The first crop that sells out on the Nature Hills site is our super popular smaller ornamental trees. Some customers call them “Patio Trees.” No matter what you call them, we see the trend to use smaller trees in both front and backyard landscapes getting bigger. To keep up with the demand, we’ve really beefed up our numbers of smaller, more ornamental trees. After all, they fit so nicely into your landscape, and help you enjoy time spent outside on your patio. Short on Space? Choose a Small Tree With higher density housing in many areas, modern yards are not huge. Where space is limited, people want to choose plants with more ornamental attributes. We’ve talked before about plant trends for more color and more seasons of interest. Plant breeders have introduced selections of highly ornamental plants that are the perfect complement to every landscape. Why not bring the flowers, fruit, and fall color of these smaller growing trees where you can see them better? Use these plants up close and personal to appreciate the flowers, fruit, and great color. Have a larger yard? Lucky you, you’ll be able to have more fun with these smaller, flowering trees by creating different "garden rooms" throughout your property. Flowering Shrubs Can Be Trained as Small Trees Did you know that some popular shrubs can be trained to grow as a single stem plant? These tree form shrubs are known as “standards”, and they make excellent small trees. Some of the most desirable tree form shrubs that have been trained by our nursery production team and grown as standards are Hydrangeas, dwarf reblooming Lilacs and Crape Myrtles. For easy modern style, plant two of the tree form shrubs, one on either side of your front entrance to give your guests a real sense of welcome and a big dash of curb appeal. You’ll also love growing these in pots on your patio. Use the Finger Test to check for moisture to ensure you keep them hydrated.  Trees Can Be Grown as Multi-Stemmed Bushes for Screening On occasion, we offer small trees that are actually grown as multiple stem shrubs. These make wonderful, colorful, flowering, screening selections. Some fine examples of trees grown as multi-stemmed shrubs include some Magnolias, Japanese Maples, Japanese Tree Lilacs and Crape Myrtles. These classic examples are quite popular, and we have a hard time keeping them in stock. Seems like just about everyone could use a little more visual privacy in today’s small yards! Read on to get expert tips from one of our resident horticulturalists. He’ll walk you through the selection and care for our most popular accent trees. How to Care for Japanese Maples Japanese Maples are outstanding plants for a wide region of the country. New selections offer finely textured leaf forms, summer and fall leaf color, and they come in many sizes. Japanese Maples are often selected for training into miniature bonsai plants. They make incredible specimen plants as a focal point in your garden or landscape and prefer evenly moist soil. They love a deep layer of mulch over the roots, but not touching the trunk. Use one as a beautiful focal point for a Meditation Garden, or allow several to shine in a Japanese-style garden. Select a spot out of the wind and that has some afternoon shade and your Japanese Maple will be happy. Morning sun keeps the leaves colorful and the dappled afternoon shade keeps them from drying or scorching. How to Care for Flowering Dogwood Trees Flowering Dogwood trees are popular because of their smaller size and long, colorful display of flower bracts. They are native to the Eastern part of the United States, but they are grown as small specimen trees very successfully in hardiness zones 5-9. Flowering Dogwood trees bloom in spring, have handsome summer foliage, lovely fall color, then develop showy red fruits that hang from late summer well in to the fall. Much like the care required for Japanese Maples, Dogwoods prefer cool, moist soil with protection from the hot afternoon sun, especially in warm climates. There are many white selections, along with new hot pink flowering trees in this group. The height ranges from 15-30’, so you can select a variety that will work in the spot you have chosen for planting. How to Care for Improved Crabapple Trees Crabapple trees love colder climates and are very important additions to Northern landscapes. Some of the older selections of crabapple varieties were very large growing and quite susceptible to apple scab, which would defoliate the plants in summer. They were also known as “one trick ponies” with only a small season of interest. Don’t let those old selections leave a bad taste in your mouth! Plant breeders have improved Crabapples tremendously. This is actually a real success story in horticultural