Perennials for Container Gardens

Perennials in Containers.

Salvia jurisicii ‘Blue’ (European Cutleaf Sage)
Item # 84745 		Salvia jurisicii 'Blue'
European Cutleaf Sage

each $5.49
3 to 6 $5.29
7 or more $4.99
Alyssum montanum 'Mountain Gold'
Item # 16328 		Alyssum montanum 'Mountain Gold'
Creeping Basket-of-Gold

each $4.99
3 to 6 $4.79
7 or more $4.59
Agastache x 'Black Adder'
Item # 11814 		Agastache 'Black Adder'
Black Adder Hyssop

each $7.99
3 to 6 $7.79
7 or more $7.59
Origanum x ‘Amethyst Falls’
Item # 73051 		Origanum 'Amethyst Falls'
Amethyst Falls Hybrid Oregano

Each $6.99
3 to 6 $6.79
7 or more $6.59
Artemisia versicolor 'Seafoam'
Item # 22632 		Artemisia versicolor 'Seafoam'
Curlicue Sage

each $5.99
3 to 6 $5.79
7 or more $5.59
Iberis sempervirens 'Little Gem'
Item # 59555 		Iberis sempervirens 'Little Gem'
Little Gem Dwarf Candytuft

each $5.29
3 to 6 $4.99
7 or more $4.79
  • Topic: Container Gardening
  • Keywords: perennials, containers, container gardening, Container Perennials, Container Perennials, Perennials, gardens, planters
  • Date: April 2005

© All articles are copyrighted by High Country Gardens. Republication is prohibited without Permission.

Container gardens are a fun and rewarding creative project. A little initial planning about location, colors, size and textures is all it takes! The first step is to choose a container: a beautiful garden pot, a window box or a “found object” such as a recycled washtub will determine the types and sizes of plants to use in it. If you don’t have time to do the work, High Country Gardens offers complete pre-planned container gardens of all types and sizes, including hanging gardens Container Gardens for easy and gorgeous results!

Perennials are the foundation of my container gardens. With containers, I’m not afraid to try new plants, select single specimens, or use perennials as annuals. Containers are where I can experiment with new plant combinations, use plants not suited to my USDA zone, or see how an unfamiliar variety does in a pot. For those whose climate will not support growing cacti and succulents in the garden, containers provide the perfect answer to include these wonderful, water-wise plants outside in the summer! In the winter, place the cacti container indoors in a sunny spot or in your greenhouse and keep these plants happy for many years to come.

I try to keep a few simple design elements in mind with containers, such as:

  • placing several together for more impact
  • using similar or different types of plants
  • keeping to a theme with a commonality like colors, texture (grasses are good for this), similarity of pots, or repetition of certain plants.

When selecting plants for a container garden, consider the following:

  • all the plants have similar needs as amount of sun and water is concerned.
  • be sure to select plants for their size and habit, using plants that will not outgrow the space, or crowd out each other over the season
  • use new potting soil and a water-holding compound such as Soil Moist in your pots.
  • include drainage – a layer of small gravel or rocks at the bottom of the container.
  • the pot is placed in a location where it gets the appropriate amount of sun or shade for the selected plants.

Plant the perennials closer than you would in the garden to make it look full. Use Superthrive root stimulator and Sea Com seaweed fertilizer when transplanting. (We offer a money-saving Combo Pack of these two essential gardening products.)

Combinations that have appeal

Pot #1—Near the center, start with a grass for texture. Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Blaze’ Little Bluestem will grow to about two feet and add verticality and color. Combine several plants of Salvia juriscicii ‘Blue’ and Salvia officinalis ‘Minima’. Along the edge, use one of the Ornamental Oreganos Origanum , Alyssum montanum ‘Mountain Gold’ or Dwarf Candytuft Iberis sempervirens ‘Little Gem’ to overhang and soften the edge of the container.

Pot #2—Place a tall plant such as Agastache ‘Black Adder’ or False Indigo Baptisia australis at the back or center of the pot. Add Purple Coneflower Echinacea purpurea near the center. Combine Salvia nemerosa ‘May Night’ with Coral Canyon Twinspur Diascia integerrina ‘Coral Canyon’ . Near the edge, place Curlicue Sage Artemisia versicolor ‘Seafoam’ Sundancer Daisy Hymenoxys acaulis ‘Sundancer Daisy’.

When first planted, fill empty spaces with ornamental pieces of driftwood, pretty rocks, or a garden ornament. To conserve water and shade the roots of establishing plants, use a layer of small gravel or rocks to cover the bare soil around the plants. You might even add annual bedding plants for some instant early color while you’re waiting for the perennials to bloom.

At the end of the season, I transplant some of the hardier perennials to the garden but some, like the more tender Salvias, are treated as annuals. They could, however, be over-wintered in a greenhouse.