Click for a planting plan and plant list.
kitchen basket
Florists, supermarket floral departments and even home improvement stores stock live plants year-round these days. But their color really packs a punch when the view outdoors is dreary. In addition to house plants, in late winter you’ll see pre-chilled spring bulbs, such as hyacinths, daffodils and tulips, ready to bloom. Blooming gift plants, like cyclamen and primrose, are also easy to find now. You can buy them already combined in pretty containers, but it’s more fun to buy individual ones and put together different combinations. It’s easy — create your own!
First, look around your house for a fun, unique container. You can use almost anything that’ll hold plants, as long as it has drainage. Here, a wire basket lined with pre-soaked and wrung-out sheet moss, holds a plastic bag (with a couple of drainage holes poked in the bottom) and some potting mix. Pop the plants out of their plastic pots and tuck them into the mix. Or, if you prefer, just set them, pots and all, into your container and top with more moss to hide the pot edges. (Either way works fine, since this isn’t a very long-term arrangement. (Check out the plan here.)
A few cut stems of pussy willow add flair to the combination. Use a saucer — either in the bottom of the basket or underneath — to keep any water droplets from damaging the table. In a cool room, expect your combination to last several weeks.
