My pots on the front step were getting tatty. Too much weather in the low twenties had completely done in the chrysanthemums and I was getting bombarded with coupons for spruce tops.  Yesterday the weather was relatively warm, so I went shopping. I was aiming for a neutral early winter/late fall look. Once we get into December, I’ll add red accents to the pots. One of the red accents I love for winter pots is rose hips, but alas, my roses aren’t co-operative and my local garden centers charge too much for them. Unlike the spruce tops, the rose hips don’t last all winter in zone 4b.

I was, however, able to use some arborvitae and a few lovely juniper branches, lush with berries, from my own yard. So my frugal foraging urges weren’t completely thwarted.

This year, I also chose something new to add to the pots: Scotch Broom (cytisus andreanus splendens).  And I had to laugh when I looked it up and got mostly enthusiastic recommendations about smoking it when marijuana is scarce.  Mmm. What I wasn’t able to find out was whether it will turn brown at the first hint of zero degrees.  I guess it’ll just be an adventure. The Scotch Broom is grassy, with almost reedlike texture. I love how it looks against the pinecones and stiff needles of the spruce.  What do you think? Attractive, yes?