Enjoy blooms and foliage all year long with these container gardening ideas and plant suggestions.
All you need is a container, potting soil, and some plants and you’re ready to go.
Fromfall containersandsummer-surviving plantstohanging container gardens, we’ve got tons of ideas for you.
Credit:HECTOR MANUEL SANCHEZ; PRODUCED BY MARK THOMPSON
This simple gardening solution is even an opportunity forindoor containergardens.
To add more color to the middle pot, blooms that can transition according to the season.
Vibrant pink and orange blooms are this containers main elements with yellow-green accents.
Credit:HECTOR MANUEL SANCHEZ; Styling: BUFFY HARGETT MILLER
This composition is ideal for a mostly sunny spot.
In the bigger pot, he also included lambs ears (a semievergreen perennial).
Traditionally, it does pretty well through winters in the South, says Thompson.
Credit:Robbie Caponetto
In colder climates, it may die back but will return in the spring.
They offer a nice contrasting texture to those soft pansy leaves, he says.
Play with Purple
Pair purple and orange tones together for a playful and eye-catching display.
Credit:HECTOR MANUEL SANCHEZ; Styling: BUFFY HARGETT MILLER
you’re able to mix colors to your liking or do all one hue, says Thompson.
They create a mound of flowers thats really full.
The plants are also inexpensive compared to fillers such as ornamental grasses, explains the gardening expert.
Credit:Robbie Caponetto
it’s possible for you to get a lot of bang for your buck.
Vary Heights
This sun-loving pairing make for a fantastic summer container with a pop of color.
This styling can work well in any decor because it focuses on familiar forms.
Credit:Robbie Caponetto
Here, it takes only four plants to convey the sweeping illusion of a floor-length gown.
The final attention grabber is the graceful creeping Jenny spilling over the sides.
Position this planter in the shade for a gorgeous, easy-to-maintain display, and remember to water regularly.
Credit:Robbie Caponetto
Before filling your basket with soil and plants, line it with sheet moss.
Fragrant rosemary, basil, andlemongrass accentsoft blue plumbago in this tabletop setup.
Start with a young lemongrass plant positioned in the center of the pot.
“Remember that containers can be moved,” says Vater. “That’s why we garden in pots so we can put plants in the shade to recuperate.".Credit:HECTOR MANUEL SANCHEZ; Styling: BUFFY HARGETT MILLER
Then add the flowering plumbago around that.
Fill Your Wicker
To add interest to your pot itself, consider swapping the material.
This wicker basket is lined with a garbage bag before adding soil to help it last longer.
Credit:ROBBIE CAPONETTO
(Waterproof florist foil or a small pot also work.)
Develop An Orange Crush
Make bold foliage the focal point for alate-summer containerthat steals the show.
This is a thirsty container, so check that it stays well watered.
Credit: Alison Miksch
Place it in full or partial sun.
Decorate Porch Steps
These porch-step containers begin with bright pink and yellow zinnias’Zowie!
Yellow Flame' and ‘Magellan Salmon’ are some of our favorites.
Credit: David Hillegas
To make this container garden even simpler, opt for inexpensiveplastic plantersthat are weatherproof and easy to move around.
Grouping your containers in a tight space can help to create a homey, mini-garden vibe.
Plus, all of these incredible colors intensify when placed side by side.
Credit:ROBBIE CAPONETTO
Pink zinnias and yellow tuberous begonias are the focal points of thrillers.
Blue Cape plumbago (Plumbago auriculata) and golden lantana add a hint of dramathese are the fillers.
Finally, with its delicate, trident shape, English ivycascades over the side.
Credit: Robbie Caponetto; Styling: Mark Thompson
This spiller gives the beautiful hanging container a sense of movement.
This container’s copper sheen complements the fuchsia zinnias rather than competing with them.
Yellow calibrachoas spill over the container’s edge.
Line a wicker basket with a garbage bag, waterproof florist foil, or a small pot before adding the soil.Credit:Robbie Caponetto
Subtle splashes from purple verbenas create another unexpected yet robust focal point in this outdoor garden conversation space.
