The Changing Seasons: Potted Plants and Other Outdoor Alternative Gardens

Keeping your garden space bright and attractive may be more of a challenge as the seasons change. However, with the right tools and greenery, your Charlotte garden can still delight you and your loved ones.

Put ornamental grasses in pots

It can be hard to keep flowers blooming all winter. As an alternative, decorative grasses can be striking even if they go dormant in the cold season. The structure of your grasses can hold snow or rain in beautiful ways, too.

Use solar lights

It can be hard to find the time to work on your outdoor garden when the days grow short. Talk to lighting professionals such as Fireflies Landscape Lighting about ways to turn your existing garden space into a lovely solar garden. Free-standing solar lights on stems can offer visual interest both during the day and overnight. If you haven't tried it yet, consider getting some glow-in-the-dark paint that you can use on your existing pots.

Color-changing solar lights and a good coat of biodegradable mulch may be all you need to keep your garden looking tidy over the winter. Come spring, you'll be ready to plant again.

Put windbreaks to use

While cities such as Charlotte are in planting zone seven, you may be able to grow summer flowers longer into the fall by finding spaces where the cold winds don't blow. Perhaps there's a south-facing wall or corner that offers a break from the wind. 

This is the spot to put your potted mums and other fall flowers. In the spring, it may be a terrific spot for violas and pansies. Do be aware that plants that are likely to overwinter may actually get overheated in this part of your yard; if you have pansies to die for in March, they will likely be done before your other spring flowers.

Add unique structures to your landscape

Don't be afraid to put unique items to use in your landscape. If you have an old wheelbarrow with a hole in the bottom, fill it with potting soil and plant a hearty vining flower, such as the bright pink Ice House flower, in it. Park it out front in the summertime and move it to a more sheltered spot in the fall.

If you have a ladder that you know you need to replace, turn the old one into a spot for potted plants. Load the steps with potted plants filled with vining petunias for the summer, and replace them with an ornamental purple-leaf grape vine in the fall. As this vine changes color, it will give your old ladder a warm glow.

Just because it's not as colorful doesn't mean your winter garden can't be quite striking. Check out TheHomeMag on Facebook and Instagram for more gardening ideas.