Give Your Winter Pots a Fresh Start After the Holidays
You’ve poured time, creativity, and so many beautiful greens into your winter pots — so of course you want them to stay gorgeous well past the holiday season! At Perfect Pots, our goal is always to design planters that look fresh and intentional all the way through the season!
But here’s the challenge:
Once January arrives… you still want your planters to feel seasonal, natural, and welcoming — not like Christmas decor that overstayed its welcome.
So how do you enjoy festive magic in December and cozy winter beauty afterward?
Our answer: design your winter container gardens with the entire season in mind.
Below are three strategies we use every day in our seasonal planting service to help customers enjoy evergreen planters after Christmas that feel beautiful, purposeful, and in-season from November through March — and now, you can recreate them at home too.
Strategy #1: Create a Convertible Design (An Easy Post-Holiday Planter Refresh)
Strategy:
Start festive, remove holiday elements after New Year, and reveal a winter-neutral design underneath!
Perfect For:
Christmas lovers, holiday hosts, business owners, and anyone who wants December sparkle and long winter longevity.
Here’s Your Plan:
1. Start with a strong evergreen base.
Keep the greens simple and sturdy — the décor will be the star of the show.
Need help building your base? Read our previous step-by-step blog post.
2. Choose a mix of holiday-specific and winter-neutral accents.
Start by creating a complete winter design using neutral accents you’ll love long after the holidays. Once you love that look, layer in a few holiday details: red baubles, berry picks, glittery stems, sparkly ting — anything with festive flair!
3. After New Year’s, remove only the holiday layer.
Those festive accents sit right on top of your base design, so they’re easy to pull out — no repotting needed.
4. Enjoy your winter-neutral planter!
You’re left with a thoughtful design perfect for the season ahead.
Pro Tip:
Choose accents that are easy to remove. Ornaments on sticks, decorative picks, and branch-based accents (like we carry at our greenhouse) make swaps simple and stress-free.
Strategy #2: Try a Non-Traditional Winter Design (Festive Without Being Holiday-Specific)
Strategy:
Skip holiday-specific décor and design with wintery, season-neutral elements.
Perfect For:
Busy professionals, décor lovers, or anyone who wants one design that looks fabulous from December through March.
Here’s Your Plan:
1. Start with your evergreen base.
Let your greens be beautifully simple so your accents can shine.
Need help building your base? Read our previous step-by-step blog post.
2. Choose a non-traditional color palette you’re excited about.
Inspiration is everywhere! A few of our favorite winter palettes include:
- Wintermint — greens, blues, snowy accents
- Champagne-inspired — metallics in glittering silver and gold
Our greenhouse is stocked with outdoor-grade décor in tons of colors, so you’re never limited to traditional reds and greens.
3. Enjoy all winter long!
If you choose high-quality, outdoor-safe accents (like the ones we carry!), your color, glitter, and finishes will stay beautiful through rain, snow, and winter sunshine.
Pro Tip:
Mix shapes and textures for dimension. For example, in our champagne design, we paired round “bubbles” with palm caps and pinecones for added texture and interest.
Strategy #3: Let the Evergreens Be the Star (All-Greens, All-Winter Beauty)
Strategy:
Create a winter container garden that celebrates the natural beauty of fresh evergreens.
Perfect For:
Minimalists, nature lovers, rustic styles, and anyone who adores the quiet charm of winter greens.
Here’s Your Plan:
1. Build your evergreen foundation.
Start with Fraser fir or another sturdy base green.
Need help with the basics? See our step-by-step guide.
2. Layer accent greens for texture and color.
This is where winter container gardens really shine. Some of our favorite accent greens include:
- Cedar
- Fir
- Boxwood
- Juniper berry
- Arborvitae
- Magnolia
- Carolina sapphire
3. Add subtle natural accents (optional).
Pinecones, twigs, birch rounds, seed pods, and curly willow maintain the natural feel while adding sculptural interest.
Choose something from our greenhouse — or responsibly forage from nature!
Pro Tips:
- Play with height and shape: Add sticks or branches for height and let greens drape naturally for fullness.
-
Lean into tone-on-tone color:
- Blue-toned greens (like Carolina sapphire) pair beautifully with juniper berries.
- Yellow arborvitae pops next to dried thistle.
How to Choose the Right Post-Holiday Planter Refresh Strategy For You
Choose a Convertible Design if:
- You host holiday gatherings
- You love festive décor but want it gone by January
- You’re designing for a storefront or business
Choose a Non-Traditional Winter Design if:
- You love decorative accents
- You want one planter that lasts the entire season
- You enjoy creative, unexpected winter styling
Choose an All-Greens Design if:
- You prefer simple, natural beauty
- You love a modern, natural or rustic aesthetic
- You want to highlight nature’s beauty all winter long
Give Your Winter Pots a Second Life
We hope these winter planter design strategies inspire you to create a post-holiday planter refresh that keeps your containers beautiful straight through to spring. With just a few thoughtful design choices, your winter container gardens can bring joy every time you walk through the door — long after the holidays have ended.
Whether your style is festive, glittering, or beautifully natural, your evergreen planters after Christmas can easily feel fresh and in-season with a little planning.
And if you’d like help designing a long-lasting winter planter, our team at Perfect Pots would love to work with you!
Stop by our greenhouse (where a designer is always available for complimentary design guidance), or book our team to plant your winter pots right at your home.