24 Stunning Container Garden Planting Ideas

24 designer plant lists for beautiful container garden plantings & colorful mixed flower pots combinations. You will love these great patio design & backyard landscape ideas!

One of the most universally loved garden features is the container garden. Who does not love a planter overflowing with colorful flowers, happiness and exuberance?

24 designer plant lists for beautiful container gardens & colorful mixed flower pots combinations: great patio planting ideas & backyard landscape designs!

I was gathering some beautiful container flower pot ideas, and just could not stop! I am going to share with you a plant list for each one of these gorgeous container plantings! For more, here are 52 Best landscaping ideas & designs for front & backyard garden.

The best part is: we can recreate each of these stunning mixed flower pot designs. Get ready for some botanical Latin and let’s decode these magical container garden recipes!

This is part 1of our container garden series, which focuses on plantings for sunny locations. Here is part 2: some amazing shade garden planters with plant lists!

*Some resources in article are affiliate links. Full disclosure here.

How to create beautiful shade garden pots using easy to grow plants with showy foliage and flowers.
Check out these 16 shade garden planters with plant lists!

1. Container garden planting design secrets.

There is a magic formula in almost all these beautiful container gardens and flower pot designs: Thriller + Filler + Spiller.

The ” thriller” is usually a big focal point plant in the center. The “fillers” are secondary plants that make the planting look full and vibrant. The “spillers” are plants that offer added dimension  and interest by spilling over the containers.

beautiful Container garden planting design with red flowers

Plant list 1: Canna ‘Australia’, Canna ‘Tropicanna Gold’, Infinity Orange New Guinea Impatiens, ‘Hot Shot’ Orange portulaca, Begonia boliviensis, ‘Orange Marmalade’ Crossandra, Sweet Caroline Bronze Sweet Potato Vine. ( Source The Graceful Gardener )

2. Colorful urn container garden ideas

Urns are beautiful planters in a patio garden design. Trailing plants are great for urn plantings.

Colorful urn container garden ideas

Plant list 2: Dracaena or African Iris (center spike), Pink Geranium, Mixed color Trailing Petunias, green Sweet Potato Vine. (Source: Power Flowers)

3. Vegetable container garden ideas

Many edible plants have gorgeous and colorful foliage, plus delicious tastes! Lots of vegetables are good for container plantings, and looks beautiful mixed with annuals and perennials..

For example, smaller vegetables such as lettuce, radishes, spinach, peas and herbs can thrive in small shallow pots. Bigger plants such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and root veggies such as carrots, beets and potatoes do well in deeper large pots.

Edible container garden ideas with red chard

Plant list 3: Red Swiss Chard, Helleborus ‘Sunmarble’, Heuchera, Fern (Source: Le Jardinet )

Here are our favorite 16 easiest vegetables to grow, all of them are great for vegetable container gardens!

4. Beautiful vegetable garden mixed planter

Here are some great examples of how edibles can be mixed with ornamental plants in garden pots. Plants such as artichokes, swiss chards, onions and chives have dramatic foliage that look great in pots.

Beautiful vegetable garden mixed planter

Plant list 4: Artichoke, Kale, Light pink Verbena, Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’, White Petunia. (Source: The Impatient Gardner )

You may also love: 15 Stunning hanging baskets with planting list for each! 

How to plant beautiful hanging baskets that last for months. Choose the best plants from these 15 designer plant lists for hanging flower baskets in sun or shade, plus easy care tips on soil, water and fertilizer for a healthy hanging basket! - A Piece of Rainbow
15 Stunning hanging baskets with planting list for each! 

5. A trailing plant perfect for tall planter pots

Talking about spilling over, Dichondra is an easy to grow plant that just spills, and spills, and spills…

 trailing plant and grass in tall planter pots

Plant list 5: Mexican Feather grass, Orange Gazania,  Dichondra repens, Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’ ( Source: Park Seed )

6. Mixed succulent container garden ideas

Aged stone planters and terra cotta pots are great for succulents, cacti, and other drought tolerant plants. Make sure to have drainage hole and soil mixed with gravel and sand as these plants do not like excess moisture.

Mixed succulent container garden ideas

Plant list 6: Succulents- Kalanchoe ‘Fantastic’, Sedum ‘Little Missy’, Echeveria, Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’. ( Source: The Graceful Gardener )

7. Mixed flower pot planting design in shades of yellow

A beautiful container garden does not have to have all the colors of a rainbow.  Sometimes variations of one color, such as the yellows or burgundy colors below, can look drop-dead-gorgeous.

