Our Top 55 Container Gardening Ideas Will Bring So Much Charm to Your Porch or Patio
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Want to grow plants outdoors, but don't have the space to dig into the dirt? Then you're ready to start a container garden!
Container gardening is an easy way to bring a fresh look to your front porch, patio, back yard or any outdoor space. You can add color and greenery to liven up drab spaces. And you can grow a range of cut flowers, herbs and vegetables for indoor use.
Container gardens are useful for getting around problems such as poor soil or insufficient sunlight, as well. There's no need to worry about soil amendments when you're using quality potting soil and plants that need more (or less) sunlight can be moved in their containers to follow (or avoid) the sun.
Your plant palette is also much less limited. "Many plants thrive in containers," says Barbara Wise, author of Container Gardening for All Seasons. "The most important thing is good drainage. Make sure there's a hole in the bottom of your pot so plants don't drown."
Don't forget to read the plant tag so you choose plants for the right conditions. Full sun means 6 or more hours of direct sunlight per day, while part sun is about half that. Shade means no direct sunlight or only a bit of morning sun.
Most importantly, make sure to keep your pots watered, especially in the heat of summer, because they dry out fast. Pots made from materials such as terra cotta tend to need to be watered more frequently than plastic because water evaporates more quickly from porous materials. You may need to water once or twice a day during the height of summer when your plants are mature and have filled out the pot.
Finally, because nutrients leach out of pots faster than in-ground plantings, feed your pots regularly with a water-soluble fertilizer or slow-release granular type. This ensures your flowers will keep blooming all summer long.
Ahead, our favorite container plant ideas for every season:
Plants: Violas and Pansies
Add welcome color after a long winter to pots near your front door with these early spring bloomers. Some types of violas and pansies will last well into early summer and will revive in the cool temperatures of fall.
Idea: Vary Pot Heights
Create varying display heights by stacking containers on top of extra upside-down pots. Here, an early spring garden glows with cool-season favorites such as lobelia.
Read more: 86 Best Types of Flowers You Should Have in Your Garden
Idea: An Edible Container Garden
Herbs are super-easy to grow in pots. You can grow plenty of fresh herbs (and greens such as lettuce!) right outside your kitchen. Container gardens go well on a deck or patio, too, making an empty space feel more lush and vibrant.
Read more: How to Start an Herb Garden
Idea: Add Lush Window Boxes
Window boxes add charm to any building and they provide additional growing space if you don't have a garden bed or space on your patio for planters. This one is overflowing with ivy and annuals such as violas. You can pick flowers that complement the walls—or grow herbs outside your kitchen window!
More: 20 DIY Window Boxes to Step Up Your Outdoor Décor
Plant: Fuchsia
This beautiful annual with exotic-looking flowers is a favorite of hummingbirds. Fuchsia also looks great in hanging baskets, putting the flowers at eye level so you can enjoy pollinators that visit.
Exposure: Full shade
Plants: Spring-Blooming Bulbs
Cheery daffodils add splashes of springtime color to containers. Underplanted with dainty violas, this is a winning combination for early-season blooms.
Read more: 16 Best Spring-Flowering Bulbs to Plant in the Fall
Idea: Line Your Front Steps
Liven up a boring front entryway with pots of pretty annuals on each step. In this display, petunias, New Guinea impatiens, and pansies add splashes of vibrant color.
More: 20 DIY Front Step Ideas to Up Your Home's Curb Appeal
Idea: Tiered Hanging Baskets
This handsome three-tiered basket offers depth and interest to a front porch. Overflowing with ivy, the baskets are a simple but elegant way to accent the space.
More: 16 Best Flowers to Grow in Your Hanging Basket
Plant: Strawberries
Who knew fruit could be so ornamental? New varieties of strawberry plants are as pretty as they are delicious!
Read more: How to Grow Strawberries
Idea: Dress Up a Fence
A privacy fence does not have to be bland and boring. Mount window boxes on a wooden fence to add splashes of seasonal color.
More: 35 DIY Vertical Garden Ideas to Show off Your Green Thumb
Olive Tree
Can't jet off to Italy this summer? Olive trees are surprisingly easy to grow as long as you have a hot, sunny spot. (They can come indoors during the winter.) It will make your patio feel like you're on vacation.
Note: While container trees do fruit, it takes about five years, and olives need to be cured before they are edible.
Exposure: Full sun
Idea: Colorful Pots
Sometimes more is more! Paint your terra cotta pots with bright colors then fill them annuals such as zinnias, begonia, and petunias.
More: 24 Seriously Creative Ways to Spruce Up a Flower Pot
Plant: Hardy Hibiscus
Add some tropical flair to your balcony, deck or patio with pots of hibiscus. In cold climates, you can bring the pots indoors to overwinter.
Exposure: Full sun
Learn: How to Grow Hardy Hibiscus
Plant: Lavender
Lavender is a classic garden plant that's well-suited to growing in pots. Place containers near seating areas so you can run your fingers over them to release the delicate scent.
