When choosing your container plants always consider the sun exposure you have first of all & then plan your choices. You will ALWAYS see other plants not on your list that just strike a chord with your gardening soul. Go for it & try them out. Learning by experience is the best teacher. I offer this advice is as a guide to save you money and frustration.
For sun & part sun the plants that are traditional but DO NOT do well in containers generally are: ageratum, dahlia, geranium, marigolds, gerbera daisy, snapdragon (hates container heat), osteopermum (only blooms in cool temps), verbena, rosebud impatiens. What we are looking for are continual bloomers that are fine with container heat.
Here are your sun/part sun choices: I use angelonia in many planters these days as a thriller. It comes in shades of purple & pinks & is maintenance-free (no deadheading, discretely stake early on). My largest planters are only 18”-24” across so I watch the size of the thriller. I LOVE the begonia ‘dragon wing’ variety (available in pink & red, green leaf). I use this in my hanging baskets; one plant grows so large it’s all you need. This year I will pair with euphorbia ‘diamond frost’. Others to consider (other than the traditional dracaena spikes) are canna, mandevillia, papyrus, cordyline, new guinea impatiens (requires LOTS of water). Tree standards like lantana, hibiscus, citrus, magnolia, & boxwood are lovely. I use a magnolia tree standard in the center of my arrangement of planters; I just love the fragrance.
The filler choices are many. I like calibrachoa (million bells, spreads across), euphoria ‘diamond frost’ (airy white flowers are PERFECT for any planter!), heliotrope (purple, sweet smelling flowers, but grows fast!), petunia (wave variety makes a great spiller), lantana, wax begonias, salvia, coleus, zinnia (pinch these for perfection!). Consider perennial heuchera & hosta or dicentra (fernleaf) for shade. (you may have these free right now outside, just divide off).
The spillers are lamium, Jenny’s tears (perennial), wave petunias, ivys, scaevola, vinca vine, torenia summer wave, dichondera.
For shade consider NOT USING the regular bedding impatiens as filler this year. (More on this in a blog coming soon.) There is a fungus among us (downy mildew) & it is affecting the impatiens. Instead try coleus, dragon wing begonias (less blooms in the shade), new guinea impatiens (not affected), boxwood & other miniature trees as thrillers. Fillers such as heuchera, hosta, torenia, dicentra, begonias, fuchia & perilla love the shade and are colorful. Spillers such as sweet potato vine, lamium, ivy, purpleheart (deep purple leaves with bright purple flower) will thrive.
I hope this will get you started. Again, remember to check your planting zone for frost free planting dates! Check out this cool link below!!!
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