe on the Perennials forum, as I think there was a pretty good thread on this topic. (I actually think you posted to it, lol...)

I have some "foam" ones that look really nice and are very light, but they gouge easily, so I haven't bought more of them. I do have some resin ones as well. And I have to say, I have some REAL cheap Grecian urn style white plastic ones that I spray-painted with a textured paint to look like concrete, and I am amazed that they have just come through their fifth winter outdoors and still look decent.

Found a thread below. I think there is a link to another thread in that thread!

:)
Dee

Here is a link that might be useful: freeze-proof pots

Check out Ocean State Job Lots. They have a nice selection of clay and other pots from time to time.

I have not been able to predict which pots will survive winters, though. However, If they are reasonably drained before freezing and have a cover to prevent winter moisture entering, that helps.

Thanks for all the tips, it gave me a starting point. I should have mentioned that I have arborvitae growing in the pots and they stay out all year. I also have to increase the size of the pots I already have.

Here's a photo where you can see the pots in the background. I've also been growing Sedum Angelina around the base of them, and I think I may try something else. Would you add a groundcover at the base of the Arborvitae or just mulch them?

Besides the various types mentioned above, wooden whiskey half-barrels are weather-proof and will last quite a few years.

I think having a groundcover around your arborvitae that drapes over the container side a bit is a nice idea. Something that is perennial so that the tree's roots aren't disrupted annually provides some contrast of color or texture, either through flowers or foliage would be nice.

I might look at Deborah Silver's container plantings for inspiration. I've linked below a search for "green and white" since she periodically mentions a client who likes that color scheme, and so there are lots of photos that might give you ideas. She also has a link in her sidebar to container planting, or you could search for arborvitae or "green and gold".

Here is a link that might be useful: Dirt Simple -

Thanks Babs, for the whiskey barrel idea. I've had those in the past but I don't think they will work the way I want them to for this application.

I do like adding something at the base of the Arborvitae and the Sedum hangs over the sides, but it took quite a beating the last couple of winters. And the sedum hanging over the side has wrecked the edge of the pots. They were some kind of foam I believe and are lightweight, but whatever the finish is on them is it has suffered from the plants lying on them. I'm hoping there is another material that will not be effected by that.

Thanks for that link. I'll give that a good look. :-)

If you go up another size, that is going to be one mighty big plant. Would some rootpruning be appropriate to keep it to a max size? I root prune lots of things to keep them in a specific pot, but have never attempted a woody like that. If its good for bonsai...

I wouldn't overdo... Maybe cut an inch off the rootball all the way around and the bottom .

I don't think for the long term you want to keep up-potting.

Ann,
I have two resin pots that I leave out all year, but I only plant perennials, so it's not the same as what you need. Because I only need the top 10-12 inches to be soil, I gently place large rocks, cinder block, etc. in the bottom for stability, the fill with packing peanuts to within 10-12 inches of the top, and place a piece of plastic over those. I punch some holes in the plastic for drainage, and then fill the top 10-12 inches with potting soil and plant the annuals. They have done well for a few years so far, with no winter damage to the pots.

For perennials like your aborvitae, I think cement/concrete planters would work. I have one with a small white pine that grew from seed, and I'm trying to bonsai it. But it's been in that concrete planter for like 15 years now and no breakage at all. They are expensive though.....

Good luck in your search!

{{gwi:5901}}

Hi Wendy, nice to see you posting. :-)

Yes, they will be pretty large pots that I would need to go up one size. I didnâÂÂt think the two I have now were all that big. I just checked and they are 16 inches high with an opening that is 17 inches across. IâÂÂm sure there are 20-22 inch
pots out there, that would be just one size up.

I am planning on pruning the rootball. I havenâÂÂt taken them out of their pots yet to check the condition of the roots, but I imagine after all this time they are pretty root bound. Thanks for the info about how much to prune. Oh what fun. [g]

No, I definitely will not want to be up-potting further. This will be the first and last time IâÂÂm going to try it.

Bill, I really like your resin pots. Very pretty! I keep forgetting about cement/concrete planters. That would be heavy enough to keep them upright in the wind, I imagine. Being able to move them into place, would be the challenge. [g] Once theyâÂÂre in place, theyâÂÂre staying as long as possible.

Thanks!