With another gardening season just around the corner, container gardens are probably already on your mind! Half the fun is trying out new plant combinations or swapping in something fresh each season. The other half? Checking out the creative ideas other gardeners have come up with —because a little inspiration can spark some big ideas of your own.

Thanks to everyone who submitted an entry in the 2026 Container Challenge, and congratulations to our winners! With so many fantastic designs, we wanted to shine a spotlight on a handful of honorable mentions that stood out as well. Browse these top entries, and you’re sure to find one (or several!) that will inspire new plants, colors, or design ideas for your containers this year.

Read More: Get Inspired by Our 2026 Container Challenge Winners!

2026 Container Challenge Honorable Mentions

Wonderful Windowbox

Michelle & Paul Frati, NY | @pardonandmirth

After moving to a new home, Michelle and Paul were looking for a way to stretch their limited garden budget. So they shopped sales and looked for perennials and shrubs in smaller nursery pots that could do double duty. First they created a cool-color combo to fill their self-watering windowbox. Then when the growing season was over, the hydrangeas, astilbe and coral bells went in the ground to help fill the borders of their new garden. The Endless Summer hydrangeas bloomed off and on from planting until frost, and the long-lasting astilbe flowers created an interesting accent even after they faded.

The house faces north, so the windowbox gets a few hours of morning sun and they only need to fill the reservoir about every two weeks, even during the heat of summer. Because it’s made of resin, the Fratis leave the planter in place in their zone 5 region with no worries.

Key container plants

A) AstilbeAstilbe ‘Happy Spirit’
B) Coral bellsHeuchera ‘Wildberry’
C) Bigleaf hydrangeaHydrangea macrophylla Endless Summer^®
D) Creeping JennyLysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’
E) LobeliaLobelia erinus
Windowbox is 11 in. deep x 11 in. wide x 60 in. long

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Part-Shade Patio Container Solution

Camille McElroy, TN | @catmintcoop

Looking for just the right container plants for a part-shade patio in zone 8, Camille created this great-looking group. While there are a few annuals in it, her design makes good use of the foliage color and texture that shrubs and perennials, such as coral bells, lamb’s ear and paperbush, provide. The stairstep containers are made of cast concrete and stay outdoors all year. The shrubs and perennials also stay in the pots year-round and often last for several years. Once they start looking tired, they’re moved out to the garden.

Even though the containers are large, Camille doesn’t use fillers, such as rock, Styrofoam^™ or cans, in the bottom to reduce the amount of potting mix needed. This technique has blocked the drainage hole in the past, causing rot or even cracked pots over winter. Instead, she fills them about a third full of bark mulch, then tops it off with potting mix. This works especially well for shrubs or perennials, but if all the plants going in the pot are shallow-rooted annuals, she can add a bit more mulch.

Key container plants

A) AbeliaAbelia x grandiflora ‘Kaleidoscope’
B) Foam flowerTiarella ‘Sugar and Spice’
C) Creeping JennyLysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’
D) Coral bellsHeuchera ‘Palace Purple’
E) Coral bellsHeuchera ‘Plum Pudding’
F) PaperbushEdgeworthia chrysantha
G) Coral bellsHeuchera ‘Fire Alarm’
H) Lamb’s earStachys byzantina
I) Foxtail fernAsparagus densiflorus ‘Meyersii’
J) DichondraDichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls’
K) BacopaChaenostoma cordatum ‘Snowflake’

Large container is 38 in. tall x 30 in. wide
Medium container is 21 in. tall x 20 in. wide
Small container is 20 in. tall x 18 in. wide

Classic Curb Appeal

Marie Herbert, MI

Coleus and impatiens are some of Marie’s favorite plants, so it was natural for her to fill these concrete urns with them, creating a colorful greeting for visitors at her north-facing front door last year.

This combination didn’t need a lot of care, but Marie kept an eye on the Kong coleus because, true to its name, it can get pretty big — up to 20 inches tall. If any stems grew out of proportion with the planting, she cut them back along with any flowers that formed. If dichondra sends out a stray stem, it’s easy to snip it off to maintain the neat and tidy look essential for eye-catching curb appeal.

Key container plants

A) ColeusColeus scutellarioides Kong^® Rose
B) New Guinea impatiensImpatiens hawkeri Painted Paradise Orange
C) DichondraDichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls’
Container is 40 in. tall x 23 in. wide

Enter Garden Gate’s 2027 Reader Container Challenge!

Submit photos of your best container gardens, and we’ll choose our favorites to feature in a future issue of Garden Gate Magazine. The containers can be any size, season or style! See full entry rules here.

Pretty in Pink

Heather Markway, MO | @lifegardenstyle

This corner only gets an hour or two of sunlight each day, making it a challenge to grow plants there. So Heather nestled this lovely urn filled with colorful shade annuals into the corner where her sunporch meets the house.

The iron-framed urn needed a coir liner to hold in the potting mix, but its unusual shape made it necessary for Heather to get creative. She used an ordinary hanging basket liner at the base of the urn, then cut a sheet of coir to cover the “walls” of the urn.

