I've been experimenting at work and at home with winter pots of evergreen perennials for shady areas. I have a covered north facing front porch that needs lovely pots of green to scare away the winter blues. On my own front porch autumn fern look lovely year round. Saxifragia is also very nice (we call them strawberry begonias up north and grow them as houseplants). Here in North Carolina potted up on my front porch they are gorgeous all year.



These are two pots that I am trying at work.



This first pot is specifically for shade and includes two heuchera, one saxifragia, one hellebore, two Disporopsis (Asian Fairy Bells) and one Aspidistra elatior. Flowering spans from late winter with the hellebore and ends with the heuchera in mid summer. The Fairy Bells and saxifragia bloom in the spring. They have done well this fall even with the unusually low night temperatures we have been experiencing.









The second pot is cordyline with violas. You could put this one in full sun but even on this shady covered porch area the violas are blooming well and the cordyline has benefited from the microclimate here.









So think out of the box when it comes to winter pots.