Container gardens are a fantastic way to bring a splash of color and beauty to any space, whether you have a small balcony, a patio, or just a sunny windowsill. If you’re looking to brighten up your containers with gorgeous blooms, you’re in the right place.
Each of these fabulous flowers that thrive in pots and planters offer something special to your garden
1. Petunias (Petunia × atkinsiana)
Petunias feature a range of colors and long blooming periods. They come in a wide range of hues, including purple, pink, red, and white.
Petunias thrive in containers because they are low-maintenance and can handle varying light conditions, from full sun to partial shade. Their trailing varieties are perfect for creating a cascading effect, adding a lush, full appearance to pots and hanging baskets.
2. Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)
Nasturtiums are not only beautiful but also versatile in container gardens. Their bright, bold flowers and unique, rounded leaves make them visually striking.
They are particularly suited for containers due to their compact growth habit and ability to grow well in poorer soil conditions. Nasturtiums are also edible, with both the flowers and leaves having a peppery taste, making them a great addition to salads and garnishes.
3. Geranium (Pelargonium × hortorum)
Geraniums have a sturdy nature and prolific blooming. They offer a wide range of colors and patterns, from vibrant reds to soft pastels.
Their robust foliage and flowers make them an excellent choice for adding long-lasting color to containers. Geraniums are also relatively drought-tolerant, making them low-maintenance and well-suited for various light conditions, though they prefer full sun.
4. Million Bells (Calibrachoa spp.)
Million Bells sprout small, petunia-like flowers that cover the plant profusely. They are known for their ability to produce abundant blooms in a variety of colors, including pink, purple, and yellow.
These flowers have a trailing habit, making them perfect for hanging baskets or cascading over container edges. They thrive in full sun and require regular watering to keep their blooms vibrant.
5. Zinnia (Zinnia elegans)
Zinnias blossoms bright, cheerful flowers. They come in a wide range of colors and sizes, providing a burst of color throughout the growing season.
They are particularly suited for containers as they are compact and require minimal maintenance. They prefer full sun and well-draining soil, making them a resilient choice for container gardening.
6. Lobelia (Lobelia erinus)
Lobelias emerges with blue, purple, or white flowers. They are well-suited for creating a lush, cascading effect in hanging baskets and containers.
These flowers perform well in cooler weather and partial shade, making them ideal for adding color to containers in less sunny spots. Their compact size and continuous blooming make them a favorite for container arrangements.
7. Begonia (Begonia spp.)
Begonias offer attractive foliage and continuous blooms. They come in a range of colors, from vivid reds to soft pinks and whites.
They thrive in containers because they are compact and have a mounding or trailing habit, making them ideal for both pots and hanging baskets. They prefer partial shade, which makes them perfect for bright but less sunny locations, and their low-maintenance nature makes them a popular choice.
8. Marigold (Tagetes erecta)
Marigolds produce vibrant, cheerful blooms in shades of orange, yellow, and red. They are hardy, easy to grow, and can handle full sun, which makes them perfect for bright, sunny spots.
These plants are also known for their ability to deter pests, adding an extra benefit to your container garden. Their compact size and bushy growth habit ensure they don’t overwhelm smaller containers.
9. Nemesia (Nemesia strumosa)
Nemesia grows charming, fragrant flowers that come in a variety of colors, including pink, purple, and yellow. It has a compact, bushy growth habit that works well in pots and containers.
Nemesia thrives in cooler weather and prefers partial shade to full sun, making it versatile for different light conditions. Its ability to provide a burst of color and pleasant fragrance makes it a lovely addition to any container arrangement.
10. Fuchsia (Fuchsia × hybrida)
Fuchsias have a cascading growth habit and striking, pendulous flowers that come in shades of pink, purple, and red. They are perfect for hanging baskets or tall pots where their trailing nature can be showcased.
They thrive in partial shade and need regular watering to maintain their lush appearance. Their unique flowers and graceful growth make them a standout choice for adding elegance to container gardens.
11. Dianthus (Dianthus chinensis)
Dianthus, also known as “pinks,” presents a compact size and profuse flowering. They produce small, colorful blooms in shades of pink, red, white, and purple.
These flowers are hardy plants that can handle full sun to partial shade, making them versatile for various container placements. Their attractive flowers and pleasant fragrance add charm to any container garden, and their low-maintenance nature makes them a favorite among gardeners.
12. Angelonia (Angelonia angustifolia)
Known as summer snapdragon, Angelonia includes upright, bushy growth and long-lasting blooms. The flowers, which come in pink, purple, and white, have a snapdragon-like look.
