Outside the Box

A look back at a moody, unexpected winter container designed with layers of blue, black, silver and natural seasonal textures.

We love Christmas, but not everything we design for winter needs to scream Christmas.

A few years ago, Diggin In and Monrovia asked us to participate in a winter container challenge. Monrovia sent us a Goshiki Osmanthus—commonly called osmanthus holly—and our challenge was to design a planter around it.
We love blue in the winter. It gives us that wintery feeling without being so Christmas-specific, which means a container can easily take you from November through February or even March.

For this one, the blue pine was the perfect backdrop and really let the yellow in the holly pop. We added black mondo grass because I love a touch of black no matter the season, then brought in some silver and gray, white birch poles and pinecones to winter it up.

It was moody. A little unexpected. And we loved everything about it.

We also really thought we were going to win.

We did not.

But that’s the thing about going outside the box—not everyone is going to love it. And that’s okay. I’d rather create something a little unexpected than something you’ve seen a hundred times before.

And honestly, I’d make this one all over again