circles. Consider one of the newer crabapple selections for your landscape. Sizes of mature plants range from small miniature selections to those that get to be 20’ tall. Abundant swathes of gorgeous spring flowers appear early and last for weeks. Many of the pink and red crabapples have bronzy or reddish foliage color, while most of the white flowering crabapples have deep, dark shiny green leaves. Some varieties have the bonus of fall color before dropping to expose the winter fruit display to catch and sculpt the snow. Cute, colorful, cherry shaped fruits may persist through the winter where they become an important food source for birds such as robins and cedar waxwings. You’ll want to take another look at crabapples for your yard. These are easy to grow plants that only ask two things of you: full sun and well-drained soil. Give them that, and they will perform for decades in your landscape. How to Care for Flowering Cherry Trees Flowering Cherry and Weeping Cherry trees are extremely popular, both because of the pink flowers and the options for weeping forms. You’ll be amazed at the early spring flower these trees display. These low maintenance trees stop traffic in full bloom. Pick a sunny, well-drained spot to plant them. Because it’s shallow rooted, it won’t like being a lawn tree, and doesn’t like being underplanted with groundcover or other shrubs or perennials. Instead, use a thick layer of mulch under this beautiful tree for it’s lovely blooms and attractive bronze foliage.   Try Flowering Cherry Trees in an edited Japanese style garden. Focus on the beautiful branch structure, flowers and find peace without any unnecessary distractions. With its attractive, arching branches, the Weeping Cherry trees make an incredible, small specimen tree for your landscape. Weeping Cherry trees need full sun for best performance. Keep them watered, you don’t want them to be stressed from lack of water. You can grow these in containers, or near your patio wherever you’ll be able to see and appreciate the blooms all along the long stems. What a pretty accent tree! How to Care for Crape Myrtles An option for warmer climates is to utilize today's improved Crape Myrtles. The deep foliage color – almost black! - set against the myriad of flower colors available today make Crape Myrtles a phenomenal smaller ornamental tree for your landscape. Use your new Crape Myrtle as a specimen screening plant for some privacy with loads of color, or along the back of your shrub border to jazz up your yard. Some of the really small varieties work well as foundation plants. Choose a bit larger variety at the corners of your house to instantly ground it into your landscape. The largest varieties can be used as real ornamental trees in your yard, or to shade your patio. Now, life is short. Please make good choices to avoid an ongoing pruning situation. It’s far better to simply select a plant that fits your space in the first place. The hardest choice is which color flowers you want! Spanning from white, all the way through deep, delicious purple, you’ll find something you just love. Plant Crape Myrtles in well-drained soil, and – while fairly drought tolerant - give them enough water especially in June and July during bloom. They’ll love morning sun, if you’ve got it. Prune these in later winter or early spring before the plant starts to leaf out. It’s important to note that they’ll leaf out a bit later than other plants in spring, so please be patient. You will also want to prune off suckers that emerge in spring to keep it trained as a single trunk tree. How to Care for Redbud Trees Redbuds are great, native ornamental trees. In very early spring, small, electric, fluorescent lavender colored blooms are borne all along the stems of the plant. The flowers sometimes last for a month before the interesting purple and red leaves emerge to follow the flowers. We even offer weeping Redbud for another interesting specimen for your yard. This can be grown as either a single stem or multiple stem tree, and it gets 15-20 feet or so. These are easy to grow and definitely easy on the eyes. When it comes time to plant, always be careful that you do not plant your new plants too deep. To ensure a successful transplant, water carefully. You’ll feel a little like Goldilocks trying to eat porridge. Don’t let your new plant dry out. But, don’t keep the soil too soggy, either. Use that Finger Test from above to see when the roots of your beautiful tree need water. Call Us for Help at 888-864-7663 Let us know how we can help you decide what might work best in your landscape design. We have several staff horticulturists in addition to our knowledgeable sales department. We are here to help you pick out the perfect colorful, small, ornamental tree!

