Arit’s easy, stylish winter pot

Cheer up your doorstep or patio for months on end with this gorgeous yet simple container display. Just follow Arit Anderson’s step-by-step guide

Planting up a container is a great way to experiment with different plant combinations, colours and textures

February is a time when the garden can do with a boost of colour – and this easy-to-plant pot is perfect for a doorstep or prominent spot.

This display should be full of flowers for six to eight weeks if placed in a sheltered location in winter sun or partial shade. The violas are long flowering, especially if deadheaded regularly, and the cyclamen will last well too. The hellebore and ivy are evergreen, so will provide reliable structure for months to come.

I chose a pale grey container as the tone is excellent for complementing green foliage and also blends well with the silvery hellebore leaves, without overpowering the delicate pinks of all the flowers. The tapered shape also suits low-growing varieties. Planting up a container like this is a great way to experiment with different plant combinations, colours and textures. If you choose your plants wisely, they’ll also provide valuable nectar for early pollinators foraging for food on milder days.

If you want to use the container for a spring display later on, transplant the hellebore – and the ivy if not needed – into the garden.

Arit used

1 Helleborus x sternii ‘Silver Dollar’

2 Viola ‘Pineapple Crush’

3 Florist’s cyclamen

4 Green ivy

5 Container, approx 30cm diameter

Watch Arit on iPlayer

Get more inspiration from Arit on episodes of Gardeners’ World you may have missed. Last year’s series is now available on iPlayer.

Arit’s combination of violas, cyclamen, hellebore and ivy will provide colour right through to spring

1 CHECK your container has drainage holes to release water and drill some if it doesn’t. Then fill about half-way with peat-free compost. 3 DECIDE which will be the front of the display, and arrange the plants so they look their best from that side. Let the ivy cascade over the edge. 2 CHOOSE your centre-piece plant – in this case the hellebore – and tip it out of its pot. Tease out the roots if congested, then position it in the pot. 4 FILL the gaps between the plants with compost and firm gently to get rid of any air pockets. Water thoroughly, then place the pot in position and enjoy!