SHOP PRODUCTS
Houzz Logo Print
cactusmcharris

How to Plant Potted Cold-Hardy Plants for Surviving Winter

I have several hundred pounds of partially/mostly/all broken terra-cotta pots which I'd like to experiment with, making a garden in the lower yard (where my wife doesn't have to see it from the kitchen) of cold-hardy Sedum/Sempervivum/Opuntia.


How do I ensure the plants will make it through the winter when they're partially/wholly in pots, which are themselves partially/wholly entombed in the ground? My thought is to create a wholesome dystopian landscape of succulents (and other perennials as I find them) growing in/out/among the terra-cotta potshards?


I'm in Z4/5, and we generally have snow cover until February or so. I'd guess if I mulched the entire plot where the plants are, they'd survive, but then I need to think of cleaning the mulch off in the spring.


If I understand correctly, cold-hardy plants aren't cold-hardy if they're in a pot, but I'd like to be wrong about that. What if the pots are partially/wholly in the ground?


Thank you for your thoughts.

Comment (1)