It is a truth universally acknowledged that a gardener in possession of a balcony must be in need of a container arrangement . Or at least this has been my truth for the better part of a decade , as I bounce around rented apartments , rented backyards and community gardens .
create container gardens keep on me grounded in the truth that I was , at spunk , a gardener ; even if the patch of soil to call my own lodge in in a assemblage of flowerpots straw about on a fourth floor balcony .
Even now , when I once again have a proper garden to play around in , my beloved for container horticulture still ladder deep . I place pots full of prime wherever I get a lilliputian turn of space – on my deck , by my front door , along a border , as a privacy concealment in front of my kitchen window .
Containers are perfect for turning a small space green.
prefer a pleasant industrial plant combination for my container organization is what empower my creative thinking and sense of knockout . But I know that it ’s not always sluttish to figure out what to institute in a container garden . That ’s why I decided to write about flower flock combination that make sense in every season . This is not an remnant - all be - all list , of course . Feel free to apply it as a usher to get your own creativity flowing .
In choosing these container arrangements , I have been mindful of a few constituent . I ’m including containers that are worthy for small outer space , as well as for a potpourri of budgets . But I ’m also add together some options for gardener who have a flake more space to meet ( and perhaps a bit more money to pass ) . The plants in these arrangements are not hard to find and , as much as potential , I ’ve kept the phone number of flora below five .
You ’ll also notice the same industrial plant on repeat in different formulas . I ’m doing this on purpose to show you how one plant can carry over from one season to the next . Once you have it ( and know how to take care of it ) , it ’s so easy to move it from one arrangement to another .
5 Plant Combinations for Spring Container Gardens
Velvety repetition: Common daisies and forget-me-nots.
I hump this method acting of filling up a container because , even though there are only technically two types of plants in there ( and some forgotten ego - seeded mouse-ear chickweed ) , it reckon much fuller than it really is . This effect is amplified by repeat the same flush in different colour variation .
In this pillow slip , the vulgar daisy ( Belis ) show up in warm hue of fuchsia , promising pink and vanilla white . When you interplant the daisies with the babe blue of block - me - nots ( Myosotis ) , the velvety texture of the Belis really stands out .
A tabletop rainbow: snapdragons, forget-me-nots and pansies.
I make this container arrangement as a centrepiece for my terrace table . I had two goals in judgement when I start . First , I knew I wanted a colorful rainbow garden in a container ; then I also knew the pot had to be small in rules of order to entrust enough room to in reality practice the table for outdoor lunches when the conditions is soft enough .
Inspired by the repeated design of the vulgar daisies in the arrangement above , I buy miniature snapdragon ( Antirrhinum ) in four unlike affectionate colors . I then added some wispy forget - me - nots ( Myosotis ) to tone down the smartness without take center stage .
However , I still had a few more colour to go before filling up my rainbow bingo card , but not nearly enough space to play with . So multicolored pansy made their elbow room in from the garden to fulfill the brief .
Containers are perfect for turning a small space green.
This is my favourite tip when planting a container arrangement : you do n’t always take to start from scratch . Have a aspect around your garden ( or in other containers ) and see if there ’s anything already growing that you may expend . Then gently transplant it ( or split up it ) and integrate it into your new design .
Silver linings: Lavender, violas and snowberries.
I do n’t know what I wish most about this triad . Is it the repeating of containers in the same configuration and coloration ? The repetition of the plants ? Or the solar - powered pot gnome ?
This combination of plants is very smartly done and well-situated to draw out off in mid- to late spring . The lavender – very much a summer plant – is still small enough not to take over . The violas – quintessentially spring flower – in shade of burgundy and burnished orange add a pleasant demarcation to the silver foliage of the lavender . But then we still have a surprising remnant of winter in the form of snowberry ( Gaultheria ) .
Three seasons sharing one container is something you do n’t see very often .
Even small tabletop container arrangements have a striking effect on outdoor decor.
Chasing away the blues: Muscari, moss and violas.
This is another container combination that works surprisingly well , in maliciousness of its cool shades . It ’s the wood of the crateful and the texture of the moss underplanting that softens this organization .
Grape jacinth ( Muscari ) are one of the earliest saltation bulbs to blossom ( perhaps second only to snowdrops and aconite ) . By grouping together their small , colorful head we amplify the effect and make the container seem more full . Then the trusty violas work as the makeweight of the display .
Once all the muscari and their leafage are gone and the violas have self - seeded , you may just keep this arrangement as it is for next spring . Store the crate in a nerveless , dark place over the winter , then pull it back out in January . Both the nance and the bulbs need about six to eight week of cold conditions exposure for flower again .
This is a very frugal plant pairing if you ’re just starting with container gardening . Take any colorful flower that ’s in time of year and add a small English ivy next to it . So for spring , you could copulate the English ivy with pansies , bluebells , primroses or daffodil . Once these flowers are past their prime , you could exchange them with pincushion bloom ( Scabiosa ) , lantana or petunias in the summer . Rinse and repeat for fall and winter .
The beauty of the ivy is that it will stay evergreen and move as a setting to your seasonal plant life combinations . Do be deliberate with common ivy though . It can take over very quickly if you transfer it in the garden , so make indisputable it stays confined to a container .
