by Stephanie Brash, Master Gardener
Are you an avid container gardener who starts counting the days to spring sometime around mid-January? Do you find yourself flipping through seed catalogues and greenhouse ads while the snow piles up outside?
If that sounds familiar, why not bring container gardening indoors and enjoy it all year long?
Houseplants offer just as much variety in texture, colour, and form as outdoor annuals. The same design principles you use for your summer pots translate beautifully indoors. With a little planning, you can create a lush indoor container that brightens even the darkest winter day.
Start with the Basics
Before you get creative, keep these key points in mind:
1. Choose compatible plants.
Select plants with similar light, water, and humidity needs. For example, avoid mixing a cactus or succulent with a tropical plant — one likes it dry, the other prefers consistent moisture.
2. Use the right pot and soil.
Make sure your container has proper drainage to prevent root rot. Always use a good-quality, well-draining potting mix.
3. Mind the light.
Most houseplants prefer bright, indirect light. That said, reliable favourites like sansevieria (snake plant) and pothos are quite happy in lower light conditions.
Time to Design
Now for the fun part.
A good rule of thumb is to plant in uneven numbers — three, five, or seven plants depending on the size of your container.
Follow the familiar “thriller, filler, spiller” approach:
• Thriller: A taller, eye-catching plant placed in the centre or back.
• Fillers: Medium-sized, bushier plants tucked around the thriller.
• Spillers: Trailing plants that soften the edges and spill over the front.
Mix foliage colours and textures to create depth and interest. Combine different shades of green with burgundy, silver, or variegated leaves for added dimension.
To finish it off, add a top dressing to cover any visible soil. Spanish moss or sphagnum moss gives a relaxed, natural look. For something more polished, try decorative gravel or sea glass.
Plant Suggestions
Here are some dependable choices you’ll likely find at your local garden centre:
Thrillers: Bird of paradise, dracaena, cordyline, alocasia, fatsia, areca or cat palm, peace lily, cast iron plant, anthurium, dieffenbachia, rubber plant.
Fillers: Aglaonema, calathea, rex begonias, coleus, ferns, spider plant, upright philodendrons, fittonia (nerve plant).
Spillers: Pothos, trailing philodendrons, ivy, tradescantia, lipstick vine, trailing monsteras.
Ongoing Care
Check soil moisture regularly and water when the top inch feels dry. During the warmer months, feed with a diluted liquid fertilizer every couple of weeks while plants are actively growing.
Over time, your plants will outgrow their shared container. In a season or two, you may need to separate and repot them.
CONSIDER THIS: Gardening doesn’t have to pause when the snow flies. A single thoughtfully planted container on a bright windowsill can lift your spirits and remind you that growth is happening — even in the quietest season.
Sometimes the best way to shorten winter is simply to grow through it!
This series of gardening articles is brought to you by the Simcoe County Master Gardeners, members of the Master Gardeners of Ontario. For more information visit: www.simcoecountymg.ca.
