Container gardening offers a versatile and space-saving way to enjoy beautiful plants, even if you have limited outdoor space. Whether you have a small balcony, a sunny patio, or a shady corner, there are plenty of plants that thrive in containers. From tall and wispy to compact and colorful, here are nine of the best plants for container gardens that will add beauty and charm to your outdoor space.
Tall Verbena: Adding Wispy Beauty
Tall verbena (Verbena bonariensis) fills in the spaces left by your container plantings, adding a touch of ethereal beauty with its tall, slender stems and tiny purple blooms. This graceful plant is perfect for adding height and movement to your container arrangements, creating a soft, wispy effect that sways gently in the breeze.
Giant Hyssop: Vibrant and Varied
Giant hyssop, also known as agastache, is a wonderfully flowering plant that looks great in container arrangements. With its tall spikes of colorful flowers and aromatic foliage, giant hyssop adds vertical interest and vibrant color to your patio or garden. Cultivars vary greatly in terms of flower structure and color, so you’re sure to find one that suits your taste and style.
Coral Bells: Versatile and Colorful
Coral bells (Heuchera) are a versatile and colorful addition to any container garden. With their wide range of leaf forms, colors, and patterns, there’s a coral bell cultivar for every part of your garden, whether it receives full sun or full shade. From deep burgundy to lime green, coral bells add a pop of color and texture to your containers, making them a favorite among gardeners.
Intenz Celosia: Easy and Elegant
Intenz celosia (Celosia spicata) is an easy-to-maintain plant with tall, spiky blooms and an upright growth habit. With its vibrant purple flowers and long-lasting blooms, intenz celosia adds a touch of elegance to your container gardens. This low-maintenance plant thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, making it perfect for beginners and seasoned gardeners alike.
Butterfly Bush: Structure and Beauty
Butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii) is a deciduous shrub with lovely arching blooms in the summer. With its graceful form and fragrant flowers, butterfly bush is great for adding structure to pots and containers. This fast-growing shrub attracts butterflies and other pollinators to your garden, making it a favorite among wildlife enthusiasts.
Silver Falls Dichondra: Cascading Elegance
Silver Falls dichondra (Dichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls’) is a very eye-catching ground cover with a cascading growth pattern. This low-maintenance plant adds a touch of elegance to your containers with its silvery foliage and trailing habit. Silver Falls dichondra is perfect for hanging baskets, window boxes, and other containers where its graceful tendrils can spill over the edges.
Magic Purple Aster: Profusion of Color
Magic Purple aster (Aster novi-belgii ‘Magic Purple’) bears a profusion of deep lavender-purple flowers with brilliant yellow centers. This compact perennial adds a splash of color to your containers with its long-lasting blooms and bushy growth habit. Magic Purple aster is perfect for adding height and texture to mixed container plantings, where its vibrant flowers can take center stage.
Goldilocks Creeping Jenny: Bright and Cheerful
Goldilocks creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’) is distinguished by its bright golden leaves and lovely yellow flowers. This low-growing perennial blooms throughout the summer, adding a bright and cheerful touch to your container gardens. Goldilocks creeping Jenny is perfect for filling in gaps and spilling over the edges of containers, where its trailing habit can soften hard edges and create a lush, full look.
Dwarf Hinoki Cypress: Winter Charm
Dwarf hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Nana Gracilis’) makes an excellent container plant for a winter show. With its compact size and attractive foliage, dwarf hinoki cypress adds year-round interest to your containers, providing a focal point even in the coldest months. This slow-growing evergreen is perfect for adding structure and texture to mixed container plantings, where its sculptural form can shine.
Conclusion
Container gardening allows you to enjoy beautiful plants and flowers even in the smallest of spaces. With the right selection of plants, you can create stunning container arrangements that add beauty and charm to your outdoor space. Whether you prefer tall and wispy or compact and colorful, there’s a plant for every style and preference.