Winter-to-Spring Container Magic: Nonstop Color in a Sandstone Urn

A Container That Performs for Months

Designers Tina Dixon and Marsha Davis-Thomsen refuse to let Northwest winters silence their gardens. Each fall, they pack large pots with a carefully choreographed mix of perennials, grasses, heathers, and spring bulbs that delivers instant curb appeal and keeps the show going until tulips bow out in late spring.

The Recipe: 21-Inch Urn, $110 in Plants

Hardiness note: The most tender player, New Zealand flax (Phormium 'Amazing Red'), survives to ~20°F. Weekly watering only during dry spells; no feeding needed.

Plant List

Anchor (5-gallon, 1 plant)

• New Zealand flax (Phormium 'Amazing Red')

Fillers & Spillers (4-inch pots, 1 each unless noted)

• Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia)
• English ivy (Hedera helix 'Gold Dust')
• Euphorbia amygdaloides 'Purpurea' (2)
• Pansy (Viola × wittrockiana Delta Tapestry mix) (4)
• Pansy (V. × w. Clear Sky Orange) (3)
• Scotch heather (Calluna vulgaris 'Firefly')
• Scotch heather (C. v. 'Wickwar Flame')
• Tassel fern (Polystichum polyblepharum)
• Variegated Japanese sweet flag (Acorus gramineus 'Variegatus')

Edger (2-inch pot, 1)

• Variegated Japanese sedge (Carex morrowii expallida)

Bulbs (12 each, planted around the periphery)

• Daffodil (Narcissus 'Fortissimo')
• Grape hyacinth (Muscari latifolium)
• Tulip (Tulipa 'Princess Irene') — pre-chill 6 weeks in fridge in mild climates

Step-by-Step Planting

1. Fill urn bottom with commercial potting soil.
2. Center the flax; rough up its rootball first.
3. Arrange smaller plants (still in nursery pots) around it; tweak design, then remove pots.
4. Mix 9-9-6 bulb fertilizer into soil per label; plant tulip and daffodil bulbs around the edge.
5. Plant remaining perennials over bulbs; tuck grape hyacinth bulbs into gaps.
6. Water thoroughly.

Why It Works

• Succession: Heathers and pansies carry winter; bulbs explode in waves come spring.
• Texture contrast: Strappy flax, feathery ferns, glossy ivy, fuzzy heather.
• Color harmony: Burgundy, chartreuse, orange, purple, white—tuned to the sandstone.
• Low maintenance: No feeding, minimal watering, cold-hardy cast.

Adapt the Idea

Any large, well-drained container works—terra-cotta, glazed ceramic, even a half whiskey barrel. Swap plants for your zone; the formula (evergreen anchor + winter bloomers + spring bulbs) translates everywhere.