Re: perennials in containers - experiences ?

Well, Beth, I grow a lot of hardy perennials in pots, but not for
decorative purposes:-)  Mainly because I haven't found homes in the
ground for them.  Most perennials will do well in pots.  I do have
one Heuchera that is in a big clay pot with  a couple of non hardy
items; winters in the greenhouse and does very well.

I have big half whisky barrels that contain lilies, small bulbs,
Digitalis and Aquilegia - self sown - that winter over fine with no
protection at all in z. 7....been in there for many years. I do let
fallen leaves stay in the top of the barrels over winter as  a mulch.

You can plunge even large pots in mulch or wood chips for winter;
surround pots with straw bales and put mulch around the pots; make a
temporary plunge bed of concrete blocks and do the same.  You can
cover any temporary plunge beds with black plastic once the weather
gets really bitter; throw on a few old rugs and leave them until
spring.  

Surround a group of pots with bags of leaves.  Wrap individual and
groups of pots in several layers of bubble wrap, group together in a
sheltered spot.  I know someone in NYC who lives on the 30th floor
and winters over her balcony plants that way, up against the
building.

Basically, if you can protect the roots from freezing, you can leave
most anything that is hardy in your area in a pot for winter outside.

The only time I had losses of perennials in pots in plunge beds was
one year when we had an ice storm then a sudden thaw that thawed the
ice in the top of the pots but the pots were frozen in the beds so I
couldn't get the resulting ice water out of them...several plants
objected to having ice water sitting around their crowns and rotted.

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@hort.net
Editor:  Gardening in Shade
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----------
> From: Beth <BethPublic@hotmail.com>
> 
>    I only grow annuals and tender perennials outdoors in containers
(and a
> couple of dwarf Alberta spruce). I was wondering what experiences
people had
> with hardy perennials in containers - both shade and sun... what
works (and
> what you've tried that doesn't)... what makes for good combos in
pots... how
> large a container do you use ... anything special you do for
winter...  I've
> seen pictures of mixed hostas in containers... Thanks !
> Beth (zone 5 MI near Traverse City)

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