Container gardening is perfect for small spaces and allows you to adjust plant placement based on light and weather. It offers better control over soil, pests, and watering, making maintenance easier. To plan, assess your space and light, choose containers with good drainage, and select plants with similar needs. Use high-quality potting soil and combine tall plants with trailing varieties for visual interest. Regular watering and fertilizing will keep your container garden healthy and vibrant.
We’ve included 10 garden plans designed by Violet Johnson, owner of Coyote Garden Center. Each plan is tailored for a 12-gallon container and features readily available plant varieties that thrive as annuals in most parts of the country. For each plan, we’ve provided the plant variety, quantity needed, and the coldest zone for these choices as perennials.
Low-Maintenance Container Garden Option
The arrangement will thrive with minimal watering, making it perfect for those with hectic schedules or who occasionally forget to tend to their plants. The oleander provides height and structure, while catmint and osteospermum add contrasting foliage and blooms. Trailing ivy geranium softens the container’s edges with a cascading effect, creating an inviting look with minimal effort. Plant them in well-drained, sandy soil and place them in a sunny spot.
Plant Varieties:
- 1 Oleander (Nerium ‘Petite Pink’) – Zone 8
- 1 Osteospermum (Osteospermum ‘Whirligig’) – Zone 8
- 2 Catmint (Nepeta x faassenii) – Zone 4
- 3 Ivy Geranium (Pelargonium peltatum ‘Red Cascade’) – Zone 9
Best Container Garden Plans for Sunny Areas
These three combinations are great for the sunniest spots around your home. They’re designed to thrive in full sun conditions and add vibrant colors and interesting textures to your outdoor living spaces.
Mixed Height
This combination’s mixed heights and colors create an especially pleasing display. The tall, stately plants like delphinium and African lily contrast with the shorter, spreading plants such as black-eyed Susan and madwort. By mixing tall, medium, and short plants, this arrangement creates an appealing layered effect. Use well-drained soil to keep these plants happy and healthy.
Plant Varieties:
- 1 African Lily (Agapanthus ‘Rancho White’) – Zone 8
- 1 Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) – Zone 3
- 1 Cat Thyme (Teucrium marum) – Zone 9
- 1 Delphinium (Delphinium elatum ‘Blue Bird’) – Zone 3
- 1 Madwort (Alyssum montanum) – Zone 7
- 2 Salvia (Salvia x superba ‘May Night’) – Zone 4
Bold Colors
Try this high-impact arrangement for a bold, colorful combination that makes a strong visual statement. This striking combination features the dramatic foliage of the phormium, complemented by the rich burgundy leaves of the Chinese fringe flower. The golden daylily adds a bright pop of color, creating a container that’s sure to be a focal point in any sunny garden area. Plant in moist, rich soil for best results and provide ample watering.
Plant Varieties:
- 1 Phormium (Phormium ‘Rainbow Warrior’) – Zone 8
- 1 Chinese Fringe Flower (Loropetalum ‘Burgundy’) – Zone 7
- 1 Daylily (Hemerocallis ‘Stella d’Oro’) – Zone 5
Subtle Arrangement
For a more understated yet equally charming container, try these dwarf varieties. This combination is great for small spaces and modest settings. The pairing of compact evergreens with the smaller Phormium variety helps maintain interest year-round. Give this arrangement a bed of well-drained soil, and trim older Phormium leaves to maintain shorter growth.
Plant Varieties:
- 1 Dwarf Golden Arborvitae (Thuja orientalis ‘Aurea Nana Berckmanii’) – Zone 6
- 1 Japanese Garden Juniper (Juniperus procumbens ‘Green Mound’) – Zone 2
- 1 Phormium (Phormium ‘Jack Spratt’) – Zone 7
Shade-Friendly Container Garden Plants
Not all container gardens need full sun to thrive. These combinations do best when they receive gentle morning sunlight, with afternoon shade to protect them from the harshest rays. These arrangements are ideal for shaded patios or areas where sunlight is limited.
Ornamental Shrubs
This shrub-centered container features delightfully fragrant flowers that vary in color as they age. Plant in well-drained soil, keep the soil moist, and protect the plants from frost.
