Container gardening is a super-easy way to dress up your front porch or patio, add a splash of color to shady areas, or cope with poor soil in your yard. “Many plants thrive in containers,” says Barbara Wise, author of Container Gardening for All Seasons. “The most important thing is good drainage. Make sure there’s a hole in the bottom of your pot so plants don’t drown. Also, read the tag or talk to the nursery to learn which plants do well in your specific conditions, such as full sun or shade.”
Since your outdoor potted plants will need more water than their in-ground counterparts, be smart about location. For remote spots, choose drought-tolerant plants, such as succulents. If you’ve got some thirstier plants in the mix, place them nearest to a water source. Check the soil moisture of your containers daily for the first week after planting to determine how often to irrigate.
When it comes to design, we all know the container gardening adage: Choose a thriller, a filler, and a spiller. But here are a few more guiding ideas to keep in mind.
- Pick a palette that works with the house colors and stick to it in all your containers.
- Mix different textures, shapes, and colors to heighten visual interest. For example, choose a wide variety of flower and leaf shapes—some round, some trumpet-shaped, some scalloped.
- Group pots of various shapes, sizes, and complementary styles too.
- It’s okay to have only one plant per container but think in opposites: Put the spotlight on a plant’s distinctive leaves by choosing a simple pot. Want to show off a cool container? Pair it with a plainer species.
If you’d like to incorporate some edible components, check out our vegetable container garden ideas too.
Our Favorite Container Plants
1 Geranium
A classic for front porch containers, these cheerful plants will flower spring through summer with deadheading (pinching off spent blooms) and fertilizer. Though they like full sun, they do appreciate some afternoon shade in intense heat. Learn how to winterize potted geraniums.
2 Iris
Yes, you can grow irises in containers, says Melissa Lallo Johnson, a Midwest-based master gardener who grows 23 varieties on her extensive property, which she shares on Instagram at @fancyflowerfarmer. “The thing I love most about irises is that after they are done putting on their show, their stunning green leaves with a bluish tint stay beautiful the rest of the season and much into the beginning of winter,” she says. “When they start to brown at the tips, I cut the brown off and cut them to a point. That usually stops the browning and keeps them looking picture perfect.”
3 Hibiscus
This tropical bloomer makes a striking accent in a grouping of containers, especially when you have one with a braided trunk. It’s also long-lived as long as you protect it from the cold. “I keep mine indoors over the winter,” says Johnson. “The once $5 plant is now a thick trunk braided beauty at nearly seven years old.
4 Caladium
The heart-shaped foliage of this tropical plant will take centerstage in a container. Pair it with impatiens in a shady spot, but take note: Keep caladium away from pets, especially those who like to chew on plants. Caladiums contain insoluble calcium oxalates, which are toxic if consumed.
5 Impatiens
“This classic will never grow old,” says Johnson. “I use these sometimes as the fill and the spill.”
6 Sweet Potato Vine
With foliage ranging from bright lime green to dark purple depending on the variety, trailing sweet potato vines can add a welcome color contrast to your container. “One of my favorite spillers,” says Johnson. “Big color, big leaves, big impact.”
7 Supertunia
“Up to 4 feet of spill in containers—sold!” says Johnson. You’ll also love that this low-maintenance petunia hybrid doesn’t need require deadheading for repeat blooms.
8 Basil
When you plant basil in your container garden, you’ll always have fresh leaves on hand for culinary endeavors—and it’ll help keep mosquitoes away. Johnson uses basil as a filler plant in her containers and lets them go to flower. “The flowers are so beautiful and fragrant,” she says. “They are also excellent in floral arrangements.”
9 Lantana
Even beginners will enjoy success with this spiller in a container or hanging basket. Both heat and drought tolerant, this low-maintenance perennial is a butterfly magnet that blooms late spring through frost. “I love the intricate petal structure, the colors, and the smell,” says Johnson.
Two caveats to know: If ingested, lantana is toxic to animals, so take care around pets, horses, and livestock. Also, opt for sterile varieties; otherwise, lantana can be invasive in warm climates.
10 Sweet Alyssum
“The delicate and airy look of sweet alyssum is so special as it falls over the container rim,” says Johnson. “I love to tuck this into my rock wall also.” White is the most common color, but purple- and pink-blooming varieties are also available.
11 Euphorbia
This somewhat lesser-known plant looks frilly but it’s tough as nails in a variety of conditions including heat and drought. Its wispy leaves and profuse airy white flowers offer a delicate baby’s breath-like effect to mixed pots, says Glenn Kopp, horticulture information manager at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis.
12 Begonias
Begonias are versatile, hardy, and showy with a variety of leaf shapes and flower colors ranging from white to brilliant orange. “Many varieties do very well in containers,” says Kopp. “Just don’t let them get too wet.” Plant them on their own in a hanging basket or in a mixed container. For extra showy blooms, go for a double begonia variety, such as the aptly named Roseform.