We get a lot of questions about what the different container sizes really mean for your landscape. On every product page, you’ll see a tabbed navigation under the photos. This navigation will give you a lot more detail about the plant you are considering. You’ll also see a Plant Sizes tab with a helpful comparison video. Now, read on for a behind the scenes look at the trade secrets of the nursery industry. Too long, didn’t read? Just know that in general, container size is relative to the age of the plant with a few notable exceptions such as miniaturized Bonsai trees, or the galloping growth of Willow Hybrid trees. The older the plant, the more developed the root system. That’s what make a BIG difference in your landscape. Buy the biggest plant you can for immediate impact in your landscape. Selecting the Best Container to Support Root Production Our nursery production has changed over the years. Every industry is pushing innovation, and the nursery trade is no different. As more plants are being grown in pots, production innovations were being trialed. At Nature Hills, making new roots that are healthy and branch well is our goal. Nurseries and growers are always looking for new products that will make the best roots for their plants right from the start. New container options were offered with improved designs with slits or ridges that might assist the plants in producing a better root system. The shape and size of the pots we use have changed due to ongoing research. In addition, our nursery plant containers must be strong, flexible, label compatible and cost-effective. We protect our plants very well for shipping. Market Evolution of Nursery Plant Container Production Keep in mind that most container grown plants used to be grown in quart pots, 1 gallon, 2 gallon, 3 gallon, 5 gallon, and 7 gallon sizes.  However, with competition comes changes. More sizes and styles of plastic containers began to be offered by the container companies, which were soon patented. Now, companies produce pots that span a range of volumes and have moved away from true gallon sizes to better suit the root production needs of specific plant genus and species. Most nurseries then began labeling them by broad ranges, including #1, #2, #3, #5, #7 to communicate or help buyers visualize the size of plant being sold across this range of volumes by class. Nitty Gritty on the NCWM Weights and Measures Law With that change, consumers began to question the sizes of the containers. Plants might be listed as a 3 gallon plant but the volume of soil in these pots was not consistent. The NCWM Uniform Weights and Measures Law was enacted to help eliminate some of these inconsistencies in container size across the industry. They were looking for uniform packaging and regulation on labeling. This law was put into place to bring some continuity to the industry. The reason for this law is to help the consumer in comparing similar products by using uniform and consistent quantity information on the product package, or in advertising and signage. The regulation forces the container producers to list their volume in both U.S. and metric measures, the contents, and either the common or botanical names or both. New signage and labeling practices in the nursery industry affected the business all along the supply chain - from container producers, growers, label manufacturers to plant branding firms and eventually the retailers. Now, within a compliant industry player, every potted plant you buy will have the volume of soil in that pot listed somewhere on it or it will be readily available from the grower. So, How Big is the Plant Grown in These Different Containers? So now you know about containers. But you still don’t know the actual size of the plant growing in the pot! Well, that’s a little bit harder to answer. Read on with us for the rest of the story. Life Cycle of a Container Grown Perennial As a nursery and grower, we know the many things that can affect the physical size of each plant that we offer. Some of the size differences are based upon the time of the year, pruning methods and timing, or variances from grower to grower or to different regions. Think about shipping a dormant Bleeding Heart perennial in a #1 container in a March shipment. That plant would not even be showing any growth above ground yet, but it would just be a pot full of soil and roots. Now ship that plant in May and it might be 18” tall and flowering. What about shipping a Bleeding Heart perennial in a #1 container in October? It may have gone dormant again and appear to be nothing more than a pot filled with soil and roots. In all three shipments the size of the pot, and the volume of soil in it was exactly the same, but the size of the plant varied depending upon the time of year it was shipped. The weights and measures labeling is in place as a #1 pot, but the plant size is not consistent. Pot Size Equals the Age of The Plant The pot size dictates the volume of soil mix that was used to grow that plant.  When a grower is producing a new plant in a container, the size of the root system and age of the plant has to be matched to the container size that is being used to grow that plant. Container size has more to do with the age of the plant, than the physical size of the plant growing in that pot. Best Growth is Achieved in the Right Sized Container In many cases, if a small plant is placed in a pot that is too large for it, the growth is negatively affected. If there is too much soil in the pot, it may not dry out quickly enough for the plant to use the water as it is needed. That excess water can cause the roots to rot, and the plant to die. Conversely, in a pot too small, the roots become overcrowded. If roots are crowded, the soil may dry out too quickly. The plant may stress because the moisture is used up before receiving additional water.  