A purple fan flower punctuates the lush greenery.
The fan flower is unique because all its blossoms have petals on one side.
Credit: David Hillegas
In the Tropical South, these plants can also be evergreen.
The carefully curated selection of beautiful containers has warm, rich metal tones to complement the outdoor oasis.
Coleus varieties, first introduced into Europe during the 1700s, are popular as plant choices.
Credit: Alison Miksch
But what it is not is overcrowded, which could keep the plants from getting adequate light.
Thanks to the built-in handle, you’ll also love the ease of moving this around the garden.
This arrangement is a beautiful study of hard and soft elements in container garden design.
Credit: Alison Miksch
The key to designing this look is combining contrasting textures.
The combined arrangement creates a cascade and crescendo of bright colors.
The effect is the sense of beauty in bloom, bursting forth in wonder from this colorful basket.
Credit: Alison Miksch
The handmade bowl, made of concrete and recycled materials, provides a delicate addition to this gorgeous centerpiece.
Its impact will be elegant and beautiful.
Settle in at the table for an evening drink or a casual conversation, and let the romance blossom.
Credit: Alison Miksch
Create A Wall Swag Container
This abundantly vibrant design puts the flowers in the spotlight.
This arrangement focuses entirely on the flowersthe hidden container merely offers grounding support.
Let these geraniums burst forth with color in your Southern gardentemperature and humidity are no problem.
Credit: Alison Miksch
Bring On The SunPatiens
Bring it ona beautiful container in the sun, that is.
Then, let everything else help them shine.
This beautiful plant design in this LSU-themed container thrives in part sun and moist potting mix.
Credit: Alison Miksch
And they allow you to fill in the blanks with tiny, colorful flowers.
You’ll love how the delicate flowers soften the feel of the pot itself.
One of the beautiful wonders of the elephant’s ear (AlocasiaandColocasiaspp.)
Credit:Alison Miksch
is that it flowers first, and then fruits.
The fruit makes the stem look like corn on the cob.
Whatever stage it’s in, it looks gorgeous in your summertime container.
Credit: Alison Miksch
Meet Miss Lantana
Lantanas bloom in a slew of sunny colors from spring to fall.
Plus, the nectar-laden flowers attract pretty butterflies like moths to a flame.
Lantana is also generally resistant to deerthey don’t find it particularly attractive, even though you will.
Credit:Alison Miksch
Here, three ceramic containers in a subtle shade of turquoise hold a variety of beautiful plants.
Place ‘New Look’ dusty miller and ‘Lemon Ball’ sedum in the front to trail over the edge.
These shaped concrete pots enhance any outdoor environment.
Credit: Alison Miksch
Their angled geometry pairs well with their tops' color and movement sprouting out.
Whatever plants you choose, verify they thrive in similar conditions.
All three of these plants areheat-tolerant, making them perfect for grouping together.
Credit:Alison Miksch
Look for similar pots at gardening or home-supply stores.
As soon as the bulbs finish blooming, plant them in the garden.
Choose whatever works best in your garden.
Credit: Alison Miksch
You’ll love giant-leaved, sunny ‘Maui Gold’ elephant’s ear and heavily blooming, fiery orange SunPatiens.
The velvety, fragrant citronella plant and purple iridescent Persian shield provide a nice tropical color.
Add a heavenly skirt of angel vine to spill down the sides.
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn
This container box emerges in a subtle sea of layers, each adding depth and color to the other.
Fill it with ‘Diamond Frost’ euphorbia, coleus, ‘Supertunia Vista Bubblegum’ petunia, and geranium.
The weathered will only add more patina over time.
Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez
Containers are the perfect canvas for a unique color, texture, and composition approach.
These showy snapdragons add height and bold color to your containers.
Each has its wonder and surprise, rich with color, tone, and texture.
Credit: Laurey W.Glenn
Easy and versatile, collards have graced Southern gardens and tables for generations.
Durable, versatile, and beautiful, they are also incredibly visually enticing and imbued with many tonal variations.
They work well in different-sized containers.