Mixed flower pot planting design in shades of yellow

Plant list 7: Durango Dahlia, Great Balls of Fire White Ivy Leaf Geranium, Yellow Petunia, Bidens ferulifolia ‘Bidy Gonzales’ ( Source: HGTV )

8. Mixed flower pot plants ideas in showy burgundy colors

Mixed flower pot plants ideas in showy burgundy colors

Plant list 8: Cordyline fruticosa ( Ti Plant ), Burgundy Petunia. ( Source: Costa Farms )

9. Tropical container garden plants

Bananas, Canna Lilies and Colocasias (Taro plants) are some of the easiest and most dramatic tropical plants to grow.

Tropical container garden plants with Bananas, Canna Lilies and Colocasias (Taro plants)

Plant list 9: Banana, Colues, Hibiscus, Asparagus Fern, Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’, White Verbena, Purple Petunia ( Source: UBD Landscape )

10. Tropical container patio garden ideas

Some tropical plants grow well in water filled containers, which look great on a patio. These jade green ceramic pots are perfect for lush green tropical plants!

Tropical container patio garden ideas in water containers

Plant list 10: Canna, Colocasia esculenta, Papyrus. ( Source: Blackgold )

You may also love: Easy DIY solar fountain with pond water plants!

beautiful water garden plants in a solar fountain easy DIY patio pond
Easy DIY solar fountain with pond water plants!

11. Country garden planters and pots

A white Hydrangea bush in a pale blue pot is so simple and elegant. It’s a good idea to use glazed clay pots or plastic pots for larger shrubs that likes moisture in soil, especially if you live in a hot and dry climate.

Country garden planters and pots

Plant list 11: Hydrangea “Annabelle” ( Source: Pretty Pink Tulips )

12. Container garden with herbs

Even green herbs can look beautiful in a container garden. Mix different plants with different shades of greens such as deep green rosemary, silver green sage, teal green thyme, and bright green basil and parsley!

White and green plant combinations

Plant list 12: Rosemary, Garlic Chives, Helichrysum petiolare ( Source: Decorah Silver )

Related post:  25 Gorgeous DIY Garden Paths

Ultimate collection of 25 most DIY friendly & beautiful garden path ideas and very helpful resources from a professional landscape designer! - A Piece of Rainbow
25 Gorgeous DIY Garden Paths

13. Mixed foliage planting designs

It is totally possible to create attractive planters without using flowers. This patio garden pot is planted with a beautiful mix of foliage plants!

Mixed foliage planting designs

Plant list 13: Colocasia,  Croton, Coleus “Strawberry Drop”, Sweet Potato Vine ( Source: BHG )

14. Beautiful container garden ideas with easy care flowers

Beautiful container garden ideas with easy care flowers in pink, red, and orange

Plant list 14: Canna, Dahlia, Salvia, Ipomoea, Zinnia, Osteospermum, Verbena, Petunia, Calibrachoa. ( Source: Power Flowers )

15. Kitchen garden planter ideas

Rosemary makes a great evergreen plant just like classic boxwood in a garden design.

Kitchen garden planter ideas

Plant list 15: Rosemary, Lobelia ( Source: Deborah Silver )

16. Water garden / mini pond in tub planter

This easy DIY solar fountain or patio pond with water garden plants is such a delight! And you can make it in one hour!

garden with solar fountain DIY patio pond with beautiful water plants

See DIY solar fountain tutorial here for plant list!

17. Colorful garden pot ideas

Glazed pots come in so many vibrant colors. Use them creatively to complement your container plantings!

Colorful blue garden pot with pink flowers

Plant list 17: Hydrangea, Lobelia (Source: Hometalk )

18. Colorful flower pots on porch

Colorful flower pots on porch

Plant list 18: Mixed color Snapdragon, Salvia argentea, pink Petunia, Sedum ( Source: DecoFeelings )

19. Farmhouse patio garden ideas

Hydrangeas, roses, and boxwoods are all timeless farmhouse garden classics.

Farmhouse patio garden ideas

Plant list 19: Hydrangea, Rose, Boxwood ( Original image source lost. Please let me know if you find it! )

20. Cottage garden flowers in pots

Cottage garden flowers in pots

Plant list 20: Pelargonium ( Geraniums) , Petunia, Lobelia. ( Source: Flicker )

21. Flower pots on garden columns

Use a bowl shaped planter on top of a garden wall or column as a design focal point.

