Container Flower Gardening

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Many annual and perennial flowers are well suited for growing in containers. Even some smaller shrubs and trees can be grown in containers.

Bloom, foliage color, and form should be top considerations when choosing plants for growing in pots, window boxes, or other containers.

Length of bloom and ability to withstand periodic and sometimes erratic watering are also important considerations.

Just as there are seasons in the garden, there are seasons in container gardens. Choose plants that flower in the seasons you will be closest to your container garden—whether it’s summer on the patio or winter in the sunroom.

Choosing plants for containers

A satisfying container flower design should include:

• Blooms that last for several weeks or longer.
• Foliage is attractive and interesting for months at a time.
• The overall form is suitable for a container.
• Roots that don’t mind being crowded.
• Moderate drought tolerance should the container go dry.
• Plant size to scale of the container.

Solo plant in containers

A single plant growing alone in a container can have an impact and make a design statement. Choose plants that are full, healthy, and colorful—either blooms or colorful foliage

Choose plants that will grow in scale with the container. Small pots want small plants; large pots want large plants. Look at plant labels or descriptions to know the size of the plant at maturity; put that plant in a pot that can accommodate that size.

Combining plants in containers

Combining flowering plants in a container requires just a tad of design sense. Here’s an easy rule of thumb for combining plants in a container: plant at least three different plants—one tall and spiky, one low and trailing, and one of medium height to fill between the tall and short one.

Follow a color scheme when combining blooming plants. Use a color wheel to make good choices—choose flowers that are either complementary or contrasting. Complementary colors are close to each other on the color wheel; contrasting colors are opposite each other on the color wheel.

Foliage color, texture, and size should also be considered. Again, use the color wheel when looking at foliage color. Choose plants with foliage sizes, shapes, and textures that are either complementary or contrasting as well.

Always consider each plant’s size at maturity when combining plants in a container. Make sure there is enough room for the full size and root growth of each plant.

Always consider the sunlight and water needs of each plant used in combination; all sun plants, all shade plants, plants that need little to moderate water, plants that need lots of water.

Container planting basics

Keep the following in mind when planting in containers:

• Use high-quality potting soil; don’t use regular garden soil.
• Make sure the pots are clean; used pots should be cleaned with a solution of water and a dash of chlorine bleach.
• Make sure pots have drainage holes.
• Moisten the potting soil ahead of planting.
• Loosen plant root balls when planting.
• Firm the soil in around the roots and water again.

Plants for containers

Here are some plants to get you started container flower gardening:

Tall flowers for containers

Common Name	Botanical Name
Bells of Ireland	Moluccella laevis
Celosia	Celosia spp.
Canna	Canna hybrids
Delphinium	Delphinium elatum
Flax, New Zealand	Phormium spp.
Flowering tobacco	Nicotiana spp.
Salvia, annual blue	Salvia farinacea
Snapdragon	Antirrhinum majus
Spider flower	Cleome hassleriana

Medium height flowers for containers

Common Name	Botanical Name
Ageratum	Ageratum houstonianum
Begonia, various	Begonia spp.
Dusty miller	Senecio cineraria
Flowering cabbage, kale	Brassica oleracea
Geranium, upright types	Pelargonium spp.
Globe amaranth	Gomphrena globosa
Grasses	Various
Heliotrope	Heliotropium arborescens
Impatiens	Impatiens spp.
Marigold	Tagetes spp.
Pansy	Viola spp.
Tuberous begonia	Begonia x tuberhybrida
Vinca, annual	Catharanthus roseus
Wishbone, flower	Torenia fournieri
Zinnia	Zinnia spp.

Low, trailing flowers for containers

Common Name	Botanical Name
Dahlberg, daisy	Thymophylla tenuiloba
Edging lobelia	Lobelia erinus
Fan flower	Scaveola aemula
Fuchsia	Fuchsia spp.
Geranium, ivy type	Pelargonium spp.
Ivy	Various
Lantana	Lantana camara
Licorice plant	Helichrysum petiolare
Nasturtium	Trapaeolum majus
Petunia	Petunia spp.
Swan River daisy	Brachycome iberidifolia
Sweet alyssum	Lobularia maritima
Sweet pea	Lathyrus odoratus
Sweet potato vine	Ipomea batatas
Verbena, trailing forms	Verbena spp.

Drought-tolerant plants for containers

Common Name	Botanical Name
Agapanthus	Agapanthus spp.
Artemisia	Artemisia spp.
Cactus	Various
Dusty miller	Senecio cineraria
Geranium, annual	Pelargonium spp.
Flax, New Zealand	Phormium spp.
Hens and chicks	Sempervivum spp.
Kalanchoe	Kalanchoe
Lantana	Lantana spp.
Licorice plant	Helichrysum petiolare
Moss rose	Portulaca spp.
Salvia, annual blue	Salvia farinacea
Sedum, various	Sedum spp.
Thyme	Thymus spp.
Verbena	Verbena spp.
Yucca	Yucca filamentosa