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn
This galvanized metal tub is filled with collards, creating an intimate container garden.
Use them in situations where you want simplicity to come to the fore.
Take advantage of all the eye-stopping excitement that will bring to your front porch.
Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez
Here we’ve used three sizes of pressed-metal planters with decorative embossing and a copper-toned finish.
Gently add an inch or two of washed, fine gravel.
Top gravel with a thin layer of activated aquarium carbon.
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn
(You’ll find both items at your local pet store.)
Next, add moistened potting soil, and you’ll be ready to plant.
Create a collection of plants, or showcase just one.
Credit: Photo: Helen Norman
Good choices include ferns, succulents, mosses, miniature moth orchids, African violets, and kalanchoes.
Pair Evergreens And Annuals
One challenge with container gardening is retaining visual beauty through changing seasons.
This thoughtful approach puts that problem to rest.
Credit: Melina Hammer
In general, violas are more tolerant of temperature variation than botanically similar pansies.
Bring on Spring
Hector Sanchez
This container is as sensual as it is beautiful.
It combines a burst of daffodils with bold hues and fragrant seasonal blooms for colorful containers that keep giving.
Credit: Steve Bender
Even separately, every one of these would be a visual delight.
Together, the interplay is exhilarating.
It is always important to experiment with composition to make a growing garden a visual delight.
Credit: Photo: Roger Foley
Try pairing colorful and distinctive flowers like these with a textural plant, like grass.
This arrangement helps hide a downspout and fills the space with bright beauty.
The boldness of the plants contrasts with the simple, neutral containers.
Credit: Melina Hammer
Think of using natural tones in stone and off-white for these outdoor container compositions.
Using various decorative ground covers jazzes up your potted plantingsthese are enhanced with beautiful selections of natural stone.
When considering this arrangement, echeverias, sedums, and other similar plantings work well.
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn
You’ll love how harmonious these succulents are together.
They are terrific low-maintenance plants that will last until frost.
For this design, textural plants construct a beautiful sense of high drama.
Credit:Laurey W. Glenn
Just plan to allow your plants to spill out of their container.
This garden is not entirely wild, but it is just rugged enough.
This approach is sensational because it uses traditional techniques but includes new, time-saving gardening innovations.
Credit:Ralph Anderson
Let Mandevilla Climb
Mandevilla is a beautiful, bright flowering andclimbing vinefound throughout the South.
Mandevilla can thrive in containers.
These plants can grow more than 10 feet a year and bloom continuously from spring until the first frost.
Credit:Laurey W. Glenn
Given its tropical origins, it revels in hot weather.
Cheery containers also add inviting color to this architectural essential.
Your container garden makes every minute in this family-friendly space even more beautiful.
Credit: Melina Hammer
Several large pots of white impatiens brighten a shady corner with hundreds of blooms.
Planting a single style in a container can help to tie your outdoor space together.
Fine-textured foliage such as thyme adds interest and contrast.
Credit: Robbie Caponetto
Adding pumpkins near your containers adds idyllic fall quality to your front porch.
Put it together and let its radiance glow.
Everything is tied together with the consistency of the terracotta pots, which reflect the brick pavers.
Credit: Southern Living
Soften A Hardscape With Spillers
Containers can be a simple yet sophisticated way to soften a hardscape.
The colorful flowers spill over and conceal hard edges.
Plant flowers in several containers, creating visual consistency throughout the arrangement.
Credit:Hector Sanchez
This collection layers coleus, pansies, calibrachoas, and scaevola in hues from red to deep purple.
Place it in sun and keep the plants well-watered.
Instead, repeat your favorite plants in containers and stack them into a tower.
Credit: Southern Living
Shelves host a range of layered containers in this informal garden.
Some plants cascade over the sides, creating a whimsical sense of movement.
Aselection of hydrangeasgets lots of attention on the front porch.
Credit: Southern Living
Its bright green leaves bring in a pop of color.
Left uncontrolled, however, mint tends to overrun an outdoor space.
With this in mind, you will want to keep this invasive herb in kitchen garden pots.