At our nurseries, our production personnel are matching the age and size of the plants to the size of the container they are being grown in. The size of the pot is in correlation to the age of the plant. Do keep in mind the example of the Bleeding Heart perennial shipment, and how timing can affect what you see at delivery. Our production facilities shift these plants to larger pots as needed. Nature Hills has a phenomenal group of growers that ensure we remain compliant with our labeling on container sizes and correct plant nomenclature. However, our concern goes deeper than mere compliance as we continue to grow and expand shipping across the entire country. Plant Sentry™ Keeps Nature Hills Compliant Nature Hills is the leader in supplying healthy plants across the country to your doorstep, while remaining compliant for all state and local regulations. Why do we lead all other online plant suppliers in all categories? It is due to our commitment to excellence and dedication to plant health until it arrives safely to your home. We use an online service called Plant Sentry™ which only allows for the purchase of the correct legal size plant, depending on where it originates from. This is important to ensure that the plant leaves from the best healthy growing environment. The program also insures that each plant is labeled entirely correctly as guided by legal weights and measures, so you know that you are getting exactly what you paid for. Nature Hills has prepared a recent video that explains the plant age and the size of the pots they are being grown in. This should give you a better idea of the amount of work that we have into a plant.

Devastating wildfires in California have made everyone more aware of the dangers of living in fire prone regions. While nothing can totally eliminate the threat of wildfires in these areas, there are things which can be done to lessen the impact. Research is ongoing on ways to protect your house using firewise landscaping techniques. You might also hear this as "firescaping" or even fire safe landscaping. This post is designed to give you a quick rundown of the overall principles, then share with you some of the best web resources we've found on this important topic. Look to Local Fire Experts for Help as You Plan Preplanning is critical to reduce your risk of forest, grassland and other flammable wildland area fires. You’ll want to consider looking into your state forestry agencies and local fire protection district to request a region-specific property assessment. A site visit from a forestry or fire expert can uncover important action items to harden your house. In addition, experts will be able to tell you how to manage your gorgeous existing plantings of trees and bushes. Firewise Landscaping is Cutting Edge Garden Design Theory The goal is to redesign your landscape in a way that is less likely to contribute to the spread of wildfire to your house or other structures. Start thinking of your house as a castle surrounded by "defensible space" and treatment zones. Each zone is part of a comprehensive plan to limit fire access to your home and outbuildings, without reducing the beauty of your living space. Choose the most fire-resistant plants when preparing your landscape. When planting, use them in a right way to subdue an advancing fire. * Consider placing all hardscape, walkways, patios, and play areas close to the house to create a greater distance between what will burn and the house. * Bark and wood mulches should never be used within 10 feet of the house. These ignite quickly and burn intensely. Instead, use rock or gravel close to structures.  * Never plant low growing shrubs below taller growing trees. This creates a ladder effect allowing the fire on the ground easier access to the trees and then to your house. Avoid plants that create lots of litter, or plan to clean up regularly. * Use flower and vegetable gardens as wet spaces between your structures and the surrounding forest. The wet spaces are more difficulty to ignite because they are watered regularly. Fire-Resistant Plant Lists Keep in mind that no plant is fire proof. However, its best to select plants with a high moisture content that are resistant to fire as you design a firewise landscape. Nature Hills offers plant materials that appear on several regional roundup lists for fire-resistant plants. Here are a few considerations: Daylilies  |  Serviceberry Shrubs  |  Poplar Trees  |  Apple Trees  |  Cherry Trees Resource Websites to Help You Plan Your Defensible Space Each district is different, so please plan to do your own legwork. We’ve gotten you started with some wonderful resources, but it may take several phone calls to find the right resource in your area to schedule a visit to your home.  Colorado State Forest Service has great information on how you can protect your home, property and forest from wildfire. Cal Fire is a comprehensive site related to preparing your home for wildfire.  FireFree is an Oregon-based organization that has wonderful resources from Oregon State University, Washington State University and the University of Idaho. FireSafeMarin gives Northern California residence practical tips on firescaping and hardening your house. National Fire Protection Association covers in-depth fire preparation both inside and outside the home. Utah State University extension program is loaded with good information for wildfire prone regions. Be safe!