Exposure: Full sun
Learn: How to Grow and Care for Lavender Plants
Idea: Boxwood Container Garden
Create an English garden vibe by planting boxwood shrubs in containers and setting them around your deck or patio. Shear to shape, or let them grow into their natural forms.
Exposure: Full sun
More: 20 Best Boxwood Shrubs to Plant in Your Garden
Plant: Impatiens
For full shade, impatiens can't be beat for their non-stop color all summer long. Make sure to buy newer varieties that are more resistant to powdery mildew and other diseases.
Exposure: Full shade
Idea: Modern Concrete Planter
A modern planter is accented with a philodendron in the center, surrounded by colorful annuals such as coleus, floss flower, and geraniums. This unexpected combination pops against the grey concrete.
Idea: Cottage Garden Window Box
This cottage garden-style window box includes upright New Guinea impatiens as well as calibrachoa and sweet alyssum tumbling over its edges. This combination is ideal in full sun conditions.
Idea: Tiny Pots of Grape Hyacinth
Who says you need big pots to make an impact? Three petite pots of grape hyacinth add springtime charm to a deck or front porch.
Exposure: Full sun
Idea: Succulent Container Garden
Succulents come an array of shapes and colors. Here, they're arranged in a hanging basket for an especially charming presentation.
Exposure: Full sun to part sun, depending on the variety
More: The Complete Guide to Growing Succulents
Plant: Ornamental Grass
Flowers aren't the only plant that look smashing in containers. Ornamental grasses, planted alone or in a combination pot, add vertical height and interest.
Exposure: Full sun
Plant: Portulaca
This sturdy succulent with flowers in saturated colors, such as hot pink, coral and yellow, stands up to the hottest days of summer. It's a great annual flower for adding reliable color in the most demanding conditions.
Exposure: Full sun
Idea: Recycled Rain Boot Planters
Add a touch of whimsy to your garden by planting annuals in old rain boots! Just make sure to poke some drain holes in the sole of each boot so your plants don't stay too wet.
Plants: Bird of Paradise
Make a splash with big-leaf plants such as a bird of paradise. These large plants with impressive foliage add drama to a patio, deck or entryway.
Bonus: If you live in a cold climate, bring them indoors in winter to grow as a houseplant.
Read more: How to Grow a Bird of Paradise Plant
Idea: Tiny Teapot Planter
Repurpose household items such as an unused teapot into this adorable tiny planter. It's perfect for a tabletop planter on a bistro table.
Idea: Fern Garden
Ferns offer understated elegance in this container garden. Plant in multiple terra cotta pots to maintain design unity.
Exposure: Full sun to part sun, depending on the variety
Plant: Petunias
It doesn't get any more classic than petunias for container gardens, whether you're planting in pots, window boxes, or hanging baskets.
Look for newer types, such as Wave Petunias, that don't have to be deadheaded (removing spent blooms) in order to keep blooming all summer long.
Idea: Spiller, Thriller, Filler
This stunning combination pot perfectly illustrates the concept of spiller, thriller, filler when building a container.
The coral begonias are especially striking in contrast to the purple lantana, while sedum spills over the edges of the pot.
Plant: Sweet Alyssum
If there's one annual that should be in every garden, it's sweet alyssum. With a honey scent that pollinators love, this low-growing flower blooms and blooms well past a light frost.
It's charming tumbling out of containers, window boxes, and hanging baskets and will bloom until a hard freeze.
Exposure: Full sun to part sun
Idea: Raised Bed Containers
Raised bed planters make gardening chores so much easier! Here, edible greens are elevated, making weeding and harvesting much easier on the back.
Read more: 18 Beautiful Raised Bed Garden Ideas
Plant: Canna Lily
Canna lilies are striking plants that adore the heat! Plant them as part of a combination container, or put them in their own pot where they can really shine.
In warm regions, they're perennial. But dig up the tubers in fall in cold climates to save them for next season.
Exposure: Full sun
Plant: Azalea
Azaleas don't just work in landscape beds. You can enjoy them in containers as accent plants. Here, an azalea in full bloom is shown in a pretty basket for a springtime tabletop display.
Read more: How to Grow Beautiful Azaleas
Idea: Plant Perennials
Perennials also work as container plantings. Here, a colorful heuchera, grown for its pretty foliage and delicate flower spikes that attract pollinators, looks smashing in a patio pot.
Read more: 27 Perennial Plants and Flowers to Keep Your Garden Beautiful
Idea: Wall of Color
Show off with a wall of flowers by incorporating hanging baskets, window boxes, and planters for a gorgeous display of color. Here, brightly-colored nasturtiums tumble out of baskets, boxes, and planters.
Read more: How to Grow Nasturtiums
Plant: Calibrachoa
These tough annuals resemble petunias, but they're a different plant altogether. They come in every color imaginable, including double-petaled types.
