Plants for Dramatic Containers

While containers can be used as single-plant ‚”permanent” plantings, this article focuses on seasonal hanging baskets and mixed, container plantings that provide instant color and excitement. These porch rail container planters are an example of the quick color and charming focal point a container can provide.

The key to combining plants in a container is to include plants with contrast of growth habit, foliage texture, plant height, bloom time and color of foliage and flowers.

Growth Habit: The silhouette of the plant or the manner in which it grows.

• Upright Plants – add height and vertical accents to the planting.
• Trailing/Cascading Form Plants – Weeping perennials or cascading annual plants will often drape dramatically over the edge of the container.
• Rounded/Mounding Plants – Provide weight to the container and give a full appearance.

Plant height/size: Depending on the size and use of the container combine plants of varying sizes and mature heights. Planting the tallest in the back or center of the container and keeping the shortest towards the outer edges will allow all the plants to seen.

• Tall Perennials – Over 36″ tall.
• Medium Perennials – Between 1′-3′ tall.
• Short Perennials – Under 12″ tall.

Foliage Texture: Contrasting foliage textures, can provide visual interest even without flowers.

• Fine Textured Foliage Plants – Plants with small or finely cut foliage.
• Broad Foliage Plants – Container plants with larger leaves add weight.

Foliage Color: While many gardeners focus on flower color, foliage color can play just as important a rose in creating excitement in a container or hanging basket planting.

• Shade of Green for Containers – From chartreuse to dark green foliage plants.
• Variegated Foliage Plants – More than one color in the leaf of these plants.
• Colored Foliage Plants – Plants with foliage that isn’t green.

Bloom Time: Plant combinations where all the plants are blooming the same time for high impact or where flowering times are staggered for longer lasting interest.

• Spring Blooming Perennials
• Spring Blooming Annuals
• Spring Blooming Bulbs
• Summer Blooming Perennials
• Summer Blooming Annuals
• Summer Blooming Bulbs
• Fall Blooming Perennials
• Fall Blooming Annuals
• Fall Blooming Bulbs
• Fall Seasonal Container Plantings
• Plants With Long Lasting Blooms – Flowers that last for more than one season extend the container’s interest for a longer period of time.

Bloom Color: Several color schemes are available as possible options when considering flower colors for the container.

• Monochromatic Container Combinations – Plants with the same colored flowers in different hues; ie. Red and pink.
• Complementary Container Combinations – Colors directly across the color wheel from each other; red and green, purple and yellow, etc.
• Analogous Container Combinations – Colors beside each other on the color wheel; red, violet and blue.
• Triadic Color Scheme for Containers -Three tones spaced evenly apart in the color wheel; orange, purple and green or red, yellow and blue.
• Cool Color Scheme – Tend to give a calm and soothing impression.
• Warm Color Scheme -Tend to create a feeling of energy and liveliness.
• Neutral Color Scheme – Colors that blend well with others and rest the eye.

As you select plants for your containers try to select plants from at least two or more of these different groups.

For example, below in this porch rail planter there is an Asparagus Fern with very fine textured foliage, an upright growing Vinca with broad, glossy leaves and a Petunia with a more trailing growth habit and foliage that falls in between the other two plants.

The color scheme seen here is analogous because the colors are adjacent each other on the color wheel, purple and mauve. The combination is calming and soothing with all cool toned colors while the white vinca flowers stand out against the green foliage without overpowering the rest of the composition.

With so many plants available for hanging baskets and containers the possibilities are endless!