Many homeowners focus on beautiful outdoor spaces specifically for entertaining, which may include a pool area, eating and bar areas set in incredible outdoor kitchens complete with plumbing, cooking and lighting. But what about creating a garden space just for yourself? What kind of outdoor space would you use? Here are some ways you can create a deeply personal retreat that will support you and ‘fill your bucket’. Planning Your Meditation Garden Have you heard of meditation gardens? They are a deeply personal sanctuary – large or tiny – that give you much needed respite from the daily grind. Pick a spot in your yard that is close enough to the house, so you can easily access it each day. You’ll create a garden room with walls, flooring and décor. This can be as simple or as ornate as you like. Budget is always a consideration, but you’d be surprised at how effective a few thoughtful additions will be. How will you use the space? Spending time planning will ensure you use it often. Will you need room for yoga? Block that out first, and start thinking about ground surfaces that are soft, slip-resistant and supportive. Do you prefer to laze with a good book? Are you limber enough for a low slung hammock, or do you need a straight backed garden chair? Do you love your daily cup of tea or coffee? Include room for an outdoor table. This planning process is it’s own meditation. When we take the time to really prioritize and celebrate our needs, it allows us to continue to give to others without facing the dreaded pain of burn out. Caregivers are especially vulnerable to this. It’s not selfish, it’s self-care and it is important.  High powered executive? Consider this a strategic life decision, part of a comprehensive plan to support more effective decision-making.  Doodle ideas on scratch paper. Research online and save ideas to reuse. Enjoy the process, and know that you’ll be constantly changing, adding, moving, subtracting the elements in this space. This is how a garden works; it's always in motion but grounded in personal meaning. Build the Walls of Your Outdoor Room with Trees and Shrubs Draw a map of your space. Is there a close neighbor or unsightly view? Start by introducing a simple screen at the back edge of your private space to create the walls of your room. Plant an evergreen like Green Giant Arborvitae, which are fast growing and can be planted close together to make a screen in a short period of time.  In warmer climates, you may consider using Italian Cypress or even holly plants that have shiny evergreen foliage all year long.  In the short term, use a temporary screen such as a large houseplant or folding screen. Grow vines such as clematis or honeysuckle along a trellis. Visual privacy is important to help you feel safe and let go. If you have traffic noise, consider adding ornamental grasses that rustle with the slightest breeze. Catch the wind with a windchime. Add a circulating water fountain to add the beautiful sound of water. Save up for a set of noise blocking headphones. Do what you need to give yourself peace. Mindful Garden Design Includes all Five Senses Next, select plants that have some meaning for you. Maybe you have fond memories of your grandmothers Lilacs that you always remembered being so fragrant in her yard.  Select some of your favorite Lilacs to use in your new space.  Pick some of your favorites but do keep in mind that plant selection may be dictated by the amount of sun or shade that your new backyard retreat receives. Shady meditation rooms can rely on Hosta and other foliage plants rather than sun-loving flowering plants. Use our Filters to sort for new selections you may not have considered. This is part of the process, and it’s fun to see all the options. We recently added a “Comparison” feature. You can hover over the Shop Now button and add to favorites or add to a comparison view. Pick colors that you love. Maybe you are an all-white flower lover and you will select only green plants and white flowers. If you prefer cool, calming flower colors include blues, purples, and green and whites. Select what you like and stick with those colors throughout the space.  Using plants that are of similar colors creates harmony in your new space but contrasting bold colors will energize the space. All of the parts to contribute to the whole. There is no right answer! Layer Plants Together Using Your Personal Style Place your favorite plants as the next layer in front of the screening backdrop. Prefer to keep things informal? Include odd numbers of these plants used in curved groups. A more formal approach would be to plant these plants in even and uniform rows to create your outdoor retreat.  