Plant Varieties:
- 1 Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (Brunsfelsia Australis) – Zone 9
- 2 Spotted Deadnettle (Lamium maculatum ‘Orchid Frost’) – Zone 4
- 3 Million Bells (Calibrachoa ‘Trailing Blue’) – Zone 8
- 3 Nemesia (Nemesia ‘White Innocence’) – Zone 8
The yesterday, today, and tomorrow shrub, renowned for its color-changing blooms, takes center stage in this arrangement. Complemented by trailing and spreading plants, it adds texture and additional color to create a lush, full container.
Cottage Garden Arrangement
This abundant mix of plants creates a container full of color and texture and evokes the charm of an English cottage garden. Plants require well-drained, organic soil. Keep moist and deadhead regularly. Use the impatiens and lobelias as filler plants for a lush look.
Plant Varieties:
- 1 Bacopa (Sutera cordata ‘Snowstorm’) – Zone 9
- 1 Plectranthus (Plectranthus coleoides ‘Veriegata’) – Zone 9
- 1 Fuschias (‘Gartenmeister’ (upright), ‘Snowburner’ (trailing)) – Zone 9
- 1 Torenia (Torenia hybrid ‘Summer Wave’) – Zone 8
- 1 Tuberous Begonias (Red (upright), Yellow (trailing)) – Zone 10
- 2 Double Impatiens (Impatiens wallerana ‘Victorian Rose’) – Zone 1 (annual)
- 3 of each Trailing Lobelia variety (Lobelia erinus ‘Regatta Rose’, Lobelia erinus ‘Regatta Blue Splash’) – Zone 1 (annual)
- 6 Impatiens (Impatiens walleriana ‘Elfin Mixed’) – Zone 1 (annual)
The combination of upright and trailing plants, along with various flower shapes and sizes, mimics the informal beauty of a cottage garden, bringing an old-world charm to modern living with its charming and eclectic mix.
Year-Round Container Garden Options
These combinations offer interest and beauty year-round. By choosing plants that thrive all year, your container garden can remain fresh and appealing constantly.
Ornamental Tree
This combination centers around the striking variegated holly, which provides structure and winter interest. Plant a companion male plant in the yard to ensure bright red berries in winter. The ivy adds a classic, trailing element that softens the container’s edges. In addition, the bright berries offer vivid splashes of color in colder seasons, keeping your container lively all year long.
Add spring bulbs in winter, overplanted with white cyclamen. In late spring, follow with any mix of summer annuals. Plant in well-drained soil with a high organic (manure or guano) content. Choose a sunny location in cool climates and light shade otherwise.
Plant Varieties:
- 1 English Holly Standard (Ilex aquifolium ‘Aurea Marginata’ [female]) – Zone 6
- 3 Ivy (Hedera helix) – Zone 5
Acid Dwarfs
This combination of acid-loving dwarf plants creates a compact container garden that offers interest throughout the year. The evergreen foliage of the skimmia and gardenia provides a backdrop for the azalea’s showy blooms. Use azalea potting soil with high acidity for this short-stature combo.
Plant Varieties:
- 1 Azalea (Rhododendron Robin Hill ‘Watchet’) – Zone 6
- 1 Gardenia (Gardenia ‘Radicans Verigata’) – Zone 8
- 1 Japanese Skimmia (Skimmia japonica reevesiana) – Zone 7
Aromatic Container Garden Bouquets
Keep these two combinations nearby to enjoy their delightful fragrances. These aromatic containers add another sensory dimension to your garden, making them perfect for areas near windows or patios.
Mixed Colors
This fragrant mix combines the sweet scent of heliotrope with the silvery foliage of helichrysum and the delicate blooms of swan river daisy and verbena. It requires well-drained soil and partial shade in hot areas. The blend of fragrant and colorful plants makes it a favorite for sensory gardens.
Plant Varieties:
- 1 Cherry Pie (Heliotropium arborescens) – Zone 9
- 3 Helichrysum (Helichrysum thianschanicum ‘Icicles’) – Zone 6
- 3 Swan River Daisy (Brachyscome ‘Moonlight’) – Zone 9
- 3 Verbena (Verbena tamari ‘Bright Red’) – Zone 4
Lattice Climber
This combination combines climbing hydrangeas, which add vertical interest and structure, with low-growing, fragrant, sweet violets. The result is a container garden that offers visual appeal and a delightful scent. These flowers require rich, well-draining soil and protection from the sun. Keep them moist in a shady location. Use a support structure for the hydrangea, and cut it back when dormant.
Plant Varieties:
- 1 Climbing Hydrangea (Hydrangea petiolaris) – Zone 5
- 5 Sweet Violet (Viola odorata) – Zone 4