This plant loves full sun and is pretty drought-tolerant once it’s settled in, so it’s a hardy option for containers. Plus, it keeps producing lots of flowers all season long, adding a burst of color and texture to your garden.
13. Impatiens (Impatiens walleriana)
Impatiens grow in shady spots where other plants might struggle. They burst into a vivid display of colors like red, pink, white, and purple.
Their neat, mounding growth makes them ideal for pots and hanging baskets. Plus, they’re low-maintenance and keep blooming all season long, adding a splash of brightness to those dimmer areas.
14. Pentas (Pentas lanceolata)
Pentas is also called the Egyptian star cluster. They make great garden plants with bright, star-shaped flowers in red, pink, lavender, white, and purple.
They’re compact, so they fit well in pots and containers without growing too big. They’re also easy to care for, needing well-drained soil, regular watering, and occasional feeding with balanced fertilizer.
15. Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima)
Sweet Alyssum displays fragrant, tiny flowers that come in shades of white, pink, and purple. It’s perfect for adding a soft, cascading effect to containers and hanging baskets.
It performs well in full sun to partial shade and is known for its ability to attract beneficial insects, like bees and butterflies. Its low-growing, dense habit makes it an excellent choice for filling in spaces in containers and adding a pleasant fragrance.
16. Osteospermum (Osteospermum ecklonis)
Osteospermum features daisy-like flowers come in lively colors like purple, white, and yellow, and it has a neat, bushy growth that fits perfectly in pots.
It loves full sun and is drought-tolerant once it’s settled in, making it a tough little plant for containers. With its bright blooms and sturdy nature, it’s a great way to add long-lasting color to your garden.
17. Pansy (Viola × wittrockiana)
Pansies are well-suited for cool weather, making them perfect for early spring and fall planting. They have a compact, upright growth habit that works well in containers and pots.
They thrive in full sun to partial shade and are known for their ability to add vibrant color and delicate beauty to any container garden. Their resilience to cooler temperatures extends the flowering season, adding lasting appeal to your containers.
18. Salvia (Salvia splendens)
Salvia showcases vibrant, spiky blooms that come in shades of red, blue, purple, and pink. This flower is known for its long-lasting color and heat tolerance, making it ideal for sunny spots.
Salvia’s upright growth habit and sturdy stems work well in pots and containers, adding a bold vertical element to your garden. It attracts pollinators like bees and hummingbirds, enhancing the overall appeal of your container arrangement.
19. Bacopa (Sutera cordata)
Bacopa has a trailing growth habit and profusion of small, delicate flowers that come in white, blue, pink, and purple. It is ideal for hanging baskets or pots where its cascading nature can be showcased.
It thrives in full sun to partial shade and prefers consistent moisture, making it a low-maintenance choice for adding a soft, flowing effect to containers. Its ability to flower continuously throughout the growing season adds ongoing beauty to your garden.
20. Torenia (Torenia fournieri)
Torenia includes compact, bushy growth and lovely trumpet-shaped flowers in purple, pink, blue, and white.
Also called Wishbone flower, it does well in partial shade, so it’s great for spots that aren’t fully sunny. Its trailing varieties are ideal for pots and hanging baskets, creating a cascading effect. Plus, it thrives in cooler conditions and is easy to care for, making it a versatile choice for containers.
21. Verbena (Verbena × hybrida)
Verbena spreads out and has clusters of colorful, small flowers in red, pink, purple, white, and blue. It blooms continuously throughout the season, adding lots of color and texture.
It loves full sun and is drought-tolerant once it’s settled in, so it’s great for sunny spots in containers. Its low-maintenance nature and bright blooms make it a popular choice for pots and hanging baskets.
22. Scaevola (Scaevola aemula)
Scaevola, or Fairy Fan Flower, exhibits fan-shaped blooms that come in shades of blue, purple, pink, and white. It has a spreading, trailing growth habit that makes it perfect for hanging baskets and cascading over container edges.
Scaevola thrives in full sun and is heat-tolerant, making it suitable for bright, sunny spots. Its continuous blooming and resilience to harsh conditions make it an excellent choice for adding color and texture to your container garden.
Choosing the right flowers for your container garden can transform any space into a vibrant and inviting area. With these flowers, you can enjoy a variety of colors, shapes, and scents all season long.
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Nancy has been a plant person from an early age. That interest blossomed into a bachelor’s in biology from Elmira College and a master’s degree in horticulture and communications from the University of Kentucky. Nancy worked in plant taxonomy at the University of Florida and the L. H. Bailey Hortorium at Cornell University, and wrote and edited gardening books at Rodale Press in Emmaus, PA. Her interests are plant identification, gardening, hiking, and reading.