winter hanging baskets

Strange you should mention winter hanging baskets as this afternoon I was looking through a book on hanging baskets to see what I could plant for the winter.

Winter Pansies are mentioned for their great winter colour.

I'll copy, more or less, one idea for a gold theme:

One Euonymus "Emerald'n'Gold", some gold Pansies with a black central eye, some plants of Lamium "Gold Nuggets" or variegated golden thyme & then finish off with a generous skirt of gold variegated ivy.

just googles these names and they look gorgeous, think she would like these

I have Lamium Dead nettle with the white stripe down the centre, so maybe able to use some of theat

x x x

Hanging baskets need less watering. What about bulbs such as dwarf Iris, crocus, and tiny daffs tete a tete (snow drops often dont flower in the first year) with trailing Ivy, miniture conifer, such as a golden cypress 4-5" with winter flowering pansies and or primula I've just done this. (buy bigger plugs of pansy or they may disappoint) .If you do not want flowers there are lots of evergreens that are now the right sort of size. can be planted out in the spring.

Sorry meant winter hanging baskets need less water than summer ones

I thought hanging baskets needed _more_ watering...are you sure Drc726?

I don't want to be a party pooper, but in my experience, Lamiums and most certainly the variegated Thymes look absolutely dreadful by Christmas when used in this way. Its very boring, but the only things that will go successfully right through the winter are small ivies, small evergreens like Euonymus microphyllus or young versions of things like Skimmia, Euonymus pictata, japonica, etc., and small conifers. And the pansies, of course. Most books talk about planting for winter meaning that you do it twice - once with things like cyclamen, ornamental cabbage, heathers, lamiums, thymes, and pansies etc., and then resort by Christmas or just after, to the list I've given above, with the possible addition of primrose/polyanthus/primulas. I guess if you live in a sheltered spot and the basket is in a cosy place, then you might get away with it. If you do use those things, I'd like to know how they get on over the winter?

how about one of those baskets with a reservoir so that she doesn't have to remember so often and how about some violas found some really pretty ones --couldnt choose which to bring
i've put them in tubs underplanted with 10" narssi's--- it would probably work in a basket

To answer the watering question, Drc is correct - winter baskets will not need as much watering as summer ones - they just need to be checked every 5 days or so, once the weather's cold, and watered if necessary. Unless they're hanging under a roof or shelter, when they will need watering more often.