protecting containers in the winter

Hello! Hope everyone has been enjoying the sunshine!

I was wandering around my garden centre today (what else are bank holidays for?!) and saw some fleeces to protect containers. I've never bothered before, but all of a sudden I have some lovely, well established fruit plants and want to make sure I protect them (4 years of caring for them!). The fruits I have are:
wineberry
black currant
strawberry
rhubarb
blueberry

then I have (planted this year):
hellebore, pinks and mint
fushia and lavender
dahlia and thyme
lavender and rosemary

do any of these need protecting over the winter? I have no where to bring them in and my garden is sheltered, but faces north-east so can get pretty chilly!

 

You're in London, so you have the advantage of a micro climate to help out (unless you're in the outer 'burbs of course). Could you move the pots to the most sheltered part of your garden?

Last winter, in snowy Sussex, I only lost an agapanthus (had never flowered) and a Canary Palm (not really suitable for the sort of prolonged cold we had) that were both in pots. Everything else survived - rosemary, thyme, lavenders, blueberries, mint, strawberries, (the latter very neglected).

Hellebores are pretty tough, considering they bloom in winter.

If your fuchsia is a tender variety, bring it inside or take cuttings to avoid losing it should there be a hard frost. The dahlia tuber should be lifted with the first frosts and stored inside, more so if it is growing in a pot.

 

In tubs they are more vulnerable than in the ground-mainly because they freeze all the way through.

I wouldn't leave dahlias in a planter outside at all-I am pushing it leaving mine in the ground but I am lucky and have two mature oaks that pretty much mulch everything for me. I don't think I would trust a special fuschia outside in a pot either.

Everything else should be fine with a fleece-but like Aaron says it is a bit warmer in the centre of London so maybe they would be ok without one.


I am on the edge of the pennines here so it gets very very cold here.

 

ok, will move the dahlia and take a cutting from the fushia I think. Thanks. I'm in Hampton, which is the outskirts of London, so it does get colder than the centre... best to be safe I think!

I can easily move the pots to a bit more protection, they are on the decking outside the house, so I can just move them near the wall here....

Thanks for the advice :-)

 

Hi,
black currant, strawberry, rhubarb and blueberry are all hardy in most of Finland where the winters often have temperatures around -30 Celsius for weeks. Of course, it depends on the variety. I'd be mostly concerned with the fuchsias and dahlias, everything else you mentioned seem to be sturdy lot.

 

Hi All

I bought a penstemon a few months back that is doing very well in its container but I'm not sure what I should do to protect it over the winter. Should it be cut back and if so how far?

Thanks.

 

For protection I would move pots close to the wall of the house. A centrally heated house acts as a great big night storage heater and is constantly giving out a little heat, which will help to protect plants.

Chiaroscuro - Penstemon tend to suffer even more from winter wet than the cold. So again I would put it next to the house, on the most sheltered side. Not only will it get a little warmth from the house, but it won't get as wet under the eaves - which is probably more important.

 

Thanks PeterS , it's already against a wall, but once I've dug up the begonias I can swap the pots around and bring it closer to the door where it'll be more sheltered.