I can't really speak for folks in zone 5 but frankly I would bury your pot either in the ground or under piles and piles straw, leaves, ect. You may want to keep in mind an arborvitae regardless of it's variety is not a plant for pots you may be able to enjoy this plant on your deck for a few years but evenually it will want to out grow even the largest of pots. kt

leclerc...hi...I added two very small arborvitae to outdoor pots this year for the purpose of creating a year round display. I did find a list of plants that were hardy to zone 3 to work with and Arborvitae are. It is recommended that when using a plant in an outdoor pot over winter that plants be at least 2 zones hardier than your zone. I found two small very inexpensive plants from Lowe's that were about $7. a piece, so it will be an experiment this winter to see how they do. If the plant is important to you, you may not want to take a chance with it. You could try an experiment with a very small $7. plant from one of the big box stores and see how it does and then you will know whether to leave yours out the next winter. We are enjoying our green little arborvitae in it's pot too.

Keeping my fingers crossed... :-)

Dee...I went looking for where I saw that, but guess it wasn't a link I saved. I like a little insurance, anyway. I did find one bookmark about winter windowboxes, but it really didn't discuss shrubs, but I found a couple of others that looked promising. I know that once I read that I should select plants 2 zones hardier, I went looking for a list of plants that are hardy to z3 and that was very helpful. Sorry I don't have a link for one, but I am sure a quick google search should give a few.

The Heirloom Gardener blog...has a nice entry on Winter Containers

http://heirloomgardener.blogspot.com/2007/12/winter-containers.html

Here is one that talks about shrub selection too from HGTV, linked below....

Although this is my first official attempt to have winter containers, I have usually had a few pots left out over the winter unintentionally that surprised me by surviving just fine. Viburnum Wentworth came through with flying colors, last winter, Lilac 'Miss Kim' did too and Sedums do so every year for me, but of course, they don't provide winter interest. Just the same, they piqued my curiosity about what would survive that might add something to the garden.

I will try to remember to come back in the spring and report how my particular selections fare.

:-)

Here is a link that might be useful: The Secrets of Winter Survival for Potted Plants

That was a good article, PM2! Some interesting points. And it did say to go *two* zones hardier, lol! I always feel safer that way anyway - it gives me a little more faith that the plant will survive.

I wanted to add that the plants that I overwintered out on the patio were pretty good-sized plants. I think they were all in at least 3-gallon containers. I think that helped them make it through the winter - that and the fact that they were fairly well protected from sun and wind. The down side was that when they died in spring I lost quite a bit of money. But I guess if I think of all the enjoyment I got out of them through the winter, it doesn't amount to that much, so I would definitely try again.

I have to admit though - and it's taken me a long time to get the courage to say this, lol - I just don't understand the insulation part - the bubble wrap around the pots, etc. I mean, how can you truly insulate something that doesn't give off it's own heat?

I can see gathering pots together and surrounding with hay bales, or even covering with a good (and I do mean *good*) pile of leaves. That gives a buffer against winds and possibly against some sun exposure. But it seems to me that a layer of bubble wrap or burlap around a pot just won't do anything. There's no heat to keep in, and it's not keeping much out. I don't know....

By the way, PM2, you didn't say what shrubs you would be trying. Or did you, and I missed it somehow?

:)
Dee

P.S. I've also had things inadvertently survive in pots outside over the winter. Mostly daylilies and mums. Actually, a nice mature planting of sedum might give some pretty nice winter interest on the patio!

Dee: I think the purpose of the insulation is not to keep heat in, the intent is to modulate against temperature swings. If the outside temperature goes rapidly up and down and up and down the roots of the plant suffer.

That's one of the reasons they give for winter mulch - keeping the soil from suddenly thawing and heaving the new plants out, only to freeze again.

Sinking a pot in the ground also provides an insulation of sorts; just provided by the soil.

Claire

Yes, I understand the mulch on *in-ground* plants, and sinking the pot in the ground makes sense too. I just don't see what a sheet of bubble wrap does. It just doesn't seem like it will do anything if and when the temperatures swing that low or that much.

The straw/hay bales make sense, because they are so thick that they provide protection from wind and sun exposure, but the bubble wrap around a pot... I'm just not grasping that one, lol!

:)
Dee

P.S. I forgot to add above that I have successfully overwintered a Nishiki Hakuro willow out on the patio. It is a tree-form, grafted, and while for two years I dragged it in the garage, last year I didn't because I needed help and never got it. So it stayed on the patio and did fine. I had planned to put it in a bigger pot this year but never got around to it. Since it survived last year I may just leave it out again.

Thanks for all the great info, I'm still new at this. My husband wanted to put it in the basement over the winter, but I thought that would be too warm. What about the garden shed? It has no heat but would provide shelter from wind & sun (it has two windows.)