These happy plants are a staple for front porch planters. With fertilizer and deadheading (pinching off spent blooms), they will flower from spring through summer. Even though they prefer full sun, in extreme heat they do like some afternoon shade.
When grouped with other pots, this tropical blooming creates a dramatic focal point, particularly if you have one with a braided trunk. As long as you keep it out of the cold, it lives a long time too. "Over the winter, I keep mine indoors," adds Melissa Lallo Johnson.
This tropical plant's heart-shaped leaves will be the main attraction in a pot. In a shaded position, pair it with impatiens; nevertheless, keep caladium away from pets, especially those who enjoy chewing on plants. Insoluble calcium oxalates found in caladiums are poisonous if ingested.
Johnson claims, "This classic will never grow old." "I use these sometimes as the fill and the spill."
Trailing sweet potato vines can bring a welcome color contrast to your container with their foliage, which varies from brilliant lime green to dark purple depending on the cultivar. Johnson calls it "one of my favorite spillers." "Big effect, big color, and big leaves.
Basil will help deter mosquitoes and provide fresh leaves for your culinary experiments whenever you grow it in your container garden. Johnson lets her basil plants flower while using them as filler plants in her planters.
Johnson, who grows 23 varieties of irises on her farm, affirms that you can grow irises in pots. "My favorite thing about irises is that, once their spectacular display is over, their gorgeous bluish-green leaves.