Looking for container garden ideas? We thought we’d take this opportunity to show you a few of our favorite container combos. Jessica’s are shady superstars, Niki’s include touchable textures, and Tara’s pots feature a combo of food and flowers. We’ve also included some links to even more inspiration for sun and shade.

But first, a couple of notes about choosing pots and filling them up with soil. Drainage holes are always a must. Most plants don’t like what is called “wet feet,” meaning wet roots. The combination of proper potting soil and sufficient drainage should allow your pots to dry out between watering. If you are trying to figure out which potting soil to use, check out these potting soil recipes.

Jessica’s container ideas

There is so much I love about this container planting! First, the container itself is pretty cool. I love the dark slate blue against the Pennsylvania fieldstone patio. And the fleur-de-lis (French for “lily flower”) pattern on the pot complements the swirls of the ‘Escargot’ begonia foliage. It’s hard to believe there are only three plants in this container: a red dragon wing begonia, an ‘Escargot’ begonia, and a ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia), which is also called Zanzibar Gem. Some gardeners think it’s difficult to have a lot of texture and color in shade containers, but this is proof that growing gorgeous container plantings doesn’t require full sun.

I also love the bold, dark color palette in the planter below because it’s so different than what you normally see in summer containers. The color combination is wonderful! The contrast of the dark purple oxalis with the chartreuse coleus and trailing fuchsia really makes this container pop. This bold planter would be perfect on the front step or tucked into a shady corner in the garden. Another bonus? These plants can be be brought into the house in the fall and overwintered in a sunny window. The oxalis might go dormant and lose its foliage during the winter, but it will reappear in the spring, ready to go for another season.

Niki’s container ideas

This container was thrown from leftover plants I hadn’t quite found a home for—hence the rather (ahem) simple fibre pot. That said, by mid-summer, those random bits grew together into a gorgeous combination that offered continuous color, touchable texture, and even soothing sound from the rustling of the Purple Fountain Grass. Beneath the grass, I tucked Supertunia Black Cherry, annual geraniums, and mounding nasturtiums, which are hidden from view in the photo. The grass began to bloom by late July and continued into October, making this a three-season container. Gardeners know that it’s often the unexpected that proves to be the most beautiful and this container reminded me to never underestimate the power of ‘leftover plants’.

Tara’s container ideas

I really liked this colour combo that I put together for my urn a few years back. It features a mix of lime greens and pinks. It really popped from the street and thrived throughout the hot, dry summer.

The lime green hues were provided by the ‘Wasabi’ coleus tucked in the back. The pink blooms included a Gerbera daisy (you can only see the foliage on the left in this photo), pink dahlias and Lanai Twister Pink verbena, which was the most successful plant in this arrangement. The “cherry” on top is the height provided by a lemongrass plant. It thrived through the fall and was handy when I needed a sprig for a recipe.

One of the perks of being a garden writer is I get to trial new plants. I love pairing the colorful annuals I receive into interesting combos for my urn and deck pots. This arrangement features lemongrass (of course!), as well as a columnar basil, which I’ll snip from all summer. The orange flowers on this Lantana Camara Shamrock Cherry Sunrise deepen to a lovely pink hue. Along the bottom left I’ve used Petunia x Calibrachoa CitraNova Lemon Zest as a spiller. I love that the yellow is repeated in the Calibrachoa hybrida MiniFamous Uno Purple Strike to its right. The pink flowers include Mandevilla Divina Compact Pink and a Starlet Pink petunia

Looking for more container inspiration?

Check out these articles for sun and shade.

• 18 planter ideas
• Shade container gardening
• How to set up a pond in a pot
• Caring for hostas in pots
• Container rose gardening
• Caring for fuchsia hanging baskets
• Container gardening tip list: Advice to help you succeed
• Make your own potting mix for container gardens

If you’d like more ideas for great container garden designs, or advice on caring for container gardens, check out the book Container Gardening Complete by Jessica Walliser.