Plants never to use in winter pots or window boxes – and the resilient options you should be growing instead

Winter planting in a terracotta pot covered by snow.

While flowers might be few in wintertime, there is still color to be found in the garden. With the right selection of plants, you can fill your yard with attractive foliage and winter blooms.

Filling pots and window boxes with hardy evergreens and winter flowering plants is certainly a good idea to maintain impact and color. As a former professional gardener, I have planted hundreds of pots to prolong interest during December, January and February. The trick is knowing what to grow and what plants never to use in winter pots, with many species struggling as the temperature drops or at the first sign of frost.