In the Ozarks if you plan your pots right, you can have year-round containers that many perennials and shrubs can live several years in. This allows not only a financial and time benefit but allows you to stay consistent with your outdoor design theme and provide your home with year-round curb appeal. When choosing a year-round plant, know that your container doesn’t keep the roots warm as the ground would, so plan on getting plants that would survive in hardiness zones of 4 and 5 if you don’t plan on bringing them inside for winter. You may want to check out a Golden Sword Yucca for interest, a Green Mountain Boxwood for height, Bergenia for body, a Golden Creeping Jenny for depth and the Japanese Pieris for a splash of color. All these plants would do fine in Missouri winters.
All Plants Are Available on a Seasonal BasisIf you need a pop of color that is reliable and will take up some room, consider a Coral Bell. Coral Bells can also thrive on a shady boarder and be a great addition to your containers. You don’t have to rely on the flower for the color, the foliage comes in a variety of colors as well.
Big, beautiful, thick, round, and smooth. This spiral rush likes wet or moist soil and can be submerged in up to 4” of water. It will spread slowly by stolons; however, if spreading is a concern, keep it in check by submerging in pots. It’s a great accent for water gardens and can provide plenty of texture and interest to hard-to-landscape wet areas.
Also called stoncrop, sedums have many varieties but are known for their succulent leaves, fleshy stems and bundle of flowers. Add to both spring and fall gardens and can also be used as ground cover.