This glazed container needs only the simplest of components to inject a mood-boosting shot of colour to counter late autumn and winter’s grey skies. The early flowers and later berries of the cotoneasters make this not just a feast for the eyes but an invitation for both pollinators and birds to continue to visit. Even without flowers, the turning colours of the leaves provide drama, heightened by the cornus’s show-stopping red stems.
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How to achieve the look
Container and composition
Simplicity is everything when it comes to this late-season display. I’ve used just three plants – all of which have been chosen for their winter forms. Cotoneasters provide fabulous structure and a feeling of movement as they artfully send their stems out to create impressive silhouettes.
Add in the red stems of the cornus and you have everything you need to provide architecture and impact, against a neutral background. The bright-orange berries of Cotoneaster x suecicus ‘Coral Beauty’ shine out here; their autumn colours enhanced by the gorgeous scarlets of Cotoneaster horizontalis, with its herringbone pattern of stems that are so much easier to admire when spread out from a container than they are on the ground. The horizontals need some verticality as a balance and Cornus alba ‘Elegantissima’ is the perfect partner in terms of colour and form.
Cultivation and care
All of these plants will tolerate a little shade so this is a pot that will be happy pretty much anywhere. However, it will definitely shine out if you are able to give it a sunny spot. All will need more water when grown in a container. After this season, I will move the cornus out into the wider garden to give it space to grow. Be aware that in England and Wales, it is an offence to plant or cause Cotoneaster horizontalis to grow in the wild, so leave that one in the pot.
Plants
Cornus alba ‘Elegantissima’ This deciduous, medium-sized shrub has deep-red stems and grey-green, white-margined, narrowly ovate leaves to 10cm in length. Flat heads of creamy white flowers are followed by berries. Height and spread: 3m x 3m. RHS H7, USDA 3a-7b†.
Cotoneaster x suecicus ‘Coral Beauty’ An evergreen shrub forming a dense mound of small, glossy, dark-green leaves to 1cm long, and clusters of small, white summer flowers followed by a profusion of bright-orange berries. 1m x 2m. AGM*. RHS H6, USDA 5a-8b.
Cotoneaster horizontalis Low-growing, spreading deciduous shrub with distinctive, flat, herringbone-patterned sprays of leaves. The leaves are glossy dark green, and then turn orange and red in autumn. Pinkish-white flowers in late spring are followed by red berries. 50cm x 1.8m. RHS H7, USDA 5a-7b.
