Christmas Greens Hanging Basket

If you are looking for something to do with those empty 18-24″ wire hanging baskets lined with moss – then consider converting them to seasonal Christmas baskets using a few cut greens from your garden or local nursery. This basket started with a base of green Hinoki Cypress offset with some silvery-blue Scotch Pine. Golden Threadleaf Cypress, some ‘Crippsii’ Hinoki Cypress as well as some ‘Golden van Tol’ Holly add a bit of contrast, while the Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) and red bows (hung off the support wires) punctuate the entire display.

Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Well’s Delight’ – This Hinoki Cypress features a narrow conical form with highly textured emerald green foliage borne on contrasting reddish-brown stems. Given its modest ultimate size, it is a good choice for island beds and pairs well with deciduous shrubs such as Cotinus ‘Golden Spirit’ or Berberis ‘Rose Glow’. Grows 15′ high by 7-8′ wide. Zone 5.

Ilex verticillata ‘Afterglow’ – A compact female cultivar of Winterberry with abundant 3/8″ diameter reddish-orange berries persisting on bare stems. This native of eastern North America is deciduous with glossy green leaves. It requires a pollinator (‘Jim Dandy’) and prefers even soil moisture (native to swampy areas). Grows 6-10′ high by 6′ wide. Hardy to zone 4.

Pinus sylvestris – As the name implies, Scotch or Scots Pine is a native of Europe and temperate parts of Asia. It has distinct bluish-green twisted needles (held in pairs) and flaky reddish-brown to orange bark. There are many cultivars of this species including ‘Nana’ (dwarf), ‘Aurea’ (golden winter foliage) and ‘Fastigiata’ (narrow upright form). Grows 50’+ high. Zone 3.

Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Filifera Aurea’ – Golden Threadleaf Cypress is a common landscape conifer much in part to its ease of care. It features slender cord-like golden-green foliage that drapes to form a shrub with a mounding habit. Although often thought as as a dwarf conifer, it actually gets quite large over time. Prefers sun. Grows 8-20′ high by 4-8′ wide. Zone 4.

Ilex aquifolium ‘Golden van Tol’ – This sport of ‘J.C. van Tol’ features slightly puckered green foliage (on purplish stems) with bright gold margins and very few spines. It is considered self-fertile but produces a larger crop of red berries with a male pollinator. ‘Golden van Tol’ has a broad upright growth habit, reaching 10-12′ high by 8′ wide. Hardy to zone 7.

Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Crippsii’ (syn. ‘Crippsii Aurea’) – A slow growing Hinoki Cypress with flat sprays of bright gold needles over a base of darker green inner foliage. The needles are nicely contrasted by reddish-brown stems and bark. It is an RHS Award of Garden Merit winner and is long-lived, getting quite large over time. Grows 40′ high by 15-20′ wide. Hardy to zone 4.