TODAYāS VIDEO: In this video, Iām sharing my first 2 shade container gardens of the season! These are beautiful, easy shade planters that will thrive all season longāeven in part sun to shade conditions.
I walk you through 2 simple container recipes step-by-step, plus I share my best container gardening tips to help your pots stay healthy, full, and blooming all season.
Youāll also learn one of my favorite tricksāusing a perennial as a centerpiece so you can plant it in your garden later!
šæ Pro Tips for Successful Containers:
⢠Always start with good drainage
⢠Use high-quality potting soil
⢠Fertilize all season long:
o Start with a slow-release granular fertilizer
o Then switch to a water-soluble fertilizer
⢠Mix textures and colors for a full, lush look
These shade container ideas are perfect for patios, porches, and anyone gardening in low light or part sun areas.
If you love container gardening, shade plants, and easy garden ideas, this video is for you!
If you love learning about plants, garden design, and seeing ideas come to life, hit subscribe and letās grow together. If you would like our monthly newsletter, go to the website and click- join here
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The Landscape Connection Gift & Garden Center
4472 S. Mulford Rd.
Rockford, Illinois 61109
815-633-5100
michelle.tlcgiftandgarden@gmail.com
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29 Comments
Always love some good shade content! Iām also looking for good pot combos. Thank you for the suggestions! Doing my big plant shopping day on the 30th, so taking notes!
Iām on the same page as you with coleus. I really do not like the flowers and really hate having to constantly pinch them. Iām all for getting your choice this year!
Pretty containers
Thank you Michelle for your pot recipes and tips . Great idea putting the plant labels in the side of the pot.
Iām looking for plants for 3 pots on the side of my above ground soft sided pool. Full sun with splashing water. Going to do my homework right now. Going to an Amish Nursery tomorrow and they have all the plants. Canāt wait!. I have 4 pots on my shady patio that Iām going to put coleus in. The last two years Iāve had them on my east facing porch and they get huge. Hoping for the same results on my north facing patio. Your shade recipes are really pretty!
Beautiful pots! I canāt wait to see them in a few weeks! Thanks Michelle š
Love the goats beard in the pot! Looks good, Michelle.
Love them both. Absolutely BEAUTIFUL!! Thank you for sharing. Jen Z9b Texas Gulf Coast
This video hit me in a way I didnāt expect.
A few years ago, I bought a small pot and planted flowers for my mom. She had just gotten sick, and she couldnāt go outside much anymore. I didnāt know anything about gardening back then. I just picked whatever looked pretty.
I remember I didnāt even check if the pot had drainage. I used cheap, heavy soil. I watered randomly⦠sometimes too much, sometimes I forgot completely.
And slowly, everything started dying.
The leaves turned yellow. The flowers stopped blooming. And I kept thinking⦠maybe Iām just not good at this.
One morning, my mom asked me to bring the pot closer to her window. She looked at it for a long time and said quietly, āPlants are like people⦠they donāt need perfect care. They just need consistent care.ā
I didnāt understand it fully back then.
But watching this video now ā hearing about drainage, soil, feeding, and just paying attention⦠it brought that moment back so clearly.
I realized it wasnāt that I failed the plant.
I just didnāt understand what it needed.
My mom passed away not long after that.
But this year, I planted again. This time, I did it differently. I checked the drainage. I used good soil. I watered slowly⦠consistently.
And for the first time⦠the flowers didnāt just survive.
They bloomed.
I stood there looking at that pot⦠and it felt like I was finally doing something right.
Not just for the plant.
But for her.
Thanks for sharing with us, two fantastic container recipes! The peachy yellow begonias in the first pot are gorgeous, and I loved the idea of using an astilbe in a container as well. I just sat down yesterday and started writing out all the plants I've grown from seed this year and what perennials I could used from my own gardens to create patio pots with. To be honest, I'm not great at coming up with recipes for patio pots, so I need all the help I can get.
Do you recommend potting soil that has fertilizer?
Thanks for the ivy tip of planting it towards the center. Genus! I never would of thought of that and I'm a creative outside-of-the-box thinker. My first recipe of the season is purple Stocks and Verbena, magenta geranium, with peachy Calibrachoa and Ivy as the spillers. I wintered over my geraniums.
Beautiful containers..!!!ššæš±š±šøš¼š¼šøā¤
I love both of these pots, they are gorgeous. I'm also in Illinois. Would your recipes work in late afternoon sun vs. morning sun?
Great pot recipes, Michelle.
Beautiful inspiration! I'm looking forward to planting my pots now down here in Central Illinois where the weather is crazy and variable this year! Thanks for another fun video!
Fun video Michelle, I really enjoyed it.
I so enjoy all of your educational information for planting!
More recipes please! Love this video ā¤
Iām in Chicago ⦠that ivy placement is very interestingā¦Iām going to try that.
Absolutely amazing job ⤠i love gardening ā¤and i just found your channel!
very informative video, i enjoy your video Michelle, you have gained a new fan and subscriber.
Both planters look great !
I'm nearby, I love both pots (1 for me, 1 for my neighbor). Do you have all of these plants in stock? I'm a loyal local business supporter š¤©
I bought a planter last year that had a fern and the begonia you showed in it well at the end of the growing season I brought it in the house with my houseplants under my grow lights the ferns lived but the begonias died I thought I just left them in the pot so I didnāt ruin the fern well a couple of weeks ago those begonias are coming up in full force now Iām just waiting for the weather to stay warm. Iāll have a beautiful new planter to put out. Is this normal for a begonia?
Those are beautiful! May have to try them myself! Iāll say, Iāve never seen the trailer put in that way to trail back thru the plantā¦what a great idea! I will def try that! Thanks Michelle!
What do you recommend for pots that get afternoon sun in zone 5?
Michelle, do you have videos of perennials in containers? Best, worst?
How fun this was! Thanks for these, you chose some really great plants for part shade/part sun. That's exactly what I have on my patio in the summer.