Using containers in your garden makes adding color to the landscape easy and quick. Containers of colorful plants will brighten any spot, whether in the sun or shade. Place containers where you will enjoy seeing the bright flowers and foliage decorate your landscape. Any size, shape, and color container will make adding a colorful spot to the landscape beds, patio, deck, balcony, or porch easy and fun.
One advantage of growing in containers is the ease of changing plants for different seasons or occasions and when plants pass their prime. Anyone can create a garden in a container.
Large containers are perfect for creating a focal point at the entrance to your home or in a shady area where little else will grow. For example, the beautiful shade trees in our neighborhood provide plenty of shade and keep the neighborhood temperature down. However, growing flowers under shade trees is a challenge. A container of white flowers and foliage will brighten these shady areas, and the plants will not have to compete with the tree roots. White flowers stand out in a shady landscape and show up better at night.
In another shady spot, place a container in overly green groundcover beds. Green is beautiful, but an unusual container filled with pretty flowers adds a lovely pop of color to the area. Use a stepping stone to stabilize the container, or place the planter on a riser of your choice to add height to your grouping.
Flowering plants can include impatiens, begonias, periwinkles, and others during the fall. For foliage, try white caladiums. For a bit of lavender color, plant the pin cushion plant, also known as Scabiosa. In winter, consider using white Gerbera daisies and white hardy cyclamen. Here’s the easy part: any plant flowering at the nursery will flower in your home yard.
Embrace the joy of selecting a few different containers. At garden centers, flea markets, and antique stores, you’ll find them in every shape, size, and color. The choice is entirely yours.
Invest in quality containers that you’ll love for many years. Experiment with different heights and sizes to create depth and variety for a grouping. Place the containers where you’ll relish seeing them as you come in and out of the house, in your desired garden patch, or where you can admire them from your favorite window. The possibilities are endless.
Once you have chosen a location, fill the containers with good-quality potting soil and have fun selecting plants that will thrive in the location’s light conditions (sun, shade, part sun) and with the exact water requirements. Select a tall plant for the middle, shorter plants around the tall plant, and trailing/spilling plants around the edge. We call this a “thriller, filler, and spiller.”
The advantage of planting in containers is the ease with which you can replace plants anytime they’re out of bloom or have outgrown the containers. This flexibility allows you to keep your container garden vibrant and appealing throughout the year.
For more ideas, garden centers always have plants in bloom or colorful foliage for the fall and winter. The staff are happy to answer all your questions and help you choose the plants that will fit your vision.
Remember that container plants require more water and fertilizer than in the ground. Many potting soils contain wetting agents and fertilizer, which keep the soil moist longer and provide essential nutrients. If the soil doesn’t contain fertilizer, container gardens benefit from frequent light applications of fertilizer— a water-soluble fertilizer applied with water, liquid fertilizer sprayed on the foliage, or slow-release granular fertilizer. The latter releases a small amount every time you water and can last for months.
To properly water your plants, use a water breaker on the end of the garden hose or a watering can with a water breaker on the spout. Water breakers keep the water from displacing and compacting the soil and ensure deep watering directly onto the plant. To top off your new container garden, add bark mulch around the plants to slow evaporation and prevent splashing—water more frequently as the plants grow and if the temperature rises.
Ensuring your plants receive the necessary care demonstrates your commitment to their health. They will reward you with beauty.
5 Perfect Perennials for Container Gardens
- Pin Cushion Plant (Scabiosa)
- Purple Coneflowers (Echinacea)
- Rudbeckia (black-eyed Susan)
- Salvia
- Summer Phlox
