Lovely pot!! To some degree, what you choose will depend on what shape you want - tall and rigid, tall and flowing, short and round, short and weeping, etc. My two favorite choices would be: Spirea Ogon AKA mellow yellow, which is fountain shaped rather than the rounded or bun shape of many spireas. White flowers, fine willowy yellow to chartreuse summer foliage, and red-gold fall color. Clematis Stolwijk Gold, which has gold to chartreuse leaves and early blue flowers. Grown on a medium trellis I think this would look stunning. Ninebark I think will be too big for the pot based on my P. coppertina. I'm personally not a fan of privet and IME they get pretty huge also. Some other thoughts: Yellow oak leaf hydrangea, Little Honey, though it has a reputation for being a bit fussy. It likes at least part shade Yellow-variegated shrub dogwoods (Cornus), though they might be too large Yellow elderberries (Sambucus) might stay small enough in your pot though they get large in the ground Clumping bamboos, though I am not sure if any of the yellowish ones will be hardy enough for you. Yellow leaved evergreens, such as some of the Chamaecyparis, would have foliage year round if you will be leaving the pot outside. Some heathers have yellow to gold to orange foliage depending on the time of year and the variety. Caryopteris such as Sunshine Blue have gold foliage and late season blue flowers. You'd need to check if the flowers coordinated with the pot. Gold grasses, either variegated like some of the Miscanthus, or solid like gold Hakone grass. You might also want to consider a water garden in your pot with papyrus, though it wouldn't be hardy or yellow. Here is a link that might be useful:

first .... if you have good draining soil ... simply sink pots and all in one hole ... and loosely backfill ... the key is .. GET THEM DORMANT ... AND KEEP THEM DORMANT ... [wish i had a dime for each time i typed that in the last few weeks ...] if zone appropriate... temps are not important ... NO SUN ON POTS... they can easily thaw roots.. which then refreeze ... etc.. more than once.. and the plant will die ... and it wouldnt hurt to keep the plant out of blistering winter winds ... can do any of the following: north side of the house .... once frozen.. tip on side.. this avoids sun on pots.. and tipping in late dec avoids water accumulating in frozen soil ... buy 3 bales of straw.. and place against house.. and circle with bales... reduces wind ... and sun on pot or.. as above... dig hole in veggie garden.. and sink pots and all.. presuming you do NOT have clay soil ... review the KEY ... and you will succeed.. no matter which option you take ... it might be a great time to give them a thorough soaking .... ken

Hi, You will probably get the answers you're looking for by posting this note in the far north gardening forum. I've attached the link below. Good luck. Here is a link that might be useful: Far North Gardening

I live in Iowa and over wintered dwarf Alberta spruce for 3 or 4 years in pots by my front door. I dumped them this spring as they were getting too big and one had some dead on one side....so I'll get new this spring. Your problems could have sevral causes....one the black post absorb the sun's rays and warm up and don't allow the shrub to stay dormant all winter....and it dies. Or it could have been too dry. Boxwood keeps it's leaves all winter and continues to loose moisture all winter....and it dries out. Or you could have had the pots get too wet and the roots rotted. It's perfectly possible to grow shrubs in pots all year long, and for several years until they outgrow the pots.....but you have to pay attention to their needs. Linda C