Eleanor Clarke
GARDEN DESIGN
Winter can be colourful: Plant up a Winter Window Box
With Christmas over and a way to go before spring, a pot or window box is one of the best ways we know to boost serotonin levels.
It’s a good idea to decide on your pot first, then the plants will follow. If you’re new to the art, those in the know have a mantra that goes like this: Thriller, Spiller, Filler. We translate this as something attention-grabbing to go in the centre, something that will trail over or soften the edges of the container, and something to fill the gaps in between. You’ll probably need more than one Thriller, depending on the size of pot and plant, a few Spillers and a few Fillers, but we think it’s worth packing them in for proper impact.
We’ve come up with three ‘recipes’ for inspiration:
Cool, green & woodsy
Thriller: white/cream hellebores
Spiller: variegated ivy
Filler: miniature ferns or carex grasses
Great for a shady spot
Urban Vibes
Thriller: ornamental cabbage
Spiller: maidenhair vine (Muehlenbeckia complexa)
Filler: purple violas/pansies
Makes a bit of a statement
Cottage Core
Thriller: pink skimmia
Spiller: wafty grasses like Stipa tenuissima or Carex testacea ‘Prairie Fire’
Filler: snowdrops
Pretty as you like