Container gardening and container planting is fun! Don’t let it stress you out! The questions I get this time of year most often by customers: What can I plant in a pot? Will this plant live in a pot? What can I plant together? So many questions!
Making and creating a container garden is a great way to experiment with different textures, colors and styles.
Where to start?
When planning your pots/containers there are a few things you need to think about/ keep in mind:
- Sun- Does the area/ spot you are thinking about putting the container get full sun all day, morning sun, afternoon sun, or any sun? This is a critical component of planning.
- Size- You need to consider the size of your pot to make sure what you plant won’t outgrow the pot. (or overtake it’s roommates).
- Drainage- Just about everything needs good drainage. Does the pot have a hole? There are a few things you can put in those pots that don’t have holes, but for the most part, things need drainage.
Need Ideas?
Planting in containers is so much fun! You can mix and match, go simple and have one plant in the pot or really pack them in there- which is really easy to do with succulents. It all depends on what you want and the overall look you are trying to achieve. Be mindful of companion plants in regards to planting and watering. If you are planting two things together that have different watering needs make sure to take note and pay attention.
For example, the photo to the right is a “thrill, fill, spill”. It has a Yucca Rostrata (thrill) with Echeveria (fill) and Purslane (spill) spilling out. All drought tolerant and easy to care for and similar watering needs.
Container gardening is a great way to spruce up by the front door, deck, and or patio. You can even plant up a veggie garden or mix those in.
Traditional selections are tried and true. Classic looking pots like the boxwood in the middle with something trailing out of it- ice plant, ponyfoot to name a few. Another popular pairing is the Bicolor Iris or Butterfly Iris in the middle with spillers spilling out. These are simple go-to pots that can take just about any sun or shade situation you have and are easy to maintain.
Want to simplify and show off one plant in all it’s glory? The Plumbago pot above is all by itself and it is stunning! See, you don’t have to mix and match if you don’t want to.
Have fun!
The fun thing about pots is you can change them up fairly easily and bonus there are no holes to dig. Mix it up and mix and match colored pots. Go all with one color scheme on your pots. All up to you, depends on the overall look you want and your personality. Most importantly, have fun, plant what you like and go for it.
