Keep your containers looking fabulous throughout the seasons with evergreen foliage and year-round blooms.
Foliage, from vibrant purple to radiant variegated leaves, also adds color and beauty to potted plants.
In containers, the plant roots are not as well insulated as in the ground.
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As such, container plants cannot withstand temperatures as low as their in-ground counterparts.
The soil in containers tends to dry out faster than the ground.
Counter this by watering more frequently.
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Water deeply when the soil feels dry to the touch and allow the soil to drain thoroughly.
Weve assembled the best year-round plants for pots to keep yourporch and patiolooking their best no matter the season.
Encore Azalea
These reblooming azaleas flower in spring, summer, and fall.
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In winter, the evergreen foliage of several varieties takes on shades of purple, bronze, and red.
Blooms come in a range of colors from blush pink to vivid purple and royal red to crisp white.
Dwarf selections such as ‘Autumn Sundance’ and ‘Autumn Fire’ are ideal for containers.
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Encore azaleas are hardy in USDA Zones 6-10.
Japanese Pieris
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Pieris is an elegant shrub with dense evergreen foliage and pendulous blooms.
Japanese pieris is suitable for USDA Zones 4-8.
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Coral Bells
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The sculpted foliage of this perennial makes a lovely addition to mixed containers.
It can be grown in USDA Zones 3-9.
The common name refers to bell-shaped blooms that arise in summer and attract a variety of pollinators.
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Boxwood
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Boxwoods are stately shrubs that are perfect for containers.
They can be clipped and shaped into rounded balls or playful topiaries, or you could go natural.
Many varieties maintain a compact, rounded habit with little care.
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Provide boxwoods with excellent drainage and large containers for ample root space.
Boxwoods are hardy in USDA Zones 5-9.
Unlike standard-size loropetalums that swell into giant shrubs,Purple Pixiegrows just one to two feet tall.
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It has gorgeous purple foliage year-round with a weeping habit, spilling gracefully out of containers.
In the spring, it has vibrant pink spring blooms.
The plant is hardy in USDA Zones 7-10.
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Pair it with gold or chartreuse foliage for a stunning display.
The rest of the year, thick, deeply-lobed foliage adds lush texture to mixed containers.
‘Burning Love’ leucothoeis hardy in USDA Zones 6-10.
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This fuss-free container plant combines well with small upright shrubs.
Rosemary
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With its grey-green evergreen aromatic foliage, rosemary is both ornamental and edible.
Keep a container near the kitchen for quick access while cooking.
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Rosemary does best in a dry climate in USDA Zones 7-11.
FlirtTM Nandina
The adorableFlirtTMis not your average nandina.
It is also well-behaved, so you dont have to worry about it becoming invasive.
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It is hardy in USDA Zones 6-10.
The upright form also provides privacy to outdoor rooms.
Underplant juniper with seasonal annual flowers for an ever-changing display, or pair with colorful heuchera and sedges.
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Among the most dramatic of these is ‘Everillo’.
With cheery yellow foliage, this gorgeous compact sedge brightens shady containers.
Japanese sedge is hardy in USDA Zones 5-9 and does not particularly do well in hot and humid summers.
It pairs beautifully with hellebores and purple-toned heucheras.
Camellia
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Camellias make gorgeous container plants, adding height to patio plantings.
Camellias need to be repotted every two to three years as the soil becomes depleted and heavy.
Container-grown camellias benefit from more shade than plants in the ground.
It grows in USDA Zones 4-8.
Several dwarf varieties are available, which make ideal container specimens.
‘Golden Sprite’ sports golden foliage while ‘Mariesii’ is frosted with creamy speckles.
The solid green variety ‘Nana’ has a rounded form and very slow growth.
Excellent drainage is crucial.
