Extension for Real Life

How to Pick Plants for Containers

It’s that time of the year when people are on the hunt for the perfect container plant combos. It’s tempting to head to the local garden center, pick out the best-looking flowers, and plant them with wild abandon. However, planning is an important part of the gardening process. Before you go to the garden center, decide where you want to put your container. This will help you purchase the right flowers for the space.

The amount of sun or shade in an area is a key factor to consider when purchasing plants. Plants are labeled “full sun,” “partial shade/sun,” and “shade” to guide you when buying plants for your space. You don’t want to buy a flower suited for shade and then place it in a full-sun area! 

When placing more than one plant in a container, try the “thriller, filler, and spiller” arrangement. Thriller plants typically bring height that adds excitement to the combo. Filler plants are heavy flowering of colorful foliage that make up the body of the combo. And spiller plants sprawl and tumble over the edge of the container. Need ideas? Here some easy container combos to try out this summer!

Plants for full sun containers 

• Thriller - Zonal Geranium 
• Filler – Calibrachoa 
• Spiller - Sweet Potato Vine 

Plants for full shade containers 

• Thriller - dianella 
• Filler - Impatiens
• Spiller - Asparagus Fern 

Plants for partial shade containers 

• Thriller - Salvia
• Filler -Begonia 
• Spiller - Creeping Jenny 

The type of soil you purchase is also important to consider! MSU Extension horticulture specialist Dr. Gary Bachman covers the ingredients to look for when buying potting mix in this blog post.

For more information on picking the right flowers for your space, check out Extension Publication 1826, “Annual & perennial Flowers for Mississippi Gardens.”