Thanksgiving is on most people's minds, with Christmas coming quickly after that! Would you like to dress up your front porch pots before company is coming for Thanksgiving? We have several great tips today to help you create a beautiful, festive welcome to all who come knocking.
Photo above courtesy of Monrovia
Tip#1: Thrill, Fill, and Spill!
Pots tend to look their finest with a tall, center "thriller". We love for the thriller to be a wow factor. "Fillers" support the thriller; it ties everything together. A great "spiller" drapes out over the front of the pot. The spiller softens the whole look.
Ideas for Autumn Thrillers:
Evergreens like small Boxwoods, Dwarf Nandina, Dwarf Alberta Spruce
Ornamental Grasses
Pumpkins can be an awesome thriller for this time of the year (see pic above!)
'Arctic Fire' Dogwood- red stems that look amazing in Winter!
Possible Fillers:
Pansies, Violas
Dusty Miller
Medium to mini pumpkins, depending on size of your pot
Ornamental cabbage, kale, lettuces, Swiss chard
Coral Bells (see pic above of container pot filled with Ornamental Grass, Coral Bells (purple on far left & green on far right), Creeping Jenny, Ivy, & Violas)
Lenten Roses
Options for Spillers:
English Ivy
Winter creeper
Wave Pansies
'Blue Rug' Juniper
Boston Ivy
Periwinkle
Tip #2: For smaller pots
When working with container pots 12" in diameter or less, it is going to be difficult to include all three categories for your pot. In that case, work with just two, or one. We love what Southern Living put together (shown below) with just Violas, Pansies, and some grasses. How cheerful would this arrangement be to welcome holiday guests at your front door!
Photo courtesy of Southern Living
Tip #3: Grouping
Grouping can make a big impact when working with smaller pots. As shown below, small pots with different yet correlating features (such as the 3 terra cotta pots above also holding yellow Pansies and Violas), look amazing when grouped together in varying heights.
If you'd rather we dig in the dirt and plant your pots, we offer beautiful custom potting at the garden center! Call us at 615-468-2008 to find out more info!