Whether you’re working with limited space, have poor soil quality, or simply want to dress up your patio or front porch, container gardens are a great way to elevate your landscape and work around common gardening woes. While many plants can be grown in pots and containers, certain species are best suited to this growing environment. From full-shade perennials to long-lasting annuals, these expert-recommended patio plants are the best choices for pots and containers.
Related: 25 Creative Container Garden Ideas to Enhance Your Outdoor Space
Meet Our Expert
Jocelyn Kline, horticulturist at Longwood Gardens
Rich Christakes, founder of Ship My Plants
01 of 10
Tall Verbena
Credit: Anastasiia Burlakova / GETTY IMAGES
Fill in negative space in your container plantings with tall verbena (Verbena bonariensis). “Tall verbena is a fantastic plant for providing a wispy feeling and poking through other plants with its long stems and cute little purple blooms at the ends,” says Jocelyn Kline, horticulturist at Longwood Gardens. The plant blooms from summer through fall and will welcome pollinators to your landscape throughout its growing season.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Mature Size: 3 to 6 feet tall x 1 to 3 feet wide
Growing conditions: Full sun; tolerates a range of soils, including clay, loam, and sand
02 of 10
Giant Hyssop
Credit: dmitry_7 / GETTY IMAGES
Giant hyssop (Agastache) is an abundantly blooming plant that works beautifully in container displays. “There is so much variety in bloom color and bloom structure between cultivars, so it can fit into almost any display,” says Kline. “It provides a wildflower feeling to the container that pollinators love, is very aromatic, and can be used as a perennial in many areas.”
Mature Size: 2 to 3 feet tall x 1 to 2 feet wide
Growing conditions: Full sun; moist, well-draining soil
Related: Add These 13 Flowers to Your Outdoor Planters for Summer-Long Color
03 of 10
Coral Bells
Credit: peplow / GETTY IMAGES
A cultivar of coral bells (Heuchera) exists for any location in your garden, whether it gets full shade or full sun. “There is so much variety in leaf shape, color, and pattern across all cultivars that makes it so easy to find the perfect one for your display,” says Kline. “They also have long flowers that pole up through the foliage that can be used in floral arrangements and to attract pollinators.” Coral bells can be semi-evergreen as well, so the plant can potentially provide an all-year display.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Mature Size: 8 to 18 inches tall x 12 to 24 inches wide
Growing conditions: Full sun to full shade; rich, moist, well-draining soil
04 of 10
Intenz Celosia
Credit: WG NEGRET / 500px / GETTY IMAGES
Advertisement
Advertisement
With an upright growing pattern and striking foliage, intenz celosia (Celosia spicata) is an easy-to-care-for plant that boasts long, spiky, purple flowers. “Its full yet compact size makes it a great option for a pop of color in a container garden,” says Rich Christakes, founder of Ship My Plants.
Mature Size: 12 to 24 inches tall x 12 inches wide
Growing conditions: Full sun to part shade; moist soil
Related: 9 Ornamental Grasses Perfect for Containers, According to Gardening Experts
05 of 10
Butterfly Bush
Credit: Pavel Sergijchuk / GETTY IMAGES
Great for adding structure to containers, buttery bush (Buddleja davidii) is a deciduous shrub that boasts beautiful arching flowers come summer. If you’re looking for a particularly eye-catching variety, consider planting ‘Hot Raspberry’ butterfly bush. “This buddeja is extra showy with its bold pink summer color and gray-green foliage,” says Kline. “It has a compact growing habit for smaller containers and is great for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds.”
Advertisement
Advertisement
Mature Size: 3 to 5 feet tall x 3 feet wide
Growing conditions: Full sun; rich, well-draining soil
06 of 10
Silver Falls Dichondra
Credit: tzooka / GETTY IMAGES
An extremely eye-catching ground cover known for its cascading growing habit, Silver Falls dichondra (Dichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls’) is low maintenance plant that requires infrequent watering and fertilization. “This spiller plant adds a silvery contrast to your garden and landscape, falling graciously out of containers and hanging baskets,” says Christakes.
Mature Size: 3 inches tall x 4 feet wide
Growing conditions: Full sun to part shade; average to dry soil
Related: 14 Indoor and Outdoor Hanging Plants for Your Home
07 of 10
Magic Purple Aster
Credit: Ordasi Tatyjana / GETTY IMAGES
Magic Purple aster (Aster novi-belgii ‘Magic Purple’) produces an abundance of blooms in a deep lavender purple color with bright yellow centers. “Its full appearance and compact growing habit make it a great choice for fall container gardening,” says Christakes. The plant should be pruned back 6 to 8 inches on the top once during the summer months to encourage fall growth.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Mature Size: 20 inches tall x 24 inches wide
Growing conditions: Full sun; average to moist soil
08 of 10
Goldilocks Creeping Jenny
Credit: AKIsPalette / GETTY IMAGES
Advertisement
Advertisement
Bright golden leaves with attractive yellow flowers define the Goldilocks Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’), which blooms throughout the summer months. “This plant is virtually indestructible, making it easy to care for,” says Christakes. “Its low height and great spread make it a good contender for spilling container plants.”
Mature Size: 20 inches tall x 24 inches wide
Growing conditions: Full sun to full shade; average to moist soil
09 of 10
Dwarf Hinoki Cypress
Credit: Julia Senkevych / GETTY IMAGES
For a winter container display, dwarf hinoki cypresses (Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Nana Gracilis’) are fantastic. “They provide a nice sense of structure, have beautiful fan-shaped leaves with different shades of green from the center to the edges, and stay compact,” says Kline. “It grows incredibly slow, so you can keep it in smaller containers for a longer amount of time.”
Mature Size: 3 to 6 feet tall x 2 to 4 feet wide
Growing conditions: Full sun; well-draining soil
Related: 9 Fast-Growing Fruit Trees That Thrive In Pots for a Quick and Convenient Harvest
Advertisement
Advertisement
10 of 10
Coleus
Credit: Annadokaz / GETTY IMAGES
Coleus has stunning foliage that can stand alone in containers or add a vibrant pop of color alongside other plantings. There are many varieties to choose from, but one popular cultivar is Burgundy Wedding Train Coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides ‘Burgundy Wedding Train’), which has small, lobed leaves that remain brick red with distinctive lime-green edges throughout the year, says Christakes.
Mature Size: 18 inches tall x 24 inches wide
Growing conditions: Part shade to full shade; moist soil
Read the original article on Martha Stewart
Comments are closed.