There are fewer gardening jobs to keep you busy in winter, so make the most of extra time and plant up a stylish container to decorate a terrace or doorstep.

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This elegant cube-shaped container is filled with the curly sedge, Carex buchananii, and Helleborus niger, the Christmas rose, which starts to flush pink in January and February.

You should be able to find both plants at the garden centre at this time of year.

Here's how to make this simple display.

You Will Need

  • Helleborus niger
  • Carex buchananii
  • 30cm pot
  • Multi-purpose, peat-free compost
  • Drill
  • Watering can

Total time: 1 hour

Step 1

Drilling drainage holes
Drilling drainage holes

Turn the container upside down and drill four or five drainage holes in the bottom, if necessary.

Step 2

Adding compost to the container
Adding compost to the container

Add compost until it's two-thirds full.

Step 3

Planting the carex
Planting the carex

Plant the carex in one corner of the cube pot. This will form the 'back' of the finished display.

Step 4

Planting the hellebores
Planting the hellebores

Fill the remaining corners with the three hellebores, and push more compost into any gaps.

Step 5

Watering the container
Watering the container
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Water the plants in well and stand in a sheltered spot. Make sure the compost doesn't dry out in winter winds.

Kevin Smith says...

Don’t be afraid of using just one or two different plants to make a container display – keeping things simple often looks much more effective than a chaotic jumble of blooms. Use a modern container to give traditional plants a contemporary edge.
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