“What I love about container gardening is how it lets us experiment with new plants and fresh combinations of color and texture. Here are five inspiring container designs that I think you'll really…”
ZZ Plant
Zamioculcas zamiifolia
What I love about container gardening is how it lets us experiment with new plants and fresh combinations of color and texture. Here are five inspiring container designs that I think you'll really enjoy. These were created by Minnesota gardener Jean Morrison in collaboration with Tangletown Gardens.
#1: The upright, purple-leaved plant is false aralia (Schefflera elegantissima). In front of it, about to bloom, isFuchsia'Orange Drops'. Next to that, with upright spikes of purple flowers, isAngeloniaAngelface Pink. A light pink millionbells (Calibrachoa) and moss-likeNephrolepis exaltata'Suzi Wong' spill over the sides of the containter. The ruffly red leaves ofBegonia'Madame Queen' fill out the center of this design—I'm obsessed with how that combo comes together.
#2: Here an overturned tall pot acts as a stand for a low bowl where succulents take center stage. Large-leaved paddle plant (Kalanchoe thyrsiflora) anchors the design beautifully. The grassyCarex buchananii'Red Rooster' adds height, movement and airiness.Senecio vitalis'Blue Chalk',Tradescantia pallida'Purple Heart'andSedum nussbaumerianum'Coppertone' contribute color, while creeping thyme serves as a spiller balancing the upright plants—I love how the textures play off each other.
#3: Unexpected items like this tiny claw-foot vessel can make such a charming centerpiece on a patio table—trust me, it's a conversation starter! It is filled with a small paddle plant, silveryEcheveria runyonii'Topsy Turcy' and mistletoe cactus.
#4: The idea behind this container was the more plants, the better—and honestly, that's my motto too! The diminutive leaves and tiny white flowers of bacopa spill over the edge of the pot. The two silver-leaved plants areMelianthus major(narrow, toothed foliage) andSalvia argentea(wider, fuzzy foliage). A bright green Japanese maple (Acershirasawanum'Autumn Moon') and darker-leaved star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) draw the eye up.
#5: Even tiny containers can support a number of different plants, adding a rich array of color and texture at the edge of a shaded planting bed—I've found that small pots can create some of the biggest impact. This pot includes silveryMelianthus major, pink-and-purple-leaved 'Purple Rain' coleus and a light pink millionbells. The airy sprays of pink buds come from jewels of opar (Talinum paniculatum), planted at each end of the pot.
Photo credit: All images by Tracy Walsh
