I always cut branches from cedar, juniper, pine, the spikes from sumac, and the 'feathers' from the wild grassess and arrange them in my large pots. These last all winter long. I just poke them right into the dirt for a long lasting arrangement. Here is a link to one of my personal webpages showing some of the tubs I did last year.

Here is a link that might be useful: Country Roads Gardens and Crafts - witner greenery pots

I fold up a tarp and place that over the soil and then I add birdseed for the winter birds. My cats love to sit in the window and watch the birds who eventually realize that the cats cannot
catch them through the glass and just ignore them.
It's like a TV for cats ...LOL
I also love to sit at my kitchen table with a cup of tea or coffee and watch the birds coming for food...especially when it is really cold..or just after a heavy snowfall when the food is scarce for the birds.
Makes me feel nice :)

Thank you both... last year I planted pansies, which did not survive the winter. I was thinking of doing something different this year, and you have both given me great ideas.

Thanks!

Kristine

I'm bumping this thread because I'd love to see / hear more ideas...

I've put red dogwood branches in my white window box - very pretty. I cut 1/3 of the canes off my dogwoods in November to maintain that lovely red colour (from the new growth) and use the cuttings inside the house and out! I place the branches in a container of water, which freezes everything in place when it gets cold and the branches won't blow out.

Don't have window boxes, but two largish planters outside. I planted mums after the summer flowers died, and for the winter cut off everything and put an evergreen wreaths on each planter, with pinecones in the middle and a couple of decorative branches with red berries. For Christmas you might also put a few of those branches covered with artificial ice. They don't look half bad with the snow all around.