5 Plant Combinations for Summer Container Arrangements
Cascading fragrance: Geraniums and more geraniums.
When I think of summer container gardens , my mind instantly last to window box filled with bright red geraniums . Imagine throwing undetermined the windows on a hot summertime day to rent the scent of geranium pennon in with the duck soup . Pure bliss !
Not only will geraniums handle midsummer heat energy very well , but they ’ll also keep blossom for months as long as you pinch back the deadened flowers .
If it ’s the classical feel you ’re after , then deep red geraniums are the way to go . However , I am partial to pinkish geraniums , or even blanched ones . By this logic , the sound works to sum up to a geranium container garden are more geraniums . Green shutter optional !
Layer cake: Grasses, coleus and some creeping Jenny.
You might have see about thethriller , makeweight and spillerformula of create a container display . I ’m not a big fan of set formulas myself , but when the filler is the uber - nerveless flame nettle , you may count me on instrument panel . The thriller ( in this eccentric grass over ) lend height and texture to the container . And the spiller ( creeping Jenny is a near choice ) is in charge of give a sense of flow .
One sound piece of advice when you use trawl line such as creeping Jenny , pussyfoot Charlie ( both are calledLysimachia)and genus Glechoma is to ensure that they do n’t escape into your garden . Growing them in containers is perfectly fine .
Lime tower: Canna, coleus, sweet potato vine and grasses.
Let ’s say my monition above about the “ creeping family ” leave you a bit reluctant to use them in container musical arrangement . Let ’s have a spirit at some switch . We keep the weed and the coleus , then replace the delicate makeweight with something that has a bit more body ( and a low hazard of taking over your garden ) . go into the perfumed potato vine , an cosmetic classic spiller industrial plant that number in different spook of jet and purple .
And since we ’re just swear on different type of foliation to sway the weight of this design , how about we enclose a efflorescence plant ? The horizontal outer space is already filled , so the only room to go is up by add atropical canna lilywith matching lime - colored leaves . This canna will flower orange and in a few week it will soften the burgundy red formula of the flame nettle foliage .
Elegant simplicity: Tubular grasses, oxalis and spillers.
I took this photo at a public garden in Pittsburgh because I wanted to remember the elegant simplicity of this three - works container compounding .
Tubular sens , such as young Cyperus umbrella grass ( also know as paper rush ) make an excellent backdrop for the display . But the filler is an unexpected ‘ Green Lucky Shamrock ’ ( aka Oxalis ) that blossom in a ocean froth of white flowers .
I am partial to a purple wood sorrel or the ‘ Iron Cross ’ cultivar , but I must admit that the green one in rosiness is just as sensational . The delicate white flowers almost look like they ’re floating above the leaf ( incentive point , the flowers are also comestible ) .
The shedder is the classic creep Jenny ( Lysimachia);but this sentence , it ’s a golden cultivar called ‘ Aurea ’ to tone down the undimmed green oxalis foliation .
Big, bold, beautiful: Impatiens, oxalis and anise hyssop.
This is the purple wood sorrel that I mention above in all its glory . The plum tree - colored leafage is spectacular in its richness , particularly so when it ’s counterpoint against the lime - yellow freshness of theAcorus gramineusgrasses ( the same unity I usedin this sensational container display ) .
The anise Hyssopus officinalis ( Agastache)in bloom is sneakily establish its way out of the same deal . But perhaps the principal of this vignette are the gorgeous flowers of the pink meddling Lizzy ( Impatiens walleriana ) . They might not be in the same pot as the wood sorrel , but then again , you ca n’t squeeze two queens to apportion a commode .
5 Plant Combinations for Fall Containers
Fiery redheads: Dahlias and blanket flowers.
I did n’t bonk whether I should put dahlia container compounding on the summer inclination or on the fall one . But for me , dahlias really come into their own in early fall . With so many Dahlia pinnata cultivars on the market , it ’s now easy to observe suitable ones for container .
In thisarticle about starting dahlias in jackpot , I was telling you about ‘ Freya ’s Sweetheart ’ and ‘ Impression Festivo ’ that are very much suitable for container . Or you could stick to single - color dahlias and coalesce them withblanket heyday in bloom(Gaillardia ) for an extra dose of heat . Yes , there ’s a definite fall colour pallette here .
Autumn sunset: Marigolds and purple alyssum.
Fall container arrangements are all about bold colors . The deeper the shades , the more ocular impact they have . So by combining these improbable marigold with a sweet alyssum underplanting , you ’ll get not only a sensational color combination , but also an interesting mix of textures .
Do n’t be discouraged that these two plant life are annuals . They ’re both long - blooming ( even when they spend their lifetime in pots ) ; as long as you plant them in early September , you ’ll be able-bodied to enjoy them for a couplet of months .
Wispy baskets for small spaces: Marigolds, dahlias and verbena.
Let ’s say you only have a modest space to play with , such as a balcony , a patio or a terrace . These outer space do n’t usually get too much natural , especially if you ’re sandwich in between other edifice . They ’re tricky to work with , but not impossible , as long as you keep your expectations in handicap . So rather than chasing those baffling bloom counts , maybe you may find it in your heart to go for a more ethereal looking at .
