Easy-to-grow, lush containers are full of color and texture

The key to creating beautiful containers is choosing the right containers, filling them with the right potting mix, and choosing plants that will thrive together. It’s important to consider the color, texture, and shape of the plants; knowing where the containers will go; and remembering that all plants in the same container should thrive in the same amount of sunlight and moisture. Gardening in containers is simple and rewarding. While containers require attention, they are relatively low-maintenance to keep them healthy.

1. Playful Purple Colors

Get the Look This thick terra-cotta container offers plenty of possibilities. While the container provides a sturdy base, the plantings provide all the fun. Two different salvias provide height and contrasting shades of purple, while various shades of purple verbena dance around the lip of the pot. White petunias and red combrinas combine shades of purple, pulling the whole arrangement into a whimsical display. What to Plant Salvia, Verbena, Petunia, Combrina

2. Beautiful Layers

Get the Look Sometimes it just feels right to have each plant in a combination have its own space. But other times it’s fun to shake things up a bit. Here, a pink mandevilla is intertwined with a fern, which perfectly blends the textural foliage with the attractive flowers. Mandevilla is a vine that can be trained up a trellis or wall. But in this application its winding stems are woven throughout the planting to add more depth to the design. What to Plant Mandevilla, Fern, Yellow Portulaca

3. Summer to Fall

Get the Look This planting draws inspiration from the warm tones of the metal pot and brings it into the planting colors. The burnt orange geranium blooms with the rich crimson tones of coleus are a wonderful addition not only to the hot summer months, but also to the fall season. In the South, of course, frost comes a little later than in other parts of the country. Extending those summer additions into the fall months gives you some breathing room before the first frost arrives. What to Plant Geraniums, Creeping Jenny, Coleus

4. A Balanced Base

Get the Look With large containers come vertical responsibilities, and in this design, it’s all about balance. The wide woven basket is perfectly offset by the focal point of a tall eugenia topiary. The blue fan flower is a must-have in a summer Southern garden. It’s the perfect choice for a hardworking filler plant that blooms all season long. Colorful English ivy is a classic touch to fill the base and spread out over the sides. With just three items, you have a perfectly proportioned porch addition! What was planted Eugenia topiary, 'Blue Fan Flower' Scavola, multi-colored English ivy

5. One, two, three

See this cluster of olive jar pots in different sizes makes great use of repetition to move your eye from bottom to top, while also reading as a complete composition. Upright rosemary is a dynamic green backdrop for a seasonal display of hot pink sundews, 'Serene Blue' angelonia, 'Profusion White' zinnia, and pink and white. 'Cora Cascade' vinca. Blue daises and licorice plant add that soft silvery blue touch that drips down the sides of the containers and balances the warm pinks with the cooler colors.

What was planted Large pot: Upright rosemary, Scavola blue. Medium pot: Angelonia Serene Blue, Sunbedian Compact Hot Pink, Graffiti Pink Petunias, Trailing Licorice Plant, Zinnia Profusion White, Cora White Vinca. Small pot: Vinca Cora Layered Pink and Cora White, Thyme, Licorice Plant

6. Architectural Inspiration

Containers can be a feature that highlights your home’s design. Here, a three-pane window (not shown) is echoed by three arborvitae planted in a pot below. The arborvitae will provide year-round greenery, but leave plenty of room for seasonal color to fill in. This display uses white zinnias and sweet alyssum to complement the color of the house’s painted brick, further adding to the connection between the home’s architecture and its surrounding landscape. What is planted: Arbevita, zinnias, ivy, bacopa, allium, labialia

7. Grow it low

Visit When you find something good, it's best to celebrate it, and we can't get enough of these gorgeous peach geraniums. Geraniums provide wonderful summer color in any container, often thriving from early summer through fall. 'Lemon Pal' sedum brightens the mix, while the white blooms of vinca and climbing mandevilla soften the backdrop. In the summer, who doesn't love some sweet peaches? What to Plant Peachy Geranium, Lemon Pal Sedum, White Mandevilla, Vinca