Tips for Sprucing Up Those Patio Pots!

Updated: 6 days ago

Ready to give your pots a little winter magic? Here are our favorite tips and tricks!

🪣 Picking the Perfect Pot

First things first: Pot Selection! You need a container that can handle the wild temperature swings of winter weather.

Plastic vs. Ceramic: Plastics are usually your safest bet—they're much less likely to crack than ceramic in the cold.
A Word of Caution: Since plastic pots can be pretty light, they might just blow away in a big gust of wind. If you're filling it for the first time, you might want to think about adding some weight to the bottom!

When it comes to the filler, we are all about that potting soil life!

The Secret Sauce: We especially love using potting soil that already has roots in it (like from old plants) because it's fantastic at holding all your winter greenery pieces securely in place.
Don't Forget the H2O! This step is crucial: be sure to water your soil! Moist or wet soil helps everything hold together, keeps your greenery from drying out, and—the best part—once it freezes, it locks everything into place like nature's own concrete.

Nature is your friend here! We love using natural elements in our pots. Think outside the box!

Our Favorites: Try things like hydrangeas, red twig dogwood, sedum blooms, the cool seed heads from ornamental grass, birch, winterberry, and of course, a variety of evergreen branches.
The Magic Number: We typically like to use at least 2-3 different species, but that's totally a personal preference!
The Golden Rule: Just know this: it always takes more than you think it will!
Pro Tip from Busy Bee: All our greenery is treated with an anti-desiccant. (That's a super fancy word for a spray that helps keep it from drying out too quickly and falling apart.) You’ll also want various sizes so you can truly build the arrangement.

The sky's the limit when it comes to styles! You can make all sorts of beautiful winter arrangements.

The Speed Hack: If you really want to throw together something quickly, here's a pro-tip:
- Take a wreath that’s slightly larger than the top of your pot.
- Lay it right on top, facing up.
- Add the height pieces to the middle.
- Voila! About two minutes later, you have a finished product!
Extend the Season: We also love using cute decorations that can be easily taken out after the holiday season. I think it just extends the season longer so that after Christmas, your pot isn't still stuck in a full-on Christmas vibe.

This is where the fun begins!

Start Outside, Work In: Cut several pieces of greenery and begin by going around the outside edge, then work your way into the middle.
Add the Height: If you have big, gorgeous tips, those are fantastic for adding some height to the center or the back of the pot.
Secure It! You need to shove/poke individual pieces into the soil at least a few inches—the further in you put them, the better! Otherwise, they can just blow out or dry out.
Layer, Layer, Layer: Just continue to layer each section until it looks nice and full!
Multi-Pot Tip: If you're working on multiple pots that you want to look the same, be sure to do each step on each pot simultaneously. Don't try to finish one whole pot and then attempt to make the next one an exact match—it's much harder!
Fill the Gaps: Add your "decorative" natural elements next. I like to use these to fill in any holes or bare spots.
The Icing on the Cake: Finally, add the icing / decorative elements! Think glitter sticks, more winter berries, decorative sprays, ornaments, or anything your imagination can dream up. You can even add lights! Just be absolutely sure you wire on whatever you put on so they don't blow away in the wind!

Before you know it, you've created a beautiful masterpiece!