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Oct 17, 2024

29 Flower Pot Ideas for Stunning Mixes of Blooms and Foliage

Creating stunning container gardens is easy with these combinations of annuals, perennials, and grasses. These plant combination ideas for container gardens will look pretty all season long. Just fill

Creating stunning container gardens is easy with these combinations of annuals, perennials, and grasses.

These plant combination ideas for container gardens will look pretty all season long. Just fill your favorite containers and planters with potting soil, gather the recommended plants, and get planting. Create these beautiful flower pot ideas in minutes to accent your landscape all season long. They're the perfect solution if you have limited space, and they're even portable, so you can move your colorful container garden wherever you most need it.

Acalypha, an underutilized foliage plant, elevates the look of this flower pot idea. Look for additional plants such as coleus or elephant's ear to make this bold and dramatic container garden.

A. Petunia 'Ultra Pastel Pink': 5

B. Sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatus 'Blackie'): 2

C. Acalypha wilkesiana: 1

Cheerful and bright, this flower pot idea is a combination that will hold its good looks for months thanks to tough plants like Profusion zinnias and white angelonia.

A. Angelonia 'Angelface White': 1

B. Zinnia 'Profusion Orange': 1

C. Coleus (Solenostemon 'Wild Lime'): 1

Having trouble choosing colors for a container garden? Pick just one or two. Here, the deep turquoise container complements stunning blue and purple blooms for a beautiful flower pot idea that will continue to delight all season long.

A. Angelonia 'Angelface Dresden Blue': 2

B. Celosia 'Purple Flamingo': 1

C. Calibrachoa 'Superbells Blue': 3

This dramatic flower pot idea for container gardens features contrasting foliage texture and color. The deep purple foliage and pink-tinged white flowers of the oxalis work well with the black-glazed container. Add holiday cheer to this classic container with candy cane oxalis, just one of the many available oxalis plants.

A. Oxalis regnellii: 7

B. Calla (Zantedeschia 'Black Forest'): 1

C. Elephant's ear (Colocasia 'Illustris'): 1

A change from the usual russets and yellows of fall container gardens, this design features pink flowers and stands out for its originality and style.

A. Mum (Chrysanthemum 'Pobo Lavender'): 1

B. Ivy (Hedera helix 'Glacier'): 1

C. Sedum sieboldii: 1

D. Flowering cabbage (Brassica oleracea 'Ruby'): 1

E. Aster novae-belgii 'Crimson Brocade': 1

F. Wood fern (Dryopteris marginalis): 1

Even without blossoms, this flower pot idea is beautiful, thanks to a mix of colors and textures. The bold leaves of this foliage container garden add contrast and interest. The canna's can't-miss form is a focal point of this container.

A. Canna 'Australia': 1

B. Fuchsia triphylla 'Firecracker': 1

C. Sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas 'Blackie'): 1

D. Gerbera 'Festival Salmon': 2

This country-style design shows off several different calibrachoas (Million Bells) complemented by the osteospermum and phlox. While charming already, adding ornamental grass creates height, drama, and textural beauty.

A. Calibrachoa 'Million Bells Terra Cotta': 3

B. Calibrachoa 'Superbells Trailing Blue': 3

C. Calibrachoa 'Million Bells Terra Linda': 3

D. Osteospermum 'Lemon Symphony': 3

E. Purple fountaingrass (Pennisetum 'Rubrum'): 1

F. Phlox drummondii 'Intensia White': 3

The soft pink color scheme and petal-filled flowers of a tree rose combine beautifully in a classic, elegant flower pot idea that will bloom all summer.

A. Tree rose (Rosa 'Baby Blanket'): 1

B. Begonia 'Prelude Pink': 5

C. Vinca (Catharanthus 'Coconut Cooler'): 3

Purple fountain grass balances the waves of blue nemesia in this gorgeous miniature garden. The plants were proportionally chosen for this smaller-than-usual container.

A. Nemesia 'Blue Bird': 3

B. Nemesia 'Compact Innocence': 1

C. Ivy-leaf geranium (Pelargonium 'Picasso'): 2

D. Purple fountaingrass (Pennisetum 'Rubrum'): 1

E. Zinnia 'Profusion White': 3

In this cool-season flower pot idea, pansies will boost color from early spring to the start of summer. When it gets hot, change the pansies for heat-tolerant annuals such as angelonia.