Do you want a full-to-bursting cottage garden look? Or do you want to leave “visual space” in carefully groomed Japanese-style garden? Nature Hills offers plenty of options for perennials and ground covers that work for your area. Read the Plant Highlight Facts to see how large the plants will get. Use large, medium, small and tiny plants to fill the space as full as you’d like. Shop Small Perennials  Shop Large Perennials  Don’t forget to include some native plants, pollinators and plants that will produce fruit to attract wildlife to your space. Have you ever just sat and watched butterflies dance around your yard? Include plants that will attract them and beautiful birds, too.    Shop Wildlife Shrubs  Consider adding plants with different texture and form. It can be very effective to juxtapose different types against each other. Contemplate the differences between velvety Lamb’s Ear and spare, lean and elegant Yucca. Rounded versus elongated. Rough versus soft. Large versus small. Dynamic garden design can whisper to you mysteries of the deep story of life. Plan a Focal Point For Your Meditation Garden Now develop a focal point in the area that has the screen of plants in place. Use small rocks to outline the shape of a labyrinth for daily contemplation. Haul in and place a large boulder or create a special sculpture. Bottle trees, bird baths, topiary trees, outdoor sculpture, you name it. Use what speaks to you and brings you joy. This is truly a “no judgement” zone. Perhaps you have an appreciation for Japanese garden design. Include an interesting weeping form of a colorful tree or a breathtaking Japanese Maple with their evocative, luscious leaves. Shop for Accent Trees  Shop for Patio Trees  Apartment dwellers can use a small Citrus tree in a beautiful container as a wonderful focal point. Take time to study the growing new fruit as a real lesson in change and gratitude. You’ll love enjoying the ripe fruit as a very special treat. Another focal point could be a small water feature, such as a bubbling rock with a pump that circulates the water. Something as simple as a whiskey barrel sunk into the ground and filled with water and a small pump that creates a bubbling noise. “Pond-less” waterfalls are very popular, where water is pumped over a rock and splashes onto gravel that covers the collection tank and keeps recirculating the water. They are easy to maintain and add the soothing sound of water to your space. There are interesting fountains that can be purchased, filled with water and just plugged in.  Sedge grasses love having their roots in water, and we offer a wide selection of them. They’ll soften the look for you with very little care and they'll thrive in any splash zones. Set The Scene With Thoughtful Touches Soft, cushiony surfaces encourage you to slip your shoes off and wiggle your toes. Thick grass, or easy care groundcovers such as English Ivy, Creeping Thyme, or Golden Creeping Jenny can be used (please note that Nature Hills follows regional restrictions for any plant that becomes invasive in your particular zone.)   You’ll want to include a path from your house to the space in your planning. Winding paths can add a delightful sense of anticipation and destination. If you’ll do yoga in the space, consider building a sturdy platform deck out of splinter-free composite decking. Rugged exterior storage boxes can hold your mat, blocks and other props. A final suggestion is to include inexpensive lighting. Use solar lights, or add a small transformer and just a few LED lights that will highlight the area, so it can be used after sunset or at sunrise. This can make all of the difference for you when you utilize your new unique space. Shoot a light upwards from under your Japanese Maple or other shade tree. Add a few pathway lights to take you out to the space and voila! You have just increased the opportunities for you to use your new retreat. Exterior lighting looks great in all seasons, including the winter. Remember, the design of these areas in your yard do not need to be elaborate or expensive. It just needs to work for you, so that you can enter the space every day, take a few deep breaths and be renewed. As they say, take time to smell the roses. Study the heart of the rose to gain insight into the natural world. Plants connect us to the past, ground us in the present, and give us hope for the future. We hope you’ll enjoy your fabulous new Meditation Garden!