With a tall caladium as the thriller, begonias and sedge as the filler and dichondra as the spiller, this classic container formula couldn’t be prettier or easier to care for. Besides watering, all Heather had to do to keep it tidy was occasionally tug off a spent begonia bloom or trim a stray dichondra stem. If the begonia gets too tall and competes too much with the caladium, just cut it back by a third. New compact growth will take off in a few weeks.

Key container plants

A) CaladiumCaladium bicolor ‘Bottle Rocket’
B) BegoniaBegonia Dragon Wing^® Pink
C) SedgeCarex oshimensis ‘Everillo’
D) BrowalliaBrowallia Endless^™ Illumination
E) DichondraDichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls’
Container is 30 in. tall x 16 in. wide

Bold & Beautiful Planter

Summer Bryan, GA| @petals_of_summer

With a west-facing front porch in Georgia where temperatures easily reach 100 degrees F and higher, Summer needed a group of plants that could take the tough growing conditions. This collection of heat lovers fit the bill. She placed the tall papyrus toward the back of the pot, where it supplies plenty of elegant drama. Then she added a bright red geranium and begonias, orange coleus and chartreuse creeping Jenny for eye-catching color. It’s perfect for drawing visitors over to sit on the porch. The blue glazed container cools the hot colors down a bit and coordinates with the dark siding.

Summer keeps plants happy through the heat with drip irrigation held in place with landscape pins. She makes sure to position the emitters so they’re watering at soil level instead of splashing the leaves, in order to avoid fungal disease in her densely planted pots.

Key container plants

A) PapyrusCyperus papyrus King Tut^®
B) BegoniaBegonia Dragon Wing^® Red
C) Mealycup sageSalvia farinacea
D) VerbenaVerbena hybrid
E) BacopaChaenostoma cordatum
F) Creeping JennyLysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’
G) GeraniumPelargonium hybrid
H) ColeusColeus scutellarioides ‘Alabama Sunset’
I) EvolvulusEvolvulus hybrid
Container is 30 in. tall x 24 in. wide

See Previous Year’s Container Challenge Winners:
2026 Winners
2025 Winners
2024 Winners
2023 Winners

Pollinator Paradise

Sue Cashman, WI | @sue.cashman.167

This big resin container is packed with colorful flowers and was one of Sue’s favorites last year—and the neighborhood hummingbirds liked it too! It sits in a hot, dry spot in full sun, which is just what lantanas love, but marguerite daisies can struggle there. Fortunately, Golden Butterfly is more heat tolerant than older varieties so made it through Sue’s Wisconsin summer just fine. Deadheading its yellow blooms isn’t essential, but she snipped out fading ones to keep it looking tip-top.

Sue liked this design so much that she packed the canna bulbs away last fall to overwinter so she can bring them out in spring and grow this combo again.

Key container plants

A) CannaCanna x generalis Cannova^® Red Golden Flame
B) Marguerite daisyArgyranthemum Golden Butterfly^®
C) LantanaLantana Luscious^® Citrus Blend^™
D) LantanaLantana Bandana^® Black Cherry
Container is 22 in. tall x 16 in. wide

Prizes for 2026’s Container Challenge Honorable Mentions

This year’s Garden Gate Container Challenge Honorable mentions received a $50 gift card from Garden Crossings and a one-year subscription or extension to Garden Gate magazine.

Spring is here, and garden centers will soon be bursting with colorful flowers and foliage perfect for container planting. Whether you’re sprucing up a patio, deck or border, the possibilities are endless — and sometimes overwhelming. Take inspiration from fellow gardeners to help you kick-start a design or get out of the same old routine.

Our readers have shared their most exciting creations, offering some stunning designs and unique plant pairings you can use to transform your outdoor spaces. In addition, you’ll find helpful growing tips and plant lists along with each design. Thanks to everyone who entered our 2026 Container Challenge, and congratulations to all the winners! Ready to dig in? Let these ideas guide your container planting plans this year.

Read More: See the 2026 Container Challenge Honorable Mentions

Enter Garden Gate’s 2027 Container Challenge!

Submit photos of your best container gardens, and we’ll choose our favorites to feature in a future issue of Garden Gate magazine. The containers can be any size, season or style! See full entry rules and submit your photos here.

Elegant Entry Container

Deborah Trickett, MA | @thecapturedgarden

With a focus on foliage, these traditional-looking urns provide a beautiful low-care greeting that lasts for months near this shady entry. Deborah wanted containers that were simple but made a dramatic impact, even from a distance. Stately snake plant is a great choice for grabbing attention, and she likes the way the purple foliage of the inch plant plays off the yellow siding. Both plants are easy to overwinter indoors. Deborah bought an inch plant in a hanging basket and split it to plant in both urns, and the divisions quickly took off.

Key container plants

A) Snake plantSansevieria trifasciata ‘Ghost’
B) New Guinea impatiensImpatiens hawkeri Sonic^® Light Lavender
C) Inch plantTradescantia zebrina
D) Fanflower Scaevola aemula Whirlwind^® White
Urns are 24 in. tall x 18 in. wide

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Colorful Shade Container

Kelly Stankelis, CT

Keeping this corner on Kelly’s shady deck colorful was easy last summer with a square blue ceramic container that perfectly fit the space. It was filled with cheery yellow Rieger begonias along with a supporting cast of chartreuse creeping Jenny and cool-colored wishbone flower, and topped off with a canopy of upright papyrus.