Credit: Southern Living
Plant in full or partial sun, and remember that mint likes moisture.
Incorporating planters into your landscaping plan brings this beautiful plant into your hardscape.
This poolside scene includes a trough-like container built right into the bank.
Credit: Southern Living
Fill it with a colorful array of caladiums, and you will have created a poolside tropical oasis.
The gorgeousblue flowersof evergreen varieties create a spring-like atmosphere year-round.
It becomes the perfect planting in a container, depending on your needs.
Credit:Joseph De Sciose
During your garden design, plan to vary the heights and sizes of your containers for greater visual interest.
Rather than stick to a rigorous, single-plant approach, a series of texturalevergreen leavesgives a more modern look.
An assortment of plants in shades of green anchors the backyard corner and adds depth to the small space.
Credit:Van Chaplin
Enjoy a relaxing afternoon on the comfortable bench near this incredible container garden wonder.
The vibrant coleuses provide a pop of color among textural grass plantings.
Plant them in a shallow box, as pictured, and use them as an outdoor centerpiece.
Credit:Van Chaplin
Label your herbs so you might grab a handful whenever you need it.
These raised-bed container gardens should produce plenty to share with family, friends, and neighbors.
These plants offer a formal elegance with the simplicity of minor maintenance.
Credit: Ralph Anderson
Boxwoods can generally be drought tolerant, and you won’t have to fertilize them too often.
This containergarden hedgeis easy to maintain, utilitarian, and beautiful to behold.
Try Cascading Ivy Geraniums
liveslow/Getty Images
These Mini Cascadeivy geraniumsare a charmer in a window box.
Credit:Helen Norman
You’ll be excited by the rush of color in the off-season.
Or, mix and match to your heart’s delight and revel in their subtle variations.
Unlike many succulents, hens and chicks can overwinter in the South.
Credit: Dawn Marie
Use A Bigger Pot
For big impact, use big pots.
It is also an aggressive grower.
Add in some colorful annuals, and your containers are full, fun, and fit for anything.
Credit: Keen Eye Marketing
It reaches 1-2 feet high and 4-5 feet wide as a ground cover.
They subtly enhance any garden container.
Here, a skirt of yellow pansies surrounds dwarf spruces.
Credit: Steve Bender
The dwarf spruce is also well suited for container gardening.
Tiny Tower dwarf Alberta spruce (Picea glauca var.
conica’MonRon'), for example, grows only 4-6 feet tall.
Credit: Alison Miksch
This floral choice means you have to use containers to give it a sense of elevation or increased height.
Give them a lift by perching pots on benches and tables or placing them on your steps.
Then leave your pansies and violas to brighten the space through bold color and soft blossoms.
Credit:Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller
Grouping them will create even more interest, so use more than one container.
Go big, go bold, and go colorful.
Use A Vintage Sorghum Pot
Succulents equal low maintenance.
Credit: Southern Living
For this simple container, fill a vintage sorghum pot with cold-hardy succulentslike sedums.
Pair them with flowers that attract masses of bees and need little water.
You’re helping the natural ecosystem by encouraging bee activitynature’s pollinators.
Credit: Southern Living
That’s smart container gardening.
This gorgeous natural wonder shares its color but is not the same plant.
It will brighten the shorter days of fall and add wow to your yard.
Credit:Ralph Lee Anderson
Drape Baskets In Begonias
Begonias thrive in outdoor hanging containers with rich, well-draining soil.
The ‘Dragon Wing’ begonia drips with flowers throughout the summer and fall.
You will marvel at the dichondra’s heart-shaped leaves, and its silver-toned leaves will glisten.
Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Design: Julia Berolzheimer
For this design, English boxwoods grow in the ground surrounding a terracotta pot planted with an American boxwood.
Make A Living Gate With Leyland Cypress
Get creative with your containers.
The living gate in thisKentucky gardenrolls open to let you in and can be closed for privacy.
Credit: Southern Living
The structure starts with a galvanized horse trough filled with soil and planted with Leyland cypress.
One of the best ways to create a beautiful composition is to hang your baskets in unexpected places.