Bonus: Calibrachoa bloom all summer long without deadheading required.
Exposure: Full sun
Plant: Japanese Maple
Japanese maples are stunning trees, especially in the fall when they show off their gorgeous colors. The dwarf varieties especially are appealing when planted in large patio containers, as shown here.
Exposure: Full sun to part sun, depending on the variety
Read more: The 10 Best Trees for Small Gardens
Idea: Cactus and Succulent Garden
This striking container garden is perfect in hot, sunny, dry locations. The various pots echo each other's shape, while the spiky succulents offer contrast and interest.
Exposure: Full sun
Multiple Pots in the Same Color
Duplicate pots in this stunning shade of cobalt blue make a striking backdrop for spring flowers. Swap out the plantings as the seasons change to keep it fresh.
Ladder Container Garden
An old ladder is just right for displaying little pots of herbs. It's charming and practical because it doesn't take up a ton of space on a small patio or deck.
Citrus Tree
Transport yourself to the Mediterranean by growing a citrus tree in a container on your sunny patio.
Many types of citrus trees, such as calamondin, stay petite, so you can bring them indoors in the cold weather months.
Exposure: Full sun
Idea: Terra Cotta Edible Garden
No room for an in-ground garden bed? Plant edibles in terra cotta pots and line them up against your house. The radiant heat from your home will keep plants that like full sun nice and toasty.
Plant: Hydrangea
Hydrangeas aren't just stunning in ground; they make beautiful container plantings. Make sure to read the plant tag because there are many different types of hydrangeas with different sun exposure needs.
Exposure: Full shade to full sun, depending on the variety
More: How to Grow Hydrangeas
Plant: Caladium
With heart-shaped foliage splashed with shades of green, pink and white, caladium is a real show-stopper in containers. Dig up the bulbs in cold climates to save for next season.
Exposure: Full shade
Plant: Sweet Potato Vine
Nothing grows like sweet potato vine in the heat of summer! Its pretty lime green, burgundy or variegated foliage looks great in a combination planter, but it's an aggressive grower, so it's often better in its own pot so it doesn't bully the other plants.
Exposure: Full shade to full sun
Plant: Basil
Basil is available in so many different types and forms including Genovese, Thai, columnar, and red basil varieties. Plant a few different types in one pot, and let several plants go to flower for the pollinators.
Exposure: Full sun
Idea: Lush Hanging Baskets
Sure, you can buy those puny hanging baskets at the big box store. But if you plant your own in a larger basket, you'll get a much more stunning effect. Here, a boliviensis begonia shows off its stuff.
Plant: Lantana
Got heat? Lantana can handle it! This sturdy plant is grown as an annual but can become a bushy perennial in warm climates. It comes in every color imaginable, and pollinators love it.
Exposure: Full sun
Read more: How to Make a Pollinator Garden That Actually Works
Plant: Chili Pepper
Add some fun to your container plantings! Both ornamental and edible types of chili peppers thrive in containers.
Exposure: Full sun
Plant: Euphorbia
This somewhat lesser-known plant looks frilly but it's tough as nails in a variety of conditions including heat and drought. Its wispy leaves and profuse airy white flowers offer a delicate baby's breath-like effect to mixed pots, says Glenn Kopp, horticulture information manager at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis.
Exposure: Part sun to sun
Idea: Bicycle Planter
Is that old bike just sitting around? Convert it to a fun planter by filling baskets on the front and back with seasonal blooms.
Plant: Angelonia
Delicate but heat-tolerant angelonia, also called summer snapdragon, doesn't need to be deadheaded to keep blooming all season.
Angelonia comes in pinks, mauves, deep purple, purple-blues, white, and two-tones in a variety of heights. Mix them with trailing herbs for an attractive combination planter, or plant them alone for plenty of season-long color.
Exposure: Sun
Idea: Stacked Boxes
Fill an empty corner of your deck or entryway with a display of wooden crates filled with tiny planters. Change it out every season: Petunias for summer, mums for fall, and greens tucked into buckets for winter.
Plant: Coleus
In the last few years, coleus have been introduced in many new colors. It's drought tolerant and includes trailing, mounded, and upright varieties in too many colors to count. "A bonus is that their delicate flowers are a huge pollinator magnet for butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds," says Wise.
Exposure: Shade to sun, depending on the variety
Plant: Nemesia
Resembling teeny-tiny snapdragons, these perky little flowers on upright stems come in tons of bright colors including purple, pink, cranberry, bright yellow, pale yellow, orange, and white.
Exposure: Part sun to sun
Plant: Rose
Roses aren't as fussy as you think, and many new varieties grow well in containers. Just make sure to keep them in full sun, water regularly and fertilize to ensure they bloom well. Snip off spent blooms if you like a tidier look, though it's not entirely necessary.
Exposure: Full sun
Read more: Plant Rose Bushes Like a Pro
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