A. Pansy (Viola 'Violet Beacon'): 5

B. Licorice plant (Helichrysum 'Limelight'): 3

You can have a beautiful container garden with one kind of plant. As this pot of angelonia shows, grouping one variety in a container underscores a plant's unique features. Here, angelonia makes a great color contrast with the annual phlox in the foreground.

A. Angelonia 'Angelface Blue': 3

These six varieties of peperomia boast an astounding array of leaf colors, shapes, and textures. With growth habits ranging from upright to trailing, this container will surely please anyone who loves low-maintenance houseplants.

A. Red-edge peperomia (Peperomia clusiifolia variegata): 1

B. Baby rubber plant (Peperomia caperata ‘Red Ripple’): 1

C. Baby rubber plant (Peperomia clusiifolia ‘Tricolor’): 1

D. Parallel peperomia (Pepperomia puteolata): 1

E. False philodendron (Peperomia scandens): 1

F. Baby rubber plant (Peperomia obtusifolia ‘Golden Gate’): 1

Adding colorful annuals is a cheery flower pot idea that dresses up a plain evergreen for a dose of summer-long color.

A. Boxwood (Buxus 'Green Gem'): 1

B. Verbena 'Superbena Purple': 3

C. Coleus (Solenostemon 'Mississippi Summer'): 3

D. Ivy (Hedera helix 'Glacier'): 3

Charming and elegantly old-fashioned, this gorgeous spring container garden in its decorative terra-cotta container will last till early fall.

A. Geranium (Pelargonium 'Maverick Star Pink'): 1

B. Nemesia 'Blue Bird': 2

C. Nemesia 'Compact Innocence': 1

D. Petunia 'Supertunia Giant Pink': 3

E. Ivy (Hedera helix 'Anne Marie'): 4

This perfect little red and blue flower pot idea is ideal for gracing the deck or patio for an Independence Day celebration. Explore other geranium plant combination ideas for container gardens.

A. Geranium (Pelargonium 'Red Elite'): 1

B. Evolvulus glomeratus 'Blue Daze': 5

Achieve texture in your container garden with leafy and flowering perennials, annuals, and grasses. Here, an ornamental grass plays beautifully against chunky coleus and cascading calibrachoa.

A. Coleus (Solenostemon 'Black Star'): 1

B. Calibrachoa Superbells 'Cherry Red': 3

C. Purple fountaingrass (Pennisetum 'Rubrum'): 1

Informal but colorful, this display would look great in a country- or cottage-style garden thanks to its soft colors and intriguing mix of textures. Choose heat-tolerant annuals such as cockscomb (celosia) that add colorful texture without much maintenance.

A. Celosia 'Purple Flamingo': 1

B. Cigar plant (Cuphea ignea 'Dynamite'): 1

C. Calibrachoa 'Superbells Trailing Light Blue': 3

D. Beefsteak plant (Iresine 'California'): 1

E. Dahlia 'Gallery Salvador': 1

This container makes an impressive impact with its blast of color. A stately ornamental grass rises above mounding plants, contrasting the trailing creeping Jenny and sweet potato vine. By midsummer, the pot will be completely covered with a golden skirt of leaves.

A. Maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light'): 1

B. Sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatus 'Margarita'): 2

C. Wax begonia (Begonia 'Vodka'): 2

D. Coleus (Solenostemon 'Olympic Torch'): 1

E. Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea'): 2

This is a perfect flower pot idea for a cottage setting. The billowy, loose design allows nature to take its course and tends to be lower maintenance than other carefully manicured garden styles.

A. Verbena 'Escapade Bright Eye': 3

B. Plectranthus argentatus: 2

C. Parrot's beak (Lotus berthelotii): 3

This colorful, abundant display demands attention. Late-blooming pineapple sage becomes the crowning glory in late summer when it bears its bright red blooms. Be sure to keep your plants well-hydrated to reach their full potential.

