Container gardening is a versatile and convenient way to bring greenery and color to any outdoor space, whether you have a sprawling garden or a small balcony. Choosing the right plants for your containers is crucial for success. Here are nine of the best plants for container gardens that will add beauty and charm to your outdoor oasis.
Tall Verbena
Tall verbena, scientifically known as Verbena bonariensis, is an excellent choice for filling in spaces in your container plantings. This plant creates a wispy effect with its tall, slender stems and clusters of purple flowers. It adds height and movement to your containers and attracts pollinators like butterflies and bees.
Giant Hyssop
Giant hyssop, also called agastache, is a stunning flowering plant that thrives in containers. With its vibrant blooms and aromatic foliage, it adds a pop of color and fragrance to your outdoor space. Giant hyssop comes in a variety of cultivars, each offering unique flower structures and colors to suit your garden’s aesthetic.
Coral Bells
Coral bells, or Heuchera, are prized for their colorful foliage and delicate flowers. These versatile plants thrive in containers, whether in full sun or full shade. With a wide range of cultivars available, you can find coral bells with leaves in shades of green, purple, bronze, and silver, making them a perfect choice for adding texture and color to your container arrangements.
Intenz Celosia
Intenz celosia, also known as Celosia spicata, is a low-maintenance plant with striking purple blooms. Its tall, spiky flowers add vertical interest to container gardens, and its upright growth habit makes it an excellent focal point. Intenz celosia is easy to grow and requires minimal care, making it ideal for beginner gardeners.
Butterfly Bush
The butterfly bush, or Buddleja davidii, is a deciduous shrub that produces beautiful arching blooms in the summer. This plant is perfect for adding structure to pots and attracting butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden. With its long-lasting flowers and easy care requirements, the butterfly bush is a must-have for any container garden.
Silver Falls Dichondra
Silver Falls dichondra, also known as Dichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls,’ is a stunning ground cover with a cascading growth pattern. Its silvery foliage adds a touch of elegance to container arrangements, and its trailing habit makes it perfect for hanging baskets and window boxes. Silver Falls dichondra is drought tolerant and low maintenance, making it an excellent choice for busy gardeners.
Magic Purple Aster
Magic Purple aster, or Aster novi-belgii ‘Magic Purple,’ is a profuse bloomer with deep lavender-purple flowers and bright yellow centers. This compact plant adds a burst of color to container gardens and attracts beneficial pollinators like bees and butterflies. Magic Purple aster blooms from late summer to fall, extending the beauty of your garden well into the season.
Goldilocks Creeping Jenny
Goldilocks creeping Jenny, scientifically known as Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks,’ is prized for its bright golden leaves and cheerful yellow flowers. This low-growing plant adds a pop of color to container gardens and is perfect for filling in gaps between taller plants. Goldilocks creeping Jenny blooms throughout the summer, adding beauty and charm to your outdoor space.
Dwarf Hinoki Cypress
Dwarf hinoki cypress, or Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Nana Gracilis,’ is a compact evergreen shrub that makes an excellent container plant. With its dense foliage and graceful growth habit, it adds year-round interest to your garden. Dwarf hinoki cypress is perfect for adding structure and texture to container arrangements, and its slow growth rate means it won’t outgrow its pot too quickly.
