Christmas is close! Finish your gift list with this sweet idea. Try making Candy Cane Container Gardens! These versatile planters make for the perfect gift that keeps on giving after the holiday season! Plus, they provide a peppermint kick with candy canes! Learn how to make yours now!
SUPPLIES
To get started, you will need the following supplies for this project:
- Terra Cotta Pottery or Planters from Bloem®
- Seasonal color like Matrix® Pansies, Cyclamen, Poinsettias, Fresh Herbs, or Indoor Plants
- Calloway’s Premium Container Potting Soil
- Candy Canes
- Rubber Bands
- Ribbon
*This craft is for decorative use only, not for consumption.
STEP 1: ADD THE CANDY CANES
After you have gathered your supplies, it is time to start creating! First, wrap a rubber band around the pottery. This will help to secure the candy canes. Plus, no glue is needed for easy access to a candy cane treat and use of your planter after the holidays!
Next, add your candy canes! Place each one with the top facing towards the container. The container will support these treats.
There are 2 directions that you can take this! You can disperse candy canes evenly around the container or completely cover it.
After the candy canes are placed, wrap with ribbon! Cover the rubber band with your favorite holiday ribbon to help secure the candy canes even better.
STEP 2: ADD PLANTS
Start your Candy Cane Container Garden off right with quality potting soil. The soil you use is very important to the health and success of your container garden. First, never use the native soil from the ground, as it does not contain the nutrients and moisture-retaining properties of a proper potting soil.
Calloway’s Premium Container Potting Soil helps your plants get the best start for healthier, continued growth. It contains water saving ingredients like Hydrogel water holding crystals, Expanded Shale and Coconut Coir for added moisture control. Additional ingredients include sphagnum peat moss, composted rice hulls, composted pine bark, earthworm castings, Dolomite lime, and trace elements. Our soil is Silicon Enriched™ to provide container plants with the same benefits as those grown in the Earth’s soil! Plus, our .2-.05-.1 professional formula contains a slow-release fertilizer to help feed your plants for up to 6 months.
Fill your container with Calloway’s Premium Container Potting Soil, leaving room for your plants. Next, add your plants. You can choose from many different selections of gorgeous seasonal color.
CYCLAMEN
Cyclamen contains flowers with swept-back petals in rich jeweled tones among a cascade of heart-shaped leaves. These distinctive features of Cyclamen make them a delight for containers and gardens throughout the cooler seasons. The bright colors of reds, pinks, and whites make this plant the perfect holiday accent.
POINSETTIAS
Pick a plant that says ‘Christmas’ like the dazzling colors of Poinsettias! The bright leaves and bold colors capture the joyous sentiments of the holidays. Poinsettias from Calloway’s and Cornelius Nursery are selected for their unmatched quality! Picked from premium growers to ensure that you receive the best of the best. Add that extra ‘wow!’ to your Christmas décor with the velvety brilliance of Poinsettias.
Get your home in the holiday spirit and make a difference! 10% of all Poinsettia sales will be donated to help improve the well-being of children in need through Lena Pope!
Lena Pope, based in Fort Worth, is committed to improving the well-being of children and their families by providing prevention and early intervention programs that increase child and family resiliency. Their evidence-based programs offer a range of services including mental health counseling, behavior interventions, and education programs focused in social and emotional learning. Lena Pope works every day to meet the emotional, behavioral, and intellectual needs of children, youth, adults, and families. For more information about Lena Pope, visit lenapope.org.
INDOOR PLANTS
Indoor plants are extremely low maintenance and can help you and your family breathe easier at home. They promote wellness, help purify the air in your home, and can help lower stress. Explore our indoor plant varieties from succulents to aloe and ferns to bromeliads at our store nearest you or shop online here!
THE “THRILLER, FILLER, SPILLER” METHOD
Pick your plants in vibrant colors to design a visually pleasing container garden. When it comes to the design, use the “Thriller, Filler, Spiller” method. Choosing your plants based on “Thriller, Filler, Spiller” selections will create an exciting creation with dimension and color.
Select plants with similar sun and water requirements to ensure your plants stay happy and healthy.
First, add your “Thriller” plant. Choose selections with bold blooms like Matrix® Pansies! Remember, the “Thriller” plant will be a large, dramatic, and taller option. It is the focal plant in your container. Depending on where your container will be displayed, you can either plant your “Thriller” in the center, if your container will be viewed from all sides, or plant towards the back of the container.
Matrix® Pansies are known for their large blooms and consistent growth during the cooler season. They come in a variety of bold and vibrant colors in blotch or clear styles. These low-maintenance plants allow for easy care for your garden, containers, and landscape allowing maximum growth with little effort. Matrix® Pansies grow quickly and are best planted in partial shade to full sun.
Then, add your “Filler” plant. The “Filler” plants are plants that tend to be a more rounded plant to make the container look full. Place your “Filler” in front of your “Thriller” plant. In our design, we selected a fantastic plant for this time of year called Alyssum.
Alyssum contains clusters of fragrant flowers in white and purple, blooming with a lovely star shape! This plant is a great addition to season gardens and containers for its compact growth. Alyssum grows best in full sun to partial shade.
Finally, add your “Spiller” plant. The “Spiller” plants are trailing plants that hang over the edge of the container. They should be planted close to the edge of the container, in front of, or surrounding the “Filler” plant.
For our creation, we selected fresh seasonal herbs like Rosemary! Oregano, Chives, or Thyme also make great “Spiller” plants, plus they provide a lovely fragrance.
Now that your plants are set up. Water in thoroughly, letting the water drain through the drain hole. Add more potting soil if needed.
STEP 3: GIFT TO YOUR LOVED ONES
Your Candy Cane Container Gardens are now complete and ready for gifting! These sweet gifts are perfect for neighbors, teachers, friends, and family. Everyone can sit back and enjoy the beautiful plants and the candy cane dreams. All that is missing is a cup of hot chocolate!
Plus, these gifts are the gift that keeps on giving! After the holidays, simply remove any leftover candy canes and place your container garden in your yard, patio, or home. Always follow the sun and watering requirements of your plants so you can keep growing into the New Year!
SHOP WITH EASE
At Calloway’s and Cornelius, we have convenient ways to shop for your gardening favorites! Shop our open-air stores, shop online, or call our store nearest you and place an order over the phone for Curbside Pickup!
Questions? Call our store nearest you! Our Texas Certified Nursery Professionals are here to help!