A. Ageratum 'Blue Horizon': 3

B. Bacopa (Sutera 'Snowstorm White'): 3

C. Calibrachoa 'Superbells Trailing Rose': 3

D. Swan River daisy (Brachycome 'Mauve Delight'): 3

E. Petunia 'Explorer Rose': 1

F. Pineapple sage (Salvia elegans): 2

Master the art of using color in your garden by mixing unique combinations to create a feeling of abundance. Accent it with texture, such as here, where gaura provides nice verticality and creates a notable contrast with the spreading petunia.

A. Lantana 'Bandana Cherry Surprise': 1

B. Petunia 'Rose Double Madness': 3

C. Licorice plant (Helichrysum petiolare 'Icicles'): 1

D. Gaura lindheimeri: 1

You don't need big flower pot ideas to make a significant impact. This colorful plant combination is an eye-catching arrangement that fits in well just about anywhere. Use small-space garden strategies to get the most out of your yard.

A. Nemesia 'Sunsatia Pear': 1

B. Nemesia 'Sunsatia Raspberry': 1

C. Nemesia 'Sunsatia Lemon': 1

D. Nemesia 'Sunsatia Cranberry': 1

E. Pansy (Viola 'Karma Blue Blotch'): 1

A perfect accent for an herb garden or next to your favorite chair on a deck or patio, the scented geranium will delight with its aroma and contrast to fragrant sweet alyssum.

A. Scented geranium (Pelargonium graveolens 'Grey Lady Plymouth'):1

B. Sweet alyssum (Lobularia 'Wonderland Purple'): 3

This little flower pot idea is filled with many shades of pink flowers. Pink can be used in the garden on its own and with planting partners of other colors. Choose light pink flowers for an airy feel or bright pink flowers that pop against a green background.

A. Godetia (Clarkia 'Grace Salmon Red'): 3

B. Verbena 'Babylon Purple': 3

C. Snapdragon (Antirrhinum 'Solstice Red'): 3

Container gardens don't have to be restrained. This collection displays beautiful foliage textures and colorful leaves against pink and red flowers in a wooden half barrel.

A. Dusty miller (Senecio 'Silver Dust'): 3

B. Ivy-leaf geranium (Pelargonium 'Crocodile'): 3

C. Scented geranium (Pelargonium tomentosum): 3

D. Licorice plant (Helichrysum petiolare 'Variegatum'): 5

E. African daisy (Arctotis 'Cerise'): 3

F. Salvia patens: 2

It's easy to plant a container garden when you know a few garden design basics. This simple design demonstrates classic planting proportions with "thriller plant" (cordyline), "filler plant" (lantana), and "spiller plant" (trailing coleus).

A. Lantana 'New Gold': 1

B. Coleus (Solenostemon 'Stained Glassworks Trailing Plum'): 2

C. Cordyline australis: 1

This container is full of color and texture from its flowers and foliage. The highlight of this planting is a bright gerbera daisy rising out of the top. To take your container to the next level, try growing gerbera daisies indoors and outdoors.

A. Gerbera daisy (Gerbera 'Festival Orange'): 1

B. Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea'): 3

C. Verbena 'Superbena Burgundy': 3

This container garden has a sense of movement created by the umbrella sedge's angle set off by the trailing petunia and balanced by the stocky geranium plant. For a lush patio garden, try grouping containers.

A. Geranium (Pelargonium 'Scarlet Elite'): 1

B. Petunia 'Supertunia Mini White': 2

C. Umbrella sedge (Cyperus alternifolius): 1

This fun combo with traditional petunias and osteospermums is elevated by the dramatic perilla that demands attention. Grow annuals like these from seed to save a little money and have more varieties to choose from.

A. Perilla 'Magilla': 1

B. Petunia 'Supertunia Royal Velvet': 2

C. Osteospermum 'Lemon Symphony': 2

Planters can be created from many vessels, not just the flower pots you pick up at the garden center. Use a galvanized tub for a whimsical aesthetic or an old wheelbarrow for a country feel. An old watering can makes a surprising but charming pot for flowers. If you want to hang planters on the wall, DIY them using old wooden cutting boards picked up at thrift shops and flea markets. A tower planter is a clever way to display a collection of succulents, while stackable planters can allow a small space to hold a big collection of favorite greenery. Be creative with your planter ideas and put together fun, decorative displays while recycling unwanted objects.