CHRISTMAS CONTAINER CENTREPIECES
A variegated evergreen shrub in a container can make a simple but effective festive centrepiece if decorated with some simple outdoor lights. Then, after Christmas it can be ‘undressed’ while another group of plants in pots (maybe some early bulbs) take the limelight. Plants that make a tight and compact plant are best, so that the stems can hold the lights. In mild parts of the country try Myrtus communis ‘Variegata’, or for colder areas try variegated box (Buxus sempervirens ‘Elegantissima’) or white-edged leaved euonymus ‘Kathy’, which makes a tight, upright shrub up to 90cm
(3ft) tall. If trimming variegated plants as topiary, use secateurs to trim off shoots if you can, because white edges cut in half are likely to turn brown.