Flower pots on garden columns

Plant list 21: Red Mandevilla, Pink Calibrachoa, Sweet Potato Vine ( Source: Charlottesville Home )

22. Colorful pink and red flower planters

These hot colors really stand out, perfect for those who love colorful vibrant garden designs. Support taller vines with a trellis and add more dimensions to a mixed pot.

Colorful pink and red flower planters

Plant list 22: Red Mandevilla, Orange Calibrachoa, Variegated Pelargonium ( Geraniums) , Pink Petunia. ( Source: Botanical Blitz )

23. Purple and yellow container garden plants

Use shades of lavender, chartreuse and yellow to create a soft and dreamy garden flower pot.

Purple and yellow container garden plants

Plant list 23:  Fountain Grass,  ‘Phloxy Lady Purple Sky’ Phlox, ‘Electric Lime’ Coleus, Petunia, Lysimachia ‘Goldilocks’ ( Source: Fine Gardening )

24. Flower and succulent mixed planter pots

Succulents often have interesting colors and textures, which look beautiful mixed with flower plantings.

Flower and succulent mixed planter pots

Plant list 24: Snake Plant, Yellow Snapdragon. ( Source: Costa Farms )

You may also love: 16 colorful planters for shade, with plant list for each!

How to create beautiful shade garden pots using easy to grow plants with showy foliage and flowers. And plant lists for all 16 container planting designs! - A Piece Of Rainbow
16 colorful planters for shade, with plant list for each!

and Beautiful DIY Raised Bed Gardens

Detailed guide on how to build raised bed gardens! Lots of tips and ideas on best designs, soil, and materials for productive & beautiful DIY raised beds! | A Piece of Rainbow

Happy planting! See you soon!

23 Comments

  1. I love these colorful floral arrangements plus the recipes for creating them! I’m going to take the info along to several nurseries to fulfill the beautiful arrangements you have posted! Thank you soooooo much!

  2. Wow! Awesome Blog! I really love this beautiful plants and designer pots. Inspired to start my own gardening in this month. Great job. Thanks for sharing and keep sharing more!!

  3. Fabulous and stunning! How do you get the spillers to grow that much. I live in Canada, the warm weather lasts roughly from June to Aug and I have never been able to get my potato vines or creeping jenny to do so well….”never” meaning in the last 3 years since I decided to try gardening LOL. Should I start with a lot? I use potting mix

    • hi deb, i have been to towns on the canadian border and they had amazing container gardens! i would start with bigger plants from nursery, and water regularly with liquid fertilizer! =)

  4. Beautiful container combinations.
    I am interested in mediterranean plant combinations similar to the one with rosemary and lobellia. Maybe, Salvia officinalis with Helichrysum petiolare or Pelargonium graveolens with Thymus vulgaris.

  5. أعمال رائعة ونتمنى أن تكون هناك طريقة شرح مبسطة حتي يستفيد الجميع. مع خالص إعجابي

  6. Thank you for sharing these lovely container ideas. Thay are both beautiful and inspirational. Some of my most beautiful creations are things that are left over, and put in unusual or extra containers. I do have to say, that since my discovery of “potato vines” I put them everywhere, and find they just make a window box or container. When I pull them out in the fall, I have potatos on them. Does anyone else ?? Are they edible?? Thanks again!!

      • Yes you can eat sweet potato vine. They are very nutritious and rich in vitamin B. Boil them in hot water, drain and dress with sesame oil, balsamic vinegar and roasted sesame. Enjoy.

  7. I love these colorful floral arrangements plus the recipes for creating them! I’m going to take the info along to several nurseries to fulfill the beautiful arrangements you have posted! Thank you soooooo much!

  8. Happy New Year Ananda.
    OMG! LOVE. LOVE, LOVE these containers.
    I can’t decide which one to start with. But love the mix of herbs and flowers. I’ve not tried this before. Will plant some now.
    Thank you for this treat. xx

    • Thanks for all the wonderful suggestions! i just bought 2 beautiful glazed containers and my question is: Should I keep the plants in their original containers from the nursery or transplant them directly in the glazed containers? Thanks!

      • hi Dolly! if you plan to move the pots around often, i would keep them in plastic containers then place inside glazed pots due to weight. otherwise you can plant directly in glazed pots 🙂

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