Sooner or later someone’s going to put together the puzzle of ‘winter magic’ so our late fall and winter gardens will look vibrant and colourful and stay that way until spring. In the meantime, we keep finding pieces that take us ever closer.

The ‘Proven Winner’ folks have given us a big piece of the puzzle with some wonderful ideas using old favourites. ‘Fall Magic’ is their theme, and the good news is that many of the plants they suggest for combinations are listed for zone five hardiness, although I feel more comfortable suggesting zone six with some protection during cold spells, especially after last year’s winter.

Winter colour plants are meant to be used in garden beds, hanging baskets and planters, and virtually all the ‘Fall Magic’ plants offer foliage colour along with unique forms and shapes. In cooler temperatures, they all increase their colour intensity for an even more exciting display. The secret is to combine them with winter pansies and violas to carry them through to spring.

Now if we’re talking baskets and planters, remember: use large containers that are at least 16 to 18 inches in diameter, and use sterilized soil to which fine bark has been added to provide superb drainage during those inevitable winter wet spells.

The many new varieties of heucheras and heucherellas are the bright lights of winter plantings. The vibrant chartreuse colouring of H. ‘Tiramisu’, H. ‘Citronella’ and H. ‘Key Lime Pie’ is outstanding. Tan and tawny coloured varieties, like H. ‘Caramel’, also blend beautifully with fall and winter décor.

Evergreen grasses are simply made for winter. Two of the finest are both variegated gold and green varieties. My favourite is Carex hachijoensis ‘Evergold’. Because of its gently flopping habit, ‘Evergold’ cascades softly and beautifully over any basket or planter. Acorus gramineus ‘Ogon’ is similar, but more upright, and works well as a focal point. Growing in somewhat of a fan shape, it adds a little spike and height to beds or planters, and it contrasts nicely with virtually anything.

A golden oldie is the yellow form of Creeping Jenny, Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’. For 17 years now, we’ve used the green form as a ground cover in our gardens, and I don’t know why all of us make so little use of this great plant. In winter the gold form becomes a little more chartreuse in colour, making it a wonderful contrast plant. It’s ideal used as a ground cover, basket hanger or as a ‘drooper’ to soften and accent containers. Another gold zinger is Sedum ‘Angelina’ with its spiky trailing golden foliage that looks fabulous even at -25°C.

One of my favourite old perennials has many new faces. Euphorbias are delightful plants that turn many different colours in cool weather. Evergreen euphorbias, such as E. ‘Blackbird’, E. ‘Tasmanian Tiger’, E. ‘Glacier’ and E. ‘Rudolf’, make great focal points. and their chartreuse yellow flowers are always a treat in spring.

The more I see ornamental salvias, the more I like them, especially Salvia officinalis ‘Purpurascens’, ‘Icterina’ and ‘Tricolor’. All three deepen in colour as the night temperatures dip. The purple salvia is nice to use with anything silver, while the tricolor variety adds spark anywhere it goes. My favourite of the three, the golden yellow variety, is simple yet elegant and adds a deep richness to any planting. With a little pinching, they are low spreading and gorgeous.

Start with some of these plants, and then use your creativity to make some stunning winter containers. Don’t forget to blend in pansies, violas and anything else you need for accent colour, but do give these plants a prominent spot in your winter decor. Even in the worst of last year’s winter, I just put our containers in a cold shed, totally frozen, and when the weather finally warmed up, they were just fine.