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in : Pots & containers: Autumn & winter
There are fewer gardening jobs to keep you busy in January, so make the most of extra time and plant up a stylish container to decorate a terrace or doorstep. This elegant cube-shaped container is filled with the curly sedge, Carex buchananii, and Helleborus niger, the Christmas rose, which starts to flush pink in January and February.
1
Turn the container upside down and drill four or five drainage holes in the bottom.
2
Place a few crocks in the base of the container then add compost until it's two-thirds full.
3
Plant the carex in one corner of the cube pot. This will form the 'back' of the finished display.
4
Fill the remaining corners with the three hellebores, and push more compost into any gaps.
5
Water the plants in well and stand in a sheltered spot. Make sure the compost doesn't dry out in winter winds.
Transplant the hellebores and carex to the garden when the container is past its best - they will grow for years to come
For extra protection against the cold, line metal containers with bubblewrap. It will help prevent compost from freezing