Wispy miniature dahlias , marigolds and verbena ( Verbena rigida , notVerbena bonariensis)make a charming annual presentation . And at the end of declension , all you have to do is fetch the entire field goal indoors to overwinter , then put it back on the wall after the last frost has passed the next year .
Halloween mood: Ornamental kale, pearl millet and mums.
There ’s a lot to take out in this Tim Burton - esque container transcription . Creepy pumpkins ? Check ! jumbo ornamental brassicas ? match ! Chrysanthemums ? Check !
But did you notice how there are also a few elements that bring this weird arrangement back to earth ? The delicate false anil ( Baptisia ) and the cheerful orange Milquetoast switch the mood of this container . And the cascading pearl millet weed ( Cenchrus ) soften the lines even further .
A statuesque mix: Cattail, kale and hot peppers.
commix edibles and ornamentals is both beautiful and practical . you may plant an edible diverseness of blistering black pepper , and you may even nibble on the young leaves of the brassica plant . As for the purple pearl millet ( Pennisetum glaucum ) , sometimes called cattail , this variety is well treated as an ornamental . That mean that it has been selectively bred for its striking mystifying plum tree foliage rather than gamy craw yield .
add together a few chrysanthemums in matching shades of burgundy and rust-brown yellow and you ’re all set for a harvest fiesta .
5 Ideas for Winter Container Gardens
Fuchsia beats gray: heather, cyclamen and cypress.
If you recall there ’s very little to work with in wintertime , plant - wise , permit me to negate this whimsey . For instance , heather and cyclamen are two mid - wintertime plant life that will just burst into color in glorious defiance of this greyish season . If you use some moss to keep on wet around the tooth root , you may even lend this container indoors for a few days around the holidays .
you may keep it simple-minded , or add a pinch of a Christmas tree shape by inserting a few tabletop cypress tree trees in the organisation ( Cupressus macrocarpa‘Goldcrest ’ ) .
Winter wonderland: Coral bells, cushion bush and wintergreen.
It would be very bad sort to save an article about plant combination for containers and not admit any coral bells ( Heuchera ) . Coral Bell are a gardener ’s occult weapon system . you may find them in a myriad of colors ( their leaf is the main attraction ) and they hold their shape very well from summertime to winter .
For this particular gun barrel garden display , you may combine a colored green Heuchera with a argent shock absorber bush ( Leucophyta brownii ) , a small bush in the daisy mob that can spend its whole life in a container .
And just to dial up the winter wonderland constituent , tally a diminished wintergreen ( Gaultheria procumbens)complete with berry . This evergreen , native to North America , goes by a host of other rough-cut names . So you may know it as a terra firma Charles Edward Berry , spiceberry or winterberry . When wintertime is over , you may transplant the checkerberry into the garden , or simply let it grow in a larger container all summer long . If you adjudicate to relocate it , ensure that you imbed it into acidic soil .
A barrel of fun: Skimmia, cypress and ferns.
I see Japanese skimmia a lot in wintertime arrangement and even in wreaths . Its sweet - scented flowers eventually turn into raspberry - colored berries ( not comestible ) . But it ’s the evergreen plant leaf that makes it perfect for wintertime container garden . If you do n’t have enough space for a skimmia shrub in your garden there are tabletop varieties that pack a colorful punch .
The Paris green cypress tree ( Cupressus macrocarpa‘Goldcrest ’ ) makes another visual aspect as a Christmas tree standstill - in , while the small fern underplanting adds to the evergreen plant spell .
Winter classics: Hellebores and cyclamen.
I usher you a winter container arrangement blend Cyclamen purpurascens with heather , so it ’s only fair to institute the other winter darling into the equating : the humble hellebore . A chorus line of cheerful cyclamen snuggle together under the sleepless eye of the statuesque hellebore . What more could you need to warm up up a frigid winter day ?
The cyclamen will retain to flower as long as you deadhead them regularly . If you ’re a fan of this cheerful winter raw material , have a aspect at this article I write aboutkeeping cylamen as houseplants and helping them bloomagain yr after class .
A modular design: Daffodils, cordyline and English ivy
I do n’t have it off about you , but by the fourth dimension February rolls around , I could definitely do with a hike of color . Especially affectionate colors . And if purple - ruby is the area of royals , then this cordyline is nothing but a queen . An understated one that does n’t make too much fuss . twin it with delicateTete - a - tetenarcissi and a splash of evergreen plant ivy and that ’s all you need to lighten up a winter day .
I call this a modular design because you’re able to easily trade up one element every season . When the flowers of the daffodils are spent , you’re able to imbed snapdragons and miniature lupines ( for a summertime display ) follow by pom - pommy Gallic marigold in the downslope . The cordyline and the English ivy will hold down the garrison throughout the season .
If you want to dig deeper into designing container garden , I highly advocate reading the bookContainer Gardening for All Seasonsby Barbara Wise . She make next - point container arrangements for her guest . Be warned , the container arrangements featured in the book are quite big , but also very spectacular .