Kelly didn’t even have to deadhead these plants to keep the container looking great. Rieger begonias are a cross between tuberous and wax begonias, with flowers that can last for months in a cool spot out of the hot afternoon sun. And the wishbone flower is self-cleaning. All she needed to do to get a great performance was give this grouping a thorough watering two to three times a week.

Key container plants

A) PapyrusCyperus papyrus King Tut^®
B) Rieger begoniaBegonia Amstel Blitz
C) Wishbone flowerTorenia hybrid
D) Creeping JennyLysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’
Container is 18 in. square

Fabulous Foliage-Focused Container

Lynnie Goss, OH

Lynnie loves creating containers with lots of color and texture, and last year’s planter was especially colorful. It sat next to her driveway under the kitchen window, where leaves stretched to frame her view.

This spot gets morning sun and shade for the rest of the day, so the caladium and fern leaves stay colorful without getting burned. The remaining container companions will grow just fine in full sun. Lynnie’s maintenance schedule was light. She fertilized a couple of times during the growing season, snipped off coleus blooms as they formed and removed fading caladium leaves.

Key container plants

A) ColeusColeus ‘Wasabi’
B) CaladiumCaladium ‘Burning Heart’
C) Australian sword fernNephrolepis obliterata ‘Kimberly Queen’
D) Purple heartTradescantia pallida ‘Purpurea’
E) English ivyHedera helix ‘Golden Curl’
F) Sweet potato vineIpomoea Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Mahogany^™
Planter is 10 in. deep x 12 in. wide x 45 in. long

2026 Container Challenge Winning Prize Package

This year’s Garden Gate Container Challenge top winners each received the following prizes:

• A custom-engraved 30-inch ColorMark Rain Wand From Dramm
• $150 gift cards from Garden Crossings
• A set of three Woodland Tools
• A one-year subscription or extension to Garden Gate magazine

Don’t get stuck with the same old container combinations year after year. If you’re on the hunt for some fresh ideas and inspiration, look no further! You’ll find a unique collection of reader-designed containers in this article. It’s a showcase of our readers’ creativity and flair. One of them may be just what you need to jump-start your own container creations. Thanks to everyone who entered our 2025 Container Challenge, and congratulations to the three grand prize and six honorable mention winners! 

Enter your designs in the 2026 Garden Gate Container Challenge

Send us photos of your best container gardens and we’ll choose our favorites to feature in an issue of Garden Gate Magazine in 2026. The containers can be any size, season or style! See full entry rules here.

2025 Garden Gate Container Challenge Prizes

This year’s Garden Gate Container Challenge top winners each received the following prizes:

• A box of colorful Wave petunias
• A 30-inch ColorMark Rain Wand from Dramm custom engraved for Garden Gate’s Container Challenge Winners
• A one-year subscription or extension to Garden Gate magazine

All of our Honorable Mention winners will receive a one-year subscription or an extension to Garden Gate magazine.

Best Sun Container | Deronis Cooper, IL

Follow Deronis on Instagram: @Grandmas_Gardener

This winning container sits at the northwest corner of Deronis Cooper’s yard every year, providing an explosion of color for the commuters that drive by daily. People often slow down, wave and have even stopped to ask questions or take a selfie with his exuberant container. See more of his creations by following on Instagram.

These sun-loving plants grow in a 59-gallon wine barrel filled with potting mix that gets topped off annually. There’s no moving this 115-pound behemoth, so it’s been sitting in the same spot (and weathering harsh Chicago-area winters) for eight years.

Deronis waters daily to keep the grouping looking good, but on the hottest days he might be out there two or three times to keep plants from wilting. The barrel has great drainage, so he’s not worried about overwatering. The plants thrive here, with the tallest elephant ear reaching 13 feet! Just before the first predicted frost, Deronis puts out an all-call to friends and family to come and take what they want. He doesn’t overwinter anything but starts fresh with new plants and a new look each spring.

Container plan and plant list

A) Elephant earAlocasia ‘Portora’
B) Red-leaf hibiscusHibiscus acetosella ‘Mahogany Splendor’
C) Red Abyssinian bananaEnsete ventricosum
D) PapyrusCyperus papyrus King Tut^®
E) ColeusColeus scutellarioides Electric Lime
F) Castor beanRicinus communis
G) Napier grassPennisetum Vertigo ^®
H) ColeusColeus scutellarioides Henna
I) ColeusColeus scutellarioides Torchlight^®
J) Sweet potato vineIpomoea batatas Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Lime^™
K) Sweet potato vineIpomoea batatas Sweet Caroline Bewitched After Midnight^™
L) PetuniaPetunia Wave^® Purple
Wine barrel is 35 in. tall x 23 in. wide

Best Shade Container | Seth Kilgore, MA

When Seth Kilgore and Susan Dilbert moved into their new home they wanted to add a container along the steps to the back patio to prevent a tumble off the side. So Seth went dumpster diving for lumber scraps to build a 5-foot-long planter box for both sides of the steps. He was even able to find shake shingle siding to match the house! He drilled around 40 ¼-inch holes on either side and down the center of the bottom of the box for drainage and lined it with landscape fabric. It’s hooked up to a drip irrigation system to make watering easy.

