16 Creative Container Designs

Try these great ideas for plant combinations that play well together in containers.

By: Felicia Feaster

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Photo By: Chris & Cami Photography LLC

Photo By: Image courtesy of PanAmerican Seed

Photo By: Image courtesy of PanAmerican

Photo By: Image courtesy of PanAmerican Seed

Photo By: Image courtesy of Darwin Perennials

Photo By: Image courtesy of PanAmerican Seed

Pot Up Colorful Plant Combinations for Your Outdoor Spaces

The days of planting just one kind of flower per container are over. Well, not really. But colorful combinations are trending now, and nurseries, retailers and backyard gardeners are coming up with fun, new ideas for flowers in pots.

These terracotta pots filled with purple and lavender blooms are tucked away in niches in a garden wall. The vines, purple pansies and violet-blue scaveolas are great choices because they all have the same basic needs for full sun, well-drained soil and regular water.

If you're not sure how to use colors in your flower pot designs, look at a color wheel to learn about complementary and contrasting colors, or snap pictures of the potted flower ideas you see around you. These spring, summer and fall container garden recipes will also inspire you.

Also See: How to Plant a Beautiful, Thriving Container Garden

From: Carolina Landscape

Gold Rush!

Rudbeckia 'Gold Rush' sprouting high out of this container is easy to grow and drought resistant. Coleus 'Honey Crisp' surrounds the bottom right and is perfect for large pots, Petunia 'Cha Ching Cherry' surrounds the bottom left side and thrives in full sun and the Alternanthera 'Red Threads', which blooms off and on all year, is located above the petunias.

Passion for Purple

This container combines Helichrysum 'Silver Mist', Angelonia 'Serenita Raspberry' and Angelonia 'Serenita Purple'. Helichrysum 'Silver Mist' is a full mounded and spreading plant. Angelonia 'Serenita Raspberry' and 'Serenita Purple' are perfect for landscapes, gardens and mixed containers, and perform well under a wide range of conditions.

Sunny Blooms

A combination of zinnia 'Zahara Coral Rose', zinnia 'Zahara Yellow' and zinnia 'Zahara Sunburst' surround Juncus Blue Arrows in this container. Juncus 'Blue Arrows' is well-suited to annual bedding and mixed containers. Zinnia 'Zahara Coral Rose', zinnia 'Zahara Yellow' and zinnia 'Zahara Sunburst' are excellent in heat and droughts.

Vanilla Valhalla

Carex 'Phoenix Green' adds a touch of green to this container and has great heat tolerance. The African marigold 'Vanilla' has an odorless bloom and is located on the far right of the container and the petunia 'Easy Wave Berry Velour' is located on the left and is a fast-growing flower.

On Fire Flowers

Celosia 'First Flame Red' emerges out of this container and is great in warm conditions. Easy to grow euphorbia 'Glitz' commands prime real estate in the middle of this artful arrangement. The petunia 'Easy Wave Berry Velour', front and center, is easy to grow and blooms in every season.

Let the Sunshine In

Calibrachoa 'Minifamous Compact Deep Yellow' is great for containers. Lantana 'Lucky Sunrise Roses' on the right, is a heat-loving plant. Salvia 'Mystic Spires Blue' is great for late spring and summer and the canna 'Cannova Bronze Scarlet' begins blooming in midsummer and continues until frost.

Heuchera Mix

A mix of 'Carnival' heucheras make for a colorful container perfect for a shady spot.

In the Pink

Coleus 'Indian Summer' is on the left side of this container and requires low maintenance in the garden. Gaura 'Belleza Pink' projects from this lovely container and has the added benefit of attracting butterflies. Alternanthera 'Red Threads' are the middle child in this container plan, and bloom all year. Coleus 'Redhead' can be seen up in front and loves the sun. Petunia 'Sun Spun Yellow' is located at the bottom left and are great for hanging pots and gardens.

A Profusion of Blooms

This container features a combination of dianthus 'Dash White', nemesia 'Deep Pink' and snapdragon 'Solstice'. Dianthus 'Dash White' is located in the back and has a great fragrant smell. Nemesia 'Deep Pink' blooms in the front of the container and comes in a variety of colors. Snapdragon 'Solstice', on the left, performs best in cool weather.

Happiness in a Pot

Dianthus 'Dash Magician' grows in the far right of this container filled with arresting purple hues. Nemesia 'Poetry Blues' in the middle is perfect for cool weather and Osteospermum 'Akila White' in the front is known for its great garden performance.

Summer Solstice

Osteospermum 'Akila Purple' found in the front of the container, is drought resistant. The Osteopermum 'Akila Lavender Shades' on the right are great for mass plantings and are set off nicely by snapdragon 'Solstice Red'.

Ruby Red

Gaura 'Belleza Light Pink' shown in the front of this container scheme, is tolerant of heat, the 'Belleza Compact White' is an excellent branching flower with short flower stems and digitalis 'Foxlight Ruby Glow' holds its own in a container of bold colors.

Back in Black

Euphorbia 'Glitz' is perfect for mixed containers and the 'Purple Baron' ornamental millet—shown in the back—plays well with the petunia 'Sophistica Blackberry' whose colors change throughout the season.

Elegant Simplicity

This begonia 'Gryphon' is a hardy container plant and the hibiscus 'Mahogany Splendor' can be grown directly in water as a pond plant. And spilanthes 'Peek-A-Boo' would make an eye-catching plant in any container or garden.

Bright Eyes

Angelonia 'Serenita Lavender Pink' shown is the far back of this container is deer and rabbit resistant. Helichrysum 'Silver Mist' is a great accent plant for containers and petunia 'Sophistica Lime Bicolor' pictured in the front is known for its unique color patterns.

Wild Thing

Lobelia 'Starship Scarlet' is featured in the back of this container and has the added benefit of attracting hummingbirds. Coreopsis 'Sunfire', at the front of the container, is a hot summer survivor and the Lavender 'Ellagance Purple' in the center also attracts bees and butterflies.

16 Creative Container Designs

Related To:

Shop This Look

Pot Up Colorful Plant Combinations for Your Outdoor Spaces

Gold Rush!

Passion for Purple

Sunny Blooms

Vanilla Valhalla

On Fire Flowers

Let the Sunshine In

Heuchera Mix

In the Pink

A Profusion of Blooms

Happiness in a Pot

Summer Solstice

Ruby Red

Back in Black

Elegant Simplicity

Bright Eyes

Wild Thing

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