Container Garden Ideas

Ontainer gardening is a super easy way to spruce up your porch or patio, add a pop of color to shady areas, or deal with poor soil in your garden. “Many plants thrive in containers,” says Barbara Wise, author of Container Gardening for All Seasons. “The most important thing is good drainage. Make sure there is a hole in the bottom of your pot to prevent the plants from drowning. Additionally, read the label or speak to the nursery to learn which plants grow well in your specific conditions, such as full sun or shade.

Because your outdoor potted plants require more water than their in-ground counterparts, you should be careful about their location. For remote locations, choose drought-tolerant plants such as succulents. If you have thirstier plants in the mix, place them closest to a water source. Check your containers’ soil moisture daily for the first week after planting to determine how often to water.

When it comes to design, we all know the container gardening adage: choose a thriller, a filler, and a spiller. But here are a few more guiding ideas to keep in mind.

Choose a palette that matches the house colors and use it in all your containers.
Mix different textures, shapes and colors to add visual interest. For example, choose a wide variety of flower and leaf shapes – some round, some trumpet-shaped, some wavy.
Also group pots of different shapes, sizes, and complementary styles.
It’s okay to have just one plant per container, but think in terms of opposites: highlight a plant’s distinctive leaves by choosing a simple pot. Do you want to present a cool container? Combine it with a more simple style.
If you’d like to incorporate some edible components, check out our vegetable container garden ideas too.