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Choosing Container Plants

Containers can add drama and style to any garden, and choosing the right plants will complement your container beautifully. First consider what setting it will be used in and what function you want it to serve in your landscape.

Deciding the Function

Do you want to announce an entryway, soften the corners of a patio or courtyard, or enliven an otherwise boring area of your garden? Once you decide what you are trying to accomplish with your container, it will be easier to sift through the many choices. For instance topiary in an entrance makes a formal statement, and seems to say, pay attention, you are entering a special place. A container overflowing with flowers in an entrance conveys a welcoming, festive atmosphere.

A single, striking plant in an ornate or unusual container makes a strong statement in the landscape. The plant should be well formed and worthy of the attention it will receive. It should also be large enough to balance the mass of the container. Fountain shaped plants like Hostas, ferns and grasses, can be effective because they draw the eye up and then back down to the container.

Hostas and ferns are generally do well in part or full shade and most grasses do well in full sun. A few of the many hostas for containers are Hosta ‘Wide Brim’, Hosta ‘Francee’, and Hosta ‘Gold Standard’. Western Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum) and colorful Japanese Painted Fern (Athyrium nipponicum ‘Pictum’) are great for containers in the shade. A grass-like plant for the shade is Sedge (Carex cvrs.), which can be bronze, variegated or green. Variegated Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’) will grow in full shade and can really brighten up a dark corner. For a sunny location, Fountain Grass (Pennisetum cvrs.) and the smaller varieties of Eulalia Grass (Miscanthus cvrs.) are a couple of your many choices. Visit your local nursery and see what inspires you!  

Shrubs can also make wonderful specimen plants for containers.  Box trimmed into a globe or teardrop shape is traditional in formal gardens.  Dwarf varieties can often live longer in containers than their larger relatives.  Dwarf conifers do well in sun, or the dwarf Hydrangea 'Pia' for part shade situations.

A Grouping of Plants

For a lush planting it is usually best to limit yourself to 3 or 4 different kinds of plants per container, but several of each kind. An upright type plant, a mounding type, and a trailing type is a good combination to start with. Get several of each kind, and plant them as closely as possible, grouping the same kinds of plants together in triangles. The taller upright plants should be in the back, with the mounding plants next, then the trailing plants to soften the edges of the pot. If the container will be seen from all sides, then the taller upright plants can be placed in the center, and surrounded with the mounding and trailing plants. When you go to the nursery, group plants in your cart to find pleasing combinations, just make sure they have the same needs for sun, shade and water. Usually plant tags or nursery workers can provide the needed information. There are many long blooming annuals and perennials available. You may want to choose a plant just for it’s beautiful foliage, especially variegated varieties.

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