Plants to Grow in your Raised Garden Bed in Winter

By Victoria Fuller

It’s December! Although not known for being the most garden-friendly month there are still plenty of lovely botanicals that you can grow during “the most wonderful time of the year”.

Bulbs, hardy vegetables, and small trees are some of the most popular plants to grow during the winter. We actually have a blog with step-by-step instructions on how to successfully plant bulbs in preparation for spring here. Today we are going to focus on a few different seasonally appropriate plants to grow in your raised garden bed this December!

WEATHER CONDITIONS

Depending on where in the world you live you may be able to garden year-round. However, today we are focusing more on plants that can thrive in chillier climates and have to consider things like snow, incredibly low temperatures, soil solidity, and other winterry factors!

POINSETTIAS

These festive icons have become synonymous with the holiday season and thus are often incredibly popular to grow in December! Poinsettias are usually indoor plants however growing Poinsettias outdoors is possible so long as your soil doesn’t fall below 7 degrees Celsius (45 degrees Fahrenheit). Plant your Poinsettias in a sunny area (at least six hours of sunlight per day with minimal wind and disturbances) with slightly acidic and well-drained soil.

Our raised garden beds would make a perfect home for your Poinsettias as the built-in drainage system ensures there is no water retention and significantly less chance of the roots rotting. Once your Poinsettias are happily planted water them only when the soil feels dry to the touch.

BOXWOODS

These delightful shrubs can survive in mild winters and require little maintenance: just water them once or twice a week to keep the soil hydrated and enjoy the greenery in your garden bed! You can even trim these delightful shrubs into different shapes and add some seasonal decor to really spruce up the place! (well technically “evergreen” up the place but that doesn’t really have the same ring to it!)

TULIPS

If planning for the future is more your style then we would recommend planting some colourful Tulips in preparation for Spring! All you have to do is plant your bulbs around 3 times deeper than the length of the bulb that you are planting in well-drained soil (not a problem with Cedar Planter's built-in drainage system!)and then patiently wait for Spring *furrows brow at clock*. This awesome article by the Farmer's Almanac also has some fantastic tips and information for growing your Tulips through Winter!

If planting in sub-zero conditions isn’t quite your style then we would recommend decorating your garden bed with some artificial plants that require approximately no after-thought or attention and can be easily stored during the summer months ready for next Winter! If you decide to take the low-maintenance route this also opens up several other avenues and themes for your garden, not just botanicals! Some ideas for outdoor-decor themed gardens or planter boxes that require little-to-no maintenance are:

• A holiday themed garden with tinsel, festive characters, fairy lights, and lots of sparkle!
• A stone or rock garden
• A whimsical gnome or fairy garden
• Water features (we would only recommend this for those who live in areas where the temperature does not dip below frozen!)

The list is truly endless and you can express yourself in any way that you desire! Please send us your photos of your December gardens and planter boxes to info@cedarplanters.com. We would love to see them!