You’ll love how many of them spill over the basket and drape in the wind.
Credit: Southern Living
As the focus of a container, it fills to a beautiful, bold color and a lush fullness.
Create opportunities for container gardening by building planters into your hardscaping any time you do a creative outdoor project.
Let it become a feature, and let a plant-like purple heart be its focal point.
Credit: Southern Living
Put Baskets On A Pedestal
Flowers don’t have to grow at ground level.
Get face-to-face with your containers by literally putting them up on a pedestal.
For this garden, sleek geometric poles provide an elegant contrast to the wild excitement of the plants.
Credit: eugenesergeev / Getty Images
Still, you may choose a pedestal that complements whatever design aesthetic you prefer for your style.
Top it with a suitable container, and enjoy the visual variation.
The top wicker basket contains Profusion zinnias, Truffula Pink gomphrenas, and geraniums.
Credit:Van Chaplin
The bottom one has begonias, Surdiva scaevolas, cleomes, and Glitz euphorbias.
Together, a range of pinks and soft whites sets off the cool paint colors on this home.
Consider The Color Wheel
Cluster containers in one space for high impact.
Credit:Ralph Anderson
Paint chips from home improvement stores can also suggest how you might like shades and tones together.
Leave the firecracker flower until the first frost, when it will die off.
Then swap in tougher, cold weather-friendly blooms like mums.
Credit:Roger Foley
With creative thinking, you’ve got the option to repurpose large pots around your yard.
This unused pot fountain was repurposed as an accent table and stood for a cheerful container planting.
In a similar vein, low columns can also form pedestals for containers.
Credit:Ralph Anderson
Then, think outside the container and create new pieces that are uniquely yours.
Soften Outdoor Rooms With Containers
An outdoor room can be a welcoming place to mix your containers.
Hardscaping defines a space for seating, which well-placed containers will soften and enhance.
Credit: Van Chaplin/Styling: Scott Martin
Increasing yearly, they can fill a container naturally.
They also require minimal care.
Pair them with other spring bloomers with similar conditions, such as grape hyacinth.
Credit:liveslow/Getty Images
The grape hyacinth will grow between 6 inches and a foot tall, leaving the daffodils to soar above.
Some bulbsmay need to be pre-chilledin the refrigerator, so check the label before planting.
Be sure to use a cascading variety for a luxurious planting.
Credit: Van Chaplin
Whether your petunias are mounding or trailing, you’ll have dense flowers.
In most placesand the Souththey’ll bloom from early in the spring until late in the fall.
If you choose similarly colored containers, you will let the flowers do all the talking.
Credit: Van Chaplin / styling Leigh Anne Montgomery, Rose Nguyen
The containers are in soft neutrals for this beautiful arrangement, while the blooms bring the heat.
Some hybrids like the ‘New Guinea Hybrid’ will tolerate bright light.
This design uses lush mounds of potted impatiens to fill large, low containers.
Credit: Ralph Anderson
There are guides for learning tips and tricks to achieve the ideal topiary design.
With skill and patience, you’ll soon have your boxwood topiaries in tip-top shape.
Use Heat-Resistant Calibrachoa
Calibrachoa (Calibrachoa x hybrida) looks like a miniature petunia.
Credit: Ralph Anderson
Forming a trailing mound, it’s perfect for pots and hanging baskets.
Ensure your calibrachoas have good drainage because they require itthriving more in containers than garden beds.
You’ll love the names of your calibrachoas, too.
Credit: Southern Living
Supplement With Sedges
Sedges and succulents have excellent textural contrast in a container garden.
The low and full succulents also contrast the sedge’s light, airy, and wavy texture.
A gel stain applied to this pot creates a more rich finish.
Credit:Van Chaplin
Once established and meeting their basic needs for water and fertilizer, they should thrive.
The colorful foliage of caladiums has tons of drama.
Pots containing three different caladiums add color and variety to this entry in summer.
Credit: Ralph Anderson
From left to right: ‘June Bride’, ‘Pink Gem’, and ‘Aaron’.
you might probably find a wide range of caladiums at your local garden center.
