Easy 4-Step Winter Planter III

The silver and white theme of this winter planter will brighten up any front porch. It is anchored by the variegated greyish-blue foliage of Euphorbia characias ‘Glacier Blue’. Old-fashioned Dusty Miller (Jacobaea) and the slightly trailing foliage ofCalocephalus brownii add elegance with their silvery stems – while the white-flowered winter pansies bring a little flower colour.

Euphorbia characias ‘Glacier Blue’ – A beautifully variegated form with evergreen foliage of greyish-blue, edged in cream – a great companion for Blue Fescue or Blue Oat Grass (Helictotrichon). The spring display of cream flowers  with variegated bracts is equally attractive and this cultivar is much hardier than ‘Tasmanian Tiger’. Grows 18″ high. Hardy to zone 7.

Jacobaea maritima (syn. Senecio cineraria) – Dusty Miller is an old-fashioned bedding plant, long known for its versatility and tolerance of neglect. The intensely silver foliage is a great backdrop for violas and pansies, or as an accent in winter planters. Prune out damaged foliage in spring and pinch out the flowers to prolong its lifespan. Grows 12-18″ high. Bedding Plant.

Viola x wittrockiana – These are the bread and butter of cool season bedding and come in a wide range of colours. Winter Pansies are also available with trailing habits (Plentifall Series) for hanging baskets or in ornate forms such as the darkly veined Whiskers Series. These are generally planted in the fall before the risk of frost to avoid heaving. Grows 4-8″ high. Bedding Plant.

Calocephalus brownii (renamed Leucophyta brownii) – This Australian native is usually sold as a cool season accent plant for fall planters here. The stiff wiry stems are intensely silver and also slightly trailing in habit. Silver Bush is only marginally hardy here but will survive the odd mild winter. Grows 6-10″ high (but much larger where it is hardy). Hardy to zone 9.