The Best Container Planter Ideas for Your Garden that You'll Love!

The best container planter ideas that will make your garden a gorgeous paradise.

This season, follow these tips to create beautiful planters.

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Spring has sprung. It’s time to once again dig out the garden gloves, find that tiny shovel (technically it’s called a spade, right?), unearth the garden tool I call the “claw,” and prepare to be really sore the next day.

You know the muscle aches I’m talking about …

It’s the pains you feel the day after you spend hours bending over planting all of your annuals and making your yard summer worthy! Well that day is here! The day you plant your containers! But I’ve got great container planter ideas for you that will make it all worthwhile!

I may workout all year long, yet somehow planting all of those annuals finds muscles that seem like they haven’t been exercised in decades. But in the end, it’s all worth it. I love having all of my container planters spread around my patio, bursting with color. These containers are also a great addition to my front porch.

CONTAINER GARDENING IS A GREAT SOLUTION FOR YOUR GARDEN …

Truth be told, container gardening is an easy way to make a big impact in your outdoor space. Garden pots are one of the best creative ways to dress up your outdoor space and a beautiful container garden is ideal for small spaces. They can be packed with so many bright colors. I’ve been planting all sorts of container gardens for years. And along the way, I’ve found they are easy to pull together, in a few simple steps. If you know what to do that is …

So I’m sharing my best container planter ideas that I’ve accumulated over the years. These ideas are also perfect for window boxes. Follow these container planter tips and you’ll be sure to have the showiest, most gorgeous containers on the entire block! You are going to love these beautiful flower pot ideas.

FIRST PICK OUT THE TYPE OF PLANTER CONTAINERS YOU’LL BE USING

There are a wide variety of flower pot designs and small garden ideas from which to choose. From terra cotta to resin, big pots to tiny ones, round or square, you’ll want to determine which type of planters you’ll be using at the start of the project. From there you can plan where you’ll place the containers, as well as what types of plants you’ll need.

Whichever planter material you choose, make sure your container has drainage holes to remove excess water and ensure you have well-drained soil. You want moist soil for your container plants with good drainage throughout the growing season. Otherwise, the roots may get too much water and the plants will die. If you’re going to all of this effort, you definitely want them to thrive in the warm weather.

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THESE ARE MY FAVORITE PLANTERS FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS …

I really like these round self-watering planters. They have a hollow reservoir in the bottom of the pot to prevent roots from being constantly flooded and allow the soil to contact water directly for efficient drainage. Not to mention, they come in a variety of sizes and look great in groupings. I’ve placed these planters in a pairing on either side of my front porch.

SECOND IDEA: DETERMINE WHERE YOU’LL PLACE THE CONTAINER PLANTERS

Where you’ll be placing your planters dictates whether you’ll need plants that will thrive in full sun, part sun, partial shade, or full shade. I’ve found that determining this is really important. Why? Plants can be delicate and they are also expensive. So you’ll want to set yourself up for success. It’s important to buy the types of plants that will thrive in the spaces they’ll call home. If they’ll get strong afternoon sun, you need plants that do well in full sun. If you’re placing your containers on a shaded porch, you’ll want plants that do well in partial to full shade. Fortunately, you can find all of that information on the plant tag. It seems like a simple notion, but it’s not.

HERE’S AN IMPORTANT RULE YOU NEED TO FOLLOW …

Through the years, I’ve attempted to shoehorn shade plants into pots that weren’t really in the full shade. And it never works. It’s always best to follow the tag. Don’t try to kid yourself. Again, plants are expensive and you don’t want to throw your money away in the middle of June. All dried and brown. It’s a sad sight. Trust me. For containers that reside in the sun, my favorite are red geraniums. I think they make a big impact and have a classic look. And in our climate, they are much hardier than petunias. I also like New Guinea Impatiens for pots and containers that are placed in the shade. Be sure to read the plant tag thoroughly and pick out the best plants that are right for your climate and hardiness zone.

THE BEST CONTAINER PLANTER IDEAS YOU NEED

Here is my best container garden idea. Before you head to the nursery, you’ll want to make a plant list to ensure you have the right mix of plants for all of your plant containers. Garden centers can be overwhelming. And crowded, especially on Saturday mornings in the spring. By pulling a list together of everything you’ll need, you’ll save yourself time, frustration, and likely money. It’s easy to find yourself making impulse purchases or buying too many plants. I find myself getting swept up in the moment and thinking, “oh, I’ll find a place for this!” They’re so pretty! It’s easy to buy too many. So, I usually I wind up planting the extras in garden beds. And they don’t flourish.

NEXT IT’S TIME TO PLANT YOUR CONTAINERS, HERE ARE A FEW KEY TIPS …

Fill your chosen pot with a nice potting soil. You don’t want to just throw some dirt from the ground into a pot. After years of admiring Miracle-Gro’s Moisture Control potting mix, I finally pulled the trigger and bought it. It was worth the extra money. Why?

Container planters can dry out quickly. They can also easily get over saturated, especially if they are on an open patio or pool deck. I’m not sure exactly how it works, but this soil really does help to prevent over or under watering.

For each of my pots, I like to curate a combination of plants to put in each container. Plants that will create height, as well as dimension to each pot are my favorite. I also like a variety of leaf colors.

I like to start by planting a single plant in the center. For this pot, I chose a classic dracaena spike.

I’ve had really good success with these taller plants throughout the years. And I love their dark green color. Plus, it serves as a focal point for the container.

Since this pot will sit on my front porch, I chose New Guinea Impatiens and evenly spaced three of the plants in the pot.

You’ll want to leave some room for the ornamental, accent plants.

FINALLY DON’T FORGET THE ACCENT PLANTS

Adding accent plants is one of my favorite container planter ideas. Ornamental plants add a lot of pizzazz to your pots and make them look like they’ve been professionally planted. A few of my favorite plants include vinca vine (a great annual vine), asparagus fern and sweet potato vine, which is a fantastic trailing plant.