The winter months can be such a festive time to transform your outdoor container gardens. In October and November, it's time to make the switch from flowering plants and tropicals to cut boughs arrangements. We asked our in-house professional florist for tips and tricks on how to create gorgeous winter containers to extend your season and welcome guests to your home. First, let's talk about your options to get materials: Some people prefer to contract with local landscapers for help. This is a great option but be sure to place your order early. The waiting lists are long and understand that you'll pay a premium for that convenience. Finding professional grade materials is another hassle. Some hobby and grocery stores carry limited selections, but you wind up driving all over to buy enough material to create an effective container, overfilled to create a generous, full visual effect. We've been there! Or you can push the "easy button" and order our Winter Greenery Kits of professional florist grade winter boughs that come direct to your door. Step by Step Instructions for Winter Container Gardens For existing containers, top off with dirt as needed. For new, please place your containers exactly where you want them before you start. Take your time and get it right, as they are heavy when full. Fill new containers with dirt to the top once they are in position.  Grab garden gloves, an old sheet or tarp, a crafty friend, and a happy, relaxed attitude. Before you get started, take a nice, deep breath. You gave yourself an opportunity to have a cool experience today. This is a process. Making garden containers takes a while. There is no such thing as perfection. Ok, now that you are in a "good place", put on your gloves, open the box and take a nice deep breath. Mmm, we love the smell of mixed evergreen, don't you? First, take everything out of the box. Separate the materials into piles on your tarp or old sheet. Sort the evergreens into piles by type and by size. Step 1 Select the tallest, fullest bough and push it firmly into the dirt in your container. If you'll see the container from all angles, place the bough in the center. If you'll only see one side of the container, place the bough near the back and keep the "showiest" side facing out. Step 2 If you need to trim the lowest branches, cut at a 45-degree angle close to the main stem. Save all the little clippings to use later. Step 3 Add smaller boughs around the first bough. If you'll see the container from all angles, be sure to place boughs all around the largest bough. If you'll only see one side of the container, place these boughs in front of and to the sides of the largest bough. Step 4 Select smaller material to fill in the front. Use the best looking material in the front facing your guests. Step 5 Continue to fill and bundle several smaller boughs together if needed. Use your saved trimmings to fill in bare spots. Step 6 Tuck flat, small branchlets in under the other boughs as edging all around the pot. This is a pro tip that polishes and softens the look. Step 7 Add your focal point in place. It's best to bundle these together before you push them into the dirt. Step 8 Spread out the berry clusters and place them throughout the arrangement at high, medium and low points. You can wire them to the upper branches, and even use hot glue to hold in place if needed. Caring for Your Winter Container Gardens Spray the branches liberally with Wilt-pruf, an anti-dessicant starch spray. Plan to reapply as often as the directions say. If you live in a frost zone, fill the container with water. The water will freeze and keep the materials intact. It's fun to mix these up throughout the season. Try evergreen or holly branches, cut red twig dogwood stems, crabapple branches, viburnums berries, or dried Hydrangea flowers in winter pots. Get wild! Decorate them with silver accents for New Year’s or add your team colors for the Superbowl. You’ll be so pleased to make them your own. Enjoy these long lasting containers. Good job!  Shop for DoorScapes professional container garden materials