Combining the right plants with the right container can make for a traffic-stopping display. Follow these guidelines for creating container plantings that suit your style:
Choose a combination of tall plants (thrillers), shrubby plants (fillers), and trailing plants (spillers).
Select plants with contrasting forms — tall and spiky, gently arching, soft and flowing.
Choose plants based on the mood you want to set. Flowers in bright, hot colors like fuchsia, fire-engine red, and blazing orange will energize a planting. Cool colors like periwinkle blue and lilac set a calm, relaxed mood.
Use various shades of a single color, like pastel pink to deep rose, to create a unified yet still interesting display.
Create contrast between colors. Foliage plants with silvery and chartreuse leaves provide a perfect backdrop for brightly colored flowers. White and pale colors make dark plants pop and are luminous in the moonlight.
Add height to your containers by growing vines on trellises.
Use plant stands and hanging baskets to bring plants up to eye level.
Add attractive edibles, such as purple basil and tricolor sage, to decorative containers.
