Plants for beautiful January pots
Create containers that look gorgeous in January with our simple formula
A vibrant container display can bring instant colour and impact to your garden. But it can be hard to know which plants will work well together. To help you create gorgeous pots every time, we’ve created a recipe for success, it’s called ‘thriller, filler, spiller’.
By following this formula, you can be sure you have all the elements to create a beautiful pot, and you can mix and match to suit your taste and the plants you can find. Each month, we’ll bring you a selection of the best plants to grow in pots, using this formula. Simply choose at least one plant from each section, opting for complementary or contrasting colours, for show-stopping pots guaranteed.
More container planting ideas
Follow our formula for creating gorgeous containers, that look at their best in January.
Thrillers
This is your star plant, so you’re looking for something that will give your pot colour and impact. Choose something that instantly catches your eye, as it’ll set the tone for your whole container display.
Thriller: Cyclamen coum
Cyclamen coum is a hardy cyclamen with dainty flowers which provide a welcome burst of colour in winter and into spring. Cyclamen work well naturalised in grass and around small shrubs or trees, but also flourish in pots and will delight with their long-lasting flowers.
Thriller: Helleborus niger
Commonly known as the Christmas Rose, Helleborus niger, flowers from January to March. It will make a statement in your pot with its large, white, flat-faced flowers and dark green foliage. You can also cut the flowers, and float them in a bowl of water to display in your home.
Thriller: Phormium
Make a bold statement in your January pot with a phormium. With a range of colours and leaf length available, there's plenty to choose from to create impact in your pot.
Thriller: Podocarpus x 'County Park Fire'
Podocarpus x 'County Park Fire' is a dwarf conifer with foliage that turns dark red in winter, making it a striking addition to your winter pot.
Fillers
This is likely to be a less showy plant than your thriller, but makes the whole display look fuller and more interesting. For a harmonious display, choose a plant in the same or a similar colour to your thriller, or for a bolder look opt for a contrasting colour.
Filler: Sempervivums
Sempervivums are native to rocky habitats in mountainous regions and they are tolerant of extreme temperatures and drought. This means they're easy to look after and make fantastic fillers for your pots throughout the year.
Filler: Santolina chamaecyparissus ‘Pretty Carol’
Santolina chamaecyparissus ‘Pretty Carol’, also known as cotton lavender, is an evergreen shrub that is well suited to growing in pots. In the summer it produces bright yellow flowers, while its silver foliage provides interest in the cooler months.
Filler: Arum italicum subsp. italicum ‘Marmoratum’
Arum italicum subsp. italicum ‘Marmoratum’ makes a great choice, with its large, arrow shaped glossy leaves. Its dense carpet of foliage is useful in a winter pot, but also effective under trees and shrubs in the garden. Be careful as all parts of this plant are poisonous.
Filler: Salvia officinalis ‘Purpurascens’
As well as its use in the kitchen, Salvia officinalis ‘Purpurascens’ is also a very useful filler in your January containers. Its striking leaves will beautifully complement bright winter flowers.
Spillers
These plants spill over the edges of the pot, giving the display a softer, more natural look and ensuring there’s no bare compost on show. They’re also useful for filling in any gaps.
Spiller: Hedera helix ‘White Ripple’
English ivy is always a great choice to spill over the sides of your winter containers. Hedera helix ‘White Ripple’ is a fast-growing variety with pale green leaves and an attractive white border.
Spiller: Dryopteris erythrosora
Dryopteris erythrosora, also known as the Buckler Fern, is a semi-evergreen fern with fronds that are copper in colour when young, but mature to a dark green. Add it to your January pot as a filler or a spiller, it will work well as either.
Spiller: Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’
Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’, with its purple-green leaves that turn black when grown in full sun, will make quite the statement in your pot. It will work really well spilling out over the sides and will complement winter flowering plants beautifully.
Spiller: Carex elata 'Aurea'
Carex elata 'Aurea' is a dwarf sedge with striking bright yellow/green leaves, it will add a welcome shot of brightness with tufts of leaves spilling over the sides of your pot to great effect.
Next month: Recipe for beautiful February pots
Exclusively for subscribers, we’ll bring you the best plants to create containers that look gorgeous in February, using our ‘Thriller, Filler, Spiller’ formula.
And using the same formula, find our pick of the best plants for:
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