Decorate Your Outbuildings
Despite their name, window boxes needn’t be hung only below windows.
Credit: William Dickey
This charming barn gets even more character from being accented by window box plantings.
Succulents and bougainvilleas need little care.
Then, prepare for a beautiful sight.
Credit: Van Chaplin/Styling: Scott Martin
Plant Twinspurs For Cool Weather
By the end of winter, people are ready for spring.
Twinspur loves this weather so much that it goes dormant in the summer heat.
They will keep looking great even when temperatures fluctuate.
Credit:Van Chaplin
Stack Colorful Succulents
Forgiving succulents are heat and drought-tolerant, so they’ll look great all summer.
There are many novel ways to plant succulent containers, mainly since they are resilient.
Terracotta pots work particularly well since they transfer moisture well and help succulents retain water.
Credit: Southern Living
They also share a desert color palette with succulents, making the two an ideal match.
Water carefully and selectively.
These resilient plants will reward you with a beautiful container garden.
Credit:Ralph Anderson
This arrangement will give you the classics to thrill, fill, and spill.
Any shade-loving combination that works well in a container can add color to an entry.
You will love how bright and bold these flowers are.
Credit:Van Chaplin
you could add height by including grasses in one of the plants or mixing in some filler.
You’ll be able to sit down yet feel as if you are strolling through a classic parterre garden.
Unify the look by planting everything in terracotta pots.
Credit:Robbie Caponetto; Container Design by Mark Thompson; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller
These containers will make it easy to prepare salads with your fresh harvest.
Try Tough-As-Nails Perennials
Tough-as-nails perennials are great when you want plants that can endure difficult backyard conditions.
Try a seasoned approach if you want containers to look their best for the longest.
Credit:Van Chaplin
Any variety of these plants will work wonderfully well together.
Focus on color, texture, and shape to create an outstanding arrangement in your preferred container.
They all do well together, and their beauty will beat the heat.
Credit: Robbie Caponetto; Produced by: Mark Thompson
Prepare to enjoy just-picked tastes and aromas from herbs directly from the garden to your favorite dishes.
Then, pick these fresh herbs frequently, and savor every delicious bite.
Hanging baskets follow the same recipe as containers for plant care.
Credit:Van Chaplin
Instead of an upright thriller plant, you want more spillers and fillers.
Place a liner in your basket and fill it with high-quality potting soil.
ensure to plant trailing plants on the outer edges and mounding plants in the center.
Credit: Robbie Caponetto; Producer: Mark Thompson
Consider planting by color or mix the varieties, depending on your design plan and personal preference.
Either way, your hanging baskets will be attention-grabbers.
First, encircle a copper container with a bittersweet wreath (fresh or faux).
Credit:Tom McWilliam
To contrast with the orange berries, add ‘Lemon Ball’ sedum and the regal hues of purple cabbage.
Spice up the center with ‘Calypso Orange’ ornamental peppers and ‘Cosmic Yellow’ cosmos.
Crown the look with a halo of Mexican bush sage.
Credit: PraewBlackWhile / Getty Images
Stackpumpkins on the stepsfor additional color.
Provide full sun and moderate water, and the display will flourish through the fall.
Plant the sedum in your yard to continue the growth when it’s time to transplant.
Credit:Hector M. Sanchez
It simply means planting with attention to detail and location.
Use bright pops of color to keep the show going until winter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Vegetables thrive in container gardens when given proper care.
Credit: Southern Living
Credit: Robbie Caponetto; Produced: Mark Thompson
Credit: Mark R Coons / Getty Images
Credit: Southern Living
Credit:Alison Miksch
Credit: Southern Living
Credit:Ralph Anderson
Credit:Ralph Anderson
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn
Credit:Ralph Anderson
Credit: Ralph Anderson
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn
Credit:Robbie Caponetto
Credit: Helen Norman
Credit: Rob Cardillo
Credit: Helen Norman
Credit:Troy Rhone
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn
Credit:Laurey W. Glenn
Credit:Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Lydia Pursell