Seth and Susan’s pink and chartreuse design includes two coleus varieties, a bicolor caladium and pink impatiens, which are all easy to care for: just pinch the coleus back if they get too tall so they stay in proportion with the rest of the planting.

Container plant list

A) CaladiumCaladium hybrid
B) ColeusColeus scutellarioides
C) New Guinea impatiensImpatiens hawkerii
Container is 22 in. tall x 24 in. wide x 60 in. long

Best Porch Container | Nicole Miksa, CT

This handsome container fits the space in front of Nicole’s tall porch perfectly and is tall enough to balance out the height of the towering umbrella plant. In addition, the light color makes a high-contrast backdrop for the draping sweet potato vine and creeping Jenny. With morning sun and afternoon shade there’s plenty of light to encourage flowering, but it isn’t harsh enough to scorch the foliage.

Nicole finds that watering every other day and fertilizing every two weeks for a month or two helps the plants get established. After that, she only waters when the potting mix is dry and cuts back feeding to once a month.

Key container plants

A) Umbrella plantCyperus alternifolius
B) ColeusColeus scutellarioides Pat Martin
C) BegoniaBegonia hybrid
D) Sweet potato vineIpomoea batatas
E) Sweet alyssumLobularia maritima
F) Creeping JennyLysimachia nummularia
Container is 27 in. tall x 19 in. wide

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2025 Garden Gate Container Challenge Honorable Mentions

Fantastic foliage container for shade | Verna Zimmerman, NY

Keep shady patios colorful with this foliage-focused container design that’s also easy to care for: Just water and feed occasionally. Verna saves as many plants as she can over winter. When frost is predicted, she cuts the elephant ear foliage back and stores the bulb in a cardboard box in the basement. She also takes cuttings from the coleus, roots them in water and later plants them in potting mix. The rex begonia is easy to slip into a nursery pot to grow indoors. Once spring arrives, they can all go back in the container, ready for another growing season.

Container plant list

A) Elephant earColocasia hybrid
B) ColeusColeus scutellarioides
C) Rex begoniaBegonia rex-cultorum 'Fireworks’
D) SedumSedum mexicanum Lemon Coral^®)
Container is 20 in. tall x 19 in. wide

Eye-catching & easy-care container with red flowers | Gloria Johnson and volunteers, IA

This vibrant container sits in the Shakespeare Garden at Ellis Park in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. After it was devastated by a flood in 2008, the Friends of Shakespeare Garden (friendsofshakespearegarden.org) revitalized the area. Now a dedicated group of community volunteers, led by Gloria, keeps the borders and containers in tip-top shape. After struggling with daily watering during a period of drought, the group invested in this commercial self-watering planter, and it saved them a lot of work.

Eye-catching red blooms attract visitors’ attention and invite them to take a seat on a nearby bench to enjoy the river view. An obelisk adds height and a place for the bright mandevilla to climb. Gloria and her volunteers add slow-release fertilizer at planting time and pluck off any spent blooms as needed.

Container plant list

A) MandevillaMandevilla Sun Parasol ^®Giant Red Emperor
B) BegoniaBegonia benariensis Surefire^® Red
C) VincaCatharanthus hybrid
D) Livingstone daisyDorotheanthus bellidiformis Mezoo^™ Trailing Red
Container is 28 in. tall x 34 in. wide

Tropical container | Laura Wood, WI

Pulling into the driveway is a lot more fun when you have a container like this one filling the awkward narrow spot next to the garage door. The reflected heat from the concrete and brick in this south-facing spot is no problem for these tough beauties.

At planting time, Laura adds compost to the potting mix and strings fishing line to the outdoor light above to give the mandevilla something to climb. Later, she deadheads the canna to keep it tidy. At the end of the season, Laura overwinters the mandevilla in a sunny window indoors and stores the canna rhizomes for the next year.

Container plant list

A) MandevillaMandevilla hybrid
B) CannaCanna x generalis ‘Yellow King Humbert’
C) ColeusColeus scutellarioides Premium Sun Crimson Gold
D) Angel’s trumpetDatura spp.
E) LantanaLantana hybrid
F) Variegated wintercreeperEuonymus fortunei ‘Emerald ‘n’ Gold’
Container is 23 in. tall x 16 in. wide

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Exciting entry container | Kathy Roberts, IL

For a bold statement near the entry, try Kathy’s lush container topped with a vibrant red ti plant and a lush skirt of trailers. The plants have grown so vigorously that you can’t even see the brown resin container! It sits on an east-facing covered porch and its upright shape doesn’t get in the way of visitors.

At 3 to 5 feet tall, the ti plant makes a perfect thriller for containers, adding plenty of height and rich color. Its vaselike habit allows plenty of room for the impatiens, caladium, ivy and inch plant below to fill in. Kathy adds a slow-release fertilizer to the potting mix once in spring. There’s no need to deadhead the impatiens, but she does keep an eye out for any caladium flowers that form and pinches those off to keep the attention on the beautiful leaves.

