Container Recipes

Green with Ivy

This two-season window box planted by Kim Albright in Winston-Salem, North Carolina stays green throughout fall and winter.

"My husband does the landscaping for a shopping center, and I pitch in with the planting," she says. "People often go for a lot of color in the fall, but that doesn't keep through the winter. So I rely on greenery in my autumn arrangements."

To add color, Kim planted a few violas that tolerate cooler temperatures. She suggests planting these flowers last so you can space them throughout the foliage.

Planter size: 42 inches long.

Growing Conditions: Partial shade.

Shopping List:

• 1 Autumn Fern (middle)
• 1 Toffee Twist sedge (middle, back)
• 1 Moneywort
• 6 Violas (spread throughout)
• 2 Golden variegated sweet flag (upper top edges)
• 2 Coral bells (upper left)
• 2 Ivy (front, left)
• 2 Angelina sedum (front, right)

Power of Threes

"Putting together this pot of beautiful foliage was almost like doing a puzzle," says Nancy Shelton of Plymouth, Minnesota.

"I found plants that fit together well and considered the shape of each one," she says. "I tried different textures and colors."

To assemble this arrangement that will last until the first fall frost, Nancy started with the tall fountain grass in the center. She potted the rest of the plants three at a time, putting each variety in a triangular pattern.

Why it works: Nancy uses a striking contrast of leaf shapes and colors. Coleus accents the arrangement especially well. She also leaves very little space between each plant, giving the pot a full look.

Planter size: 18-inch diameter

Growing conditions: Morning and evening sun; midday shade.

Shopping List:

• 1 Fountain Grass (center)
• 3 Upright fuchsia (center)
• 3 Coleus-different colors (center)
• 3 Lamium (outer edges, evenly spaced)
• 3 Vinca vine (outer edges, evenly spaced)
• 3 Licorice vine (outer edges, evenly spaced)
• 6 Sweet potato vine-3 black, 3 lime (spaced throughout)