Tips for successful container gardening

Do you plant containers? Why not try them? Container gardening has surged in popularity for good reasons. They are versatile and can be moved to different spots in your garden or patio to change your view, adjust to sunlight, and create seasonal displays by changing out summer annuals for fall-blooming plants.

Container gardening allows gardeners to bypass poor soil quality or hard-packed clay common in the Chattahoochee Valley. Limited space? No problem. A few containers or hanging baskets can turn your apartment balcony into a floral paradise.

I am fortunate to have two large patios and, over the years, have collected containers of all shapes and sizes, mostly large ones because they are the easiest to care for, especially during long, hot summers. I plant perennials in many of them so that come spring, I can fill in with a few annuals.

Thrillers, fillers, and spillers

While there are few guidelines for the best, most striking containers, the Garden Police will not give you a ticket if you don’t follow them. Probably the most important “rule” for container plantings is using a thriller, a filler, and a spiller. That will give you various heights and widths and take the eyes up and down and all around in admiring your efforts. Another idea is to incorporate plant stands of varying heights beneath your container groupings.

Playing the odds

One of the other “rules” I tend to follow is planting in odd numbers, either three, five, or seven plants, depending on the size of the container. I’ve been doing that so long I’m not even sure where I learned that bit of advice, but it seems to work well.

Also, if you are grouping planters, say in a corner of your yard, beds, or patio, the odd numbers are also eye appealing.

Spinning the color wheel

What’s your favorite color? Plant that. Again, no rules. I personally like to try new things…new plants, new color groupings, and new monochromatic plantings. Some of the containers on my back patio get a little more shade than in other areas.

Other containers and urns feature a variety of colors, groupings in the same color family, or a riot of colors that are opposites on the color wheel. Again, plant the colors you like, after all, you are the one who will be enjoying them!

Perennials in containers

Don’t be afraid to experiment with perennials in your container groupings. First, it will give you a jumpstart for spring planting. Your thriller is already in place. Then you can select your annual fillers and spillers.

I have two large low, round bowl-shaped containers. They are both home to some Stella D’oro reblooming daylilies. Each year, I change up the annuals to plant with them. A few of my favorites include Ivy Leaf Geraniums, verbena, torenia, creeping jenny, million bells, and purslane. This year I chose some hot pink verbena to offset the brilliant yellow of the daylilies. Of course, if my container is large enough, I love to place one of my cherub statues in the grouping:)

What are your favorite flowers for containers?