Container plant list

A) Ti plantCordyline fruticosa ‘Red Sister’
B) CaladiumCaladium hybrid
C) New Guinea impatiensImpatiens hawkerii
D) Inch plantTradescantia zebrina
E) Algerian IvyHedera algeriensis ‘Gloire de Marengo’
Container is 24 in. tall x 20 in. wide

Warm welcoming container | JoAnn Jarmusz, NY

This simple but elegant planting gives visitors at JoAnn’s front door a colorful greeting. Burnt red to orange coleus foliage echoes the home’s brick color, while the bright blooms capture your attention and point the way to the entry. A liner inside the 14-inch rattan container offers extra support and keeps moist potting mix from causing this natural material to deteriorate.

The house faces northwest and receives dappled shade for most of the day, then full sun later in the afternoon. Because there isn’t a water source nearby, JoAnn keeps five water-filled milk jugs, one of which has water-soluble plant food mixed in, tucked close by. Her simple system makes it easy to grab a jug of water to give the containers a drink or a quick feed.

Container plant list

A) ColeusColeus scutellarioides
B) ImpatiensImpatiens hybrid
C) Tuberous begoniaBegonia hybrid
Container is 14 in. tall x 12 in. square

Bright & cheery basket planting | Melina Mantey, WA

Follow Melina on Instagram: @gardenwithmelinalynne

This hanging basket on a pedestal solves two problems at once in Melina’s sun-filled side yard. The planting provides bright color and interest for this part of the yard. And the pedestal covers the stump of an old plum tree that used to be a tripping hazard. Keeping a lined wire basket watered in full sun is always a challenge, but this one’s in range of the lawn sprinkler, and Melina supplements with hand watering. The only other maintenance needed is trimming off spent petunia and verbena blooms.

Container plant list

A) BidensBidens Campfire^™ Marshmallow^™
B) VerbenaVerbena Superbena^® Raspberry
C) PetuniaPetunia Saffron Finch^™
D) CalibrachoaCalibrachoa Double Smitten Pink^™
E) Creeping JennyLysimachia nummularia
F) English ivyHedera helix ‘White Wonder’
Basket is 16 in. in diameter

As you explore Bonnie Dumas' garden and patios in Kansas, you’ll find beautiful hanging baskets, windowboxes and upcycled containers that add color and texture throughout the summer. Take a look at a few of Bonnie’s planting recipes here. This constantly evolving tapestry of blooms and stunning containers bursts with rustic charm! If you’re inspired by her container ideas, don’t miss her dog-friendly garden design — see the feature garden here.

Splashy begonia container for part shade

Tropical plants can be used both indoors and out, depending on the season. Begonias and variegated nasturtiums are the main draw in this 5-foot-long container. Grow this combo in part shade.

Plant list

A) Variegated snake plantSansevieria trifasciata var. laurentii
B) NasturtiumTropaeolum majus ‘Alaska Mix’
C) Wing begoniaBegonia x hybrida ‘Canary Wing’
A) Wing begoniaBegonia Dragon Wing^® Red
Container shown is 5 ft. long, 9 in. wide and 10 in. tall

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Plant up perennial divisions in containers!

Have some perennial plants ready for division? Put them to work in containers. Bonnie pulled this fern from her garden, and she also uses coral bells and hostas, which thrive in shady containers. At the end of the season, replant them in the garden.

Plant list

A) Coral bellsHeuchera ‘Red Lightning’
B) Coral bellsHeuchera ‘Wildberry’
C) HostaHosta ‘Fire Island’
D) HakonechloaHakonechloa macra ‘All Gold’
Container shown is 14 in. tall and 18 in. wide

Repurpose a fountain base into a container garden

Bonnie upcycled the base of an old fountain as a container for the shady front garden bed. Different foliage textures and colors draw attention as people walk by. Plus, the clematis planted in the center adds a contrast to the retaining wall backdrop when in bloom.

Plant list

A) ColeusPlectranthus scutellarioides El Brighto
B) ColeusPlectranthus scutellarioides Lime Time
C) Wing begoniaBegonia Dragon Wing^® Pink
D) Purple heartTradescantia pallida ‘Purpurea’
E) MoneywortLysimachia congestiflora
Container shown is 4 ft. in diameter

Colorful coleus container garden for shade

The vibrant hues and contrasting foliage textures in this concrete container add depth and dimension to any sunny outdoor space. The golden tones of the coleus complement the rich purple foliage of purple heart, while the delicate wire vine softens the edges of this combo.

Container plant list

A) ColeusPlectranthus scutellarioides Golden Dreams^™
B) ColeusPlectranthus scutellarioides Stained Glassworks^® Velvet
C) Purple heartTradescantia pallida ‘Purpurea’
D) Creeping wire vineMuehlenbeckia complexa
Container shown is 12 in. tall and 14 in. wide

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Perched on a balcony or nestled in a cozy patio corner, container gardens transform outdoor living areas into lush getaways. Whether it’s a tropical-themed container with towering palms and vivid underplantings, a colorful mix of coleus and trailing fanflower, or the simplicity of a succulent display, these summer plantings are your ticket to months of vibrant blooms and foliage textures.

Add bold texture to your containers with coleus

This container combo is sure to draw attention. The large, cup-shaped leaves of the elephant ear tower above the rest of the plants and create a dramatic backdrop with their dark, coffee-colored foliage. Coleus leaves’ bright, intricate patterns in crimson, green and yellow hues complement the darker tones of the elephant ear. Cool blue blooms of ‘Whirlwind Blue’ fanflower form a delicate fringe around the pot.

Growing tips

• Plants grow best in full sun to part shade. In too much shade the coleus’ colorful foliage will start to fade.
• Keep the soil moist, especially during hot weather, but to avoid waterlogging, make sure you plant in potting mix and use a container with drainage holes.
• Snip the coleus stems when plants are 6 inches tall to encourage a bushier plant and prevent them from growing leggy by late summer.
• Coleus is typically grown for the foliage, so pinch off buds as they form.

Container plant list

A) Elephant earColocasia ‘Coffee Cups’
B) ColeusPlectranthus scutellarioides El Brighto
C) FanflowerScaevola Whirlwind^® Blue
Container shown is 18 inches in diameter

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Plant up a succulent container display

If you’re a busy gardener, succulents are a great low-maintenance and resilient option. Plus, they’re the perfect candidates for overwintering indoors as houseplants.

Kalanchoe’s large, light-green-and-pink tinted leaves and the blue chalk sticks’ striking blue-green foliage draw you in with their unique forms. The smaller, more compact plants’ varied leaf shapes and shades add depth to the arrangement. Stonecrop’s delicate foliage and light green tones brighten the arrangement and fill in the gaps, giving a lush, full appearance to the design.

Growing tips

• Grow these succulents in bright, indirect light to help them maintain their vibrant colors and prevent etiolation, or stretching due to insufficient light.
• Plants grow best in a well-drained soil mix specifically for cacti and succulents.
• Water sparingly, allowing the soil to dry out completely between waterings.
• Feed plants during their active growing season in spring and summer using a diluted, balanced fertilizer designed for succulents.
  

Container plant list

A) KalanchoeKalanchoe thyrsiflora
B) Blue chalksticksCurio repens
C) Jade plantCrassula ovata
D) GraptopetalumGraptopetalum paraguayense
E) EcheveriaEcheveria elegans
F) SedumSedum japonicum ‘Tokyo Sun’
G) Watch chainCrassula muscosa
H) StonecropPetrosedum rupestre
I) AeoniumAeonium lindleyi var. viscatum ‘Irish Bouquet’

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Bring tropical elegance to part shade

The varied textures and colors of this trio will make you feel like you’re in a tropical paradise. The Chinese fan palm’s broad leaves make a fantastic vertical accent. Hummingbirds are big fans of the red begonia flowers that appear from spring through fall. Trailing Swedish ivy softens the edges of the container and adds a layer of textural contrast and variegated foliage.

Growing tips

• Put this container in an area where it will receive full sun to part shade.
• Be careful not to overwater, as the palm and begonina can be prone to root rot.
• During the growing season, a balanced, slow-release fertilizer can help support the palm's lush foliage.
• Variegated Swedish ivy could use regular trimming to help maintain its shape and fullness.
  

Container plant list

A) Chinese fan palmLivistona chinensis
B) BegoniaBegonia Dragon Wing^® Red Variegated
C) Swedish ivyPlectranthus coleoides ‘Variegata’

Our readers’ best container garden ideas

Containers are a gardener’s best friend. They can bring a pop of color to the deck, add some foliage texture and height along a shady path or brighten the front entry. There are loads of possibilities! But all that potential can be a bit overwhelming sometimes. Whether you’re tired of the same old plant combinations or just not sure what to grow, these impressive reader-submitted containers will inspire you. Thanks to everyone who entered, and congratulations to the winners!

Enter your designs in the Garden Gate Container Challenge!

Send us photos of your best container gardens and we'll choose our favorites to include in a future issue of Garden Gate Magazine. The containers can be any size, season or style! See full entry rules here.

2024 Garden Gate Container Challenge Grand Prize Winner

Grand Prize Package

• $100 Monrovia gift card | Monrovia
  
• Woodland Tools planting and pruning set | Woodland Tools
  
• Ups-A-Daisy planter inserts | Ups-A-Daisy
  
• Containers Made Easy! book | Garden Gate Store

Susan Nock, MA | Grand Prize Winner!

Follow Susan on Instagram: @thistlecontainers

A winning spring container

Start your garden season off with this Grand Prize-winning spring container. Ordinary easy-care plants from the garden center take on extraordinary appeal in this lush, harmonious grouping. Pussy willow stems stuck into the potting mix provide extra height — give the fuzzy catkins a quick rub as you walk by to enjoy their soft texture.

Made of fiberglass, the 16-inch-tall-and-wide container is easy to move into place near the side door, where the rich clovelike scent of the stock can’t be missed.

The pansy, stock and sweet alyssum in this flowery combo are at their best in spring. By summer, plants get leggy and slow their blooming, so Susan swaps them out for more heat-tolerant varieties.

Fertilize containers for more flowers

To keep the container blooming, Susan uses a slow-release fertilizer mixed into the potting mix when she plants, then uses a water-soluble all-purpose plant food every 3 to 4 weeks through the growing season.

Container plan and plant list

A) StockMatthiola incana Harmony^™ Violet
B) Coral bellsHeuchera ‘Flower Tower’
C) PansyViola Sorbet^® XP Raspberry
D) Sweet alyssumLobularia Deep Lavender Stream^™

2024 Garden Gate Container Challenge Runners Up

Runners up Prize Package

• Woodland Tools planting and pruning set | Woodland Tools
  
• Ups-A-Daisy planter inserts | Ups-A-Daisy
  
• Containers Made Easy! book | Garden Gate Store

Leanne James, IL | Runner Up

Follow Leanne on Instagram: @urbanoasiscontainers

Facebook: Urbanoasiscontainers

Eye-Catching Urn

With bright colors and an elephant ear reaching for the sky, this plant-packed urn creates a vibrant combo sure to attract attention. What an awesome way to point visitors to the front door during the growing season! And because this urn is made of a composite material, Leanne leaves the potting mix in place at the end of the season and fills the urn with evergreens for head-turning containers in winter.

The urn is made of a fiber composite material that looks like concrete but is lightweight and easy to move. And it can withstand the freeze-thaw cycle in Leanne’s zone 5 winters.

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Container care tips

This spot is bright and sunny until early afternoon, which helps the annuals look their flowery best and keeps the coleus and ti plant foliage color intense. But the potting mix in this 38-inch tall-by-23-inch-wide container can dry out quickly. So to avoid frequent trips with the hose, Leanne sets up drip irrigation on a timer for a steady supply of moisture.

A slow-release fertilizer at planting time and a dose of water-soluble plant food every 10 days starting in midsummer keeps the flowers coming. Deadheading isn’t much of an issue since most of these flowers are self-cleaning, but you may need to snip off a spent angelonia bloom or pluck a fading petunia occasionally.

Container plan and plant list

A) Elephant earAlocasia ‘Portodora’
B) Ti plantCordyline fruticosa ‘Red Sister’
C) AngeloniaAngelonia angustifolia Alonia^™ Pink
D) BegoniaBegonia BabyWing^® White
E) ImpatiensImpatiens SunPatiens^® Compact Purple
F) PetuniaPetunia Wave^® Purple
G) ColeusPlectranthus scutellarioides Burgundy Wedding Train

Karin Hudson, VA | Runner Up

Follow Karin on Instagram @stoneleighhomeandgardens

Windowbox curb appeal

Sitting on the front of the house, this 36-inch-long, 11-inch-wide and 10-inch-deep resin windowbox needs eye-catching curb appeal all year, so it gets an update every season. It’s filled with colorful cool-weather-loving annuals and perennials in its spring look here. She really likes perennial Totally Tangerine geum — all those orange blooms provide a striking contrast with the black trim and white siding of the house for 8 to 9 weeks. If the sweet alyssum and lysimachia get too long for the windowbox, go ahead and cut them back by a third to tidy up the look.

Seasonal container update

The geum, pansies and sweet alyssum tend to slow their blooming by early June, so Karin pulls these plants out and replaces them by summer, and later updates the look for fall too.

Container plan and plant list

A) GeumGeum Totally Tangerine
B) DaffodilNarcissus ‘Tete a Tete’
C) PansyViola hybrid
D) English ivyHedera helix ‘Glacier’
E) Sweet alyssumLobularia Snow Princess^®
F) PansyViola cornuta ‘Frizzle Sizzle Mini Tapestry’
G) LysimachiaLysimachia congestiflora Waikiki Sunset^™

2024 Garden Gate Container Challenge Honorable Mentions

Honorable Mention Prize Package

• Ups-A-Daisy planter inserts | Ups-A-Daisy
  
• Containers Made Easy! book | Garden Gate Store

Nichelle Waller, NC | Honorable Mention

Follow Nichelle on Instagram: @nichellesgarden

Shade container with foliage texture

Liven up a shady deck or porch with this lovely container. The 15-inch-tall and 17-inch-wide ceramic pot’s earthy color puts all the emphasis on this foliage-focused design. From the frilly green ferns to the draping yellow-green sedge and the broad purple coral bells, the mix of leaf shapes and colors provides plenty of texture and interest as you walk up the steps.

Container care tips

Because this large container is on a shady porch, Nichelle says it doesn’t need much watering, and she fertilizes just once in late spring with an organic plant food. With mostly foliage plants, the only deadheading needed is to snip the spent coral bells blooms back below the leaves.

Container plan and plant list

A) Coral bellsHeuchera Grande^™ Amethyst
B) Autumn fernDryopteris erythrosora ‘Brilliance’
C) Indian holly fernArachniodes simplicior ‘Variegata’
D) Spotted deadnettleLamium maculatum
E) SedgeCarex ‘Eversheen’

Rhonda Kaiser, TX | Honorable Mention

Follow Rhonda on Instagram: @southernhomeandfarm

Just Add Succulents

An assortment of succulents brings new life to the vintage wash tub that Rhonda places near a walkway in her Texas garden. She plants the 24-inch-diameter, 30-inch-deep tub using the Hügelkulture method, starting with a layer of firewood-sized logs at the bottom. Next she adds layers of small branches, plant debris, such as fallen leaves, and compost, to fill two-thirds of the tub. She tops it with cactus, palm and citrus potting mix for planting. Rhonda likes this technique because it provides organic nutrients and holds moisture well.

Container plan and plant list

A) GraptosedumGraptosedum ‘Darley Sunshine’
B) Squid agaveAgave bracteosa
C) String of dolphinsSenecio peregrinus
D) Blue chalksticksSenecio vitalis
E) Velvet leaf kalanchoeKalanchoe beharensis
F) EcheveriaEcheveria ‘Perle von Nurnberg'
G) Finger jadeCrassula ovata
H) EcheveriaEcheveria ‘Black Prince’
I) Ground cover sedumSedum lineare

Courtney Lewis, OR | Honorable Mention

Follow Courtney on Instagram: @smartyplantsinlo

Romantic container with lavender & roses

Courtney’s front border gets some height and lots of color from this 23-inch-tall and 28-inch-wide blue glazed ceramic pot. This area is in full sun —perfect for the lavender, rose and annuals that thrive there in summer.

Container care tips

Courtney keeps this grouping flowery with a monthly dose of plant food from May to October. Then when temperatures get chilly in fall, she pulls out the bacopa, zinnia and geranium and replaces them with cool-weather-loving pansies (Viola hybrid), ornamental kale (Brassica oleracea) and ‘Silver Swan’ euphorbia (Euphorbia characias), a favorite perennial with variegated blue-green leaves edged in white.

Container plant list

A) English lavenderLavandula angustifolia
B) Shrub roseRosa Flower Carpet^® White
C) GeraniumPelargonium Americana^® Pink
D) ZinniaZinnia Profusion^™ Yellow
E) BacopaSutera cordata

Shannyn Hyland, MI | Honorable Mention

Follow Shannyn on Instagram: @pollenandpeony

Welcoming hayrack

This 23-inch-long hayrack mounted on the garage serves as a colorful welcome to Shannyn’s backyard. Morning sun and afternoon shade provide enough light to keep this group of plants growing strong, but not so much that it burns the glossy purple foliage of the Persian shield.

Hayrack care tips

At just 9 inches wide and deep, this hayrack does need regular watering. Shannyn occasionally feeds with liquid fertilizer and stakes the elephant ear to help new stems stay upright. She augmented the existing supports behind the hayrack with a 1x2-inch scrap of wood centered beneath it. It helps offset some of the weight and makes the hayrack more secure.

Container plant list

A) Persian shieldStrobilanthes dyeriana
B) EuphorbiaEuphorbia hypericifolia Diamond Frost^®
C) CaladiumCaladium ‘White Christmas’
D) Elephant earColocasia esculenta ‘Black Magic’
E) DichondraDichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls’

Bethany Bey, IL | Honorable Mention

Follow Bethany on Instagram: @chicagogardener

Youtube: Chicago Gardener

Rooftop garden in the city

In order to get room for a garden, Bethany took over the roof of her zone 5 Illinois home. She added a comfy seating area to the 18-foot-long-by-19-foot-wide deck along with seven 3-foot-tall wooden raised beds around the perimeter and 50 containers and grow bags of assorted sizes. Now Bethany has plenty of room for growing plants! Learn her smart tips to create a beautiful rooftop container garden here.

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Welcome spring with cool-weather containers

Winter is fading away and spring annual and perennial flowers are starting to pop up in garden centers in full bloom. Even if the ground is still frozen in your beds and borders, you can start planting containers to scratch that gardening itch you’ve had all winter. Cool temperatures and spring rains mean you shouldn’t have to water much. And once these plants are done blooming, the rest of the garden will be in full swing and you can transplant any that are perennials into your borders to grow and flower next year. Ready to plant? Here are three spring-blooming containers to get you started.

Pink spring container planting with pansies & Persian buttercups

Deep pink Persian buttercup is the star in this cobalt-blue ceramic pot, sending papery roselike flowers up for weeks as long as you keep deadheading. Buy Persian buttercups in bloom or as tubers you can grow yourself. Start tubers indoors in winter, 12 to 16 weeks before setting them outside when temperatures are between 50 and 60 degrees F during the day.

Let this planting dry between waterings to prevent the Persian buttercup and dianthus crowns from getting too wet and rotting. As daily temperatures rise, Persian buttercup foliage will get leggy, turn yellow and die as the plant goes dormant. Pull the plant out, pluck off dead foliage, brush soil from the tuber and store it in a paper bag in a cool, dark, dry location until next winter, when you can start it again inside. Replace the cool-weather-loving dianthus and pansies with summer annuals, but leave the skirt of sweet alyssum. It will bloom lightly all summer, then flower more robustly when cool weather returns again in fall. See how this planting came together at our test garden on our YouTube channel!

Protect containers from nibbling deer

Persian buttercups, pansies and dianthus are tasty treats for deer, so be sure to apply a repellent spray every few days.

Plant list (number to plant)

A) Persian buttercupRanunculus hybrid (1)
B) DianthusDianthus hybrid (1)
C) PansyViola wittrockiana (4)
D) Sweet alyssumLobularia maritima (6)
Container shown is 9 inches square

Small but mighty spring container garden

Many early spring bloomers are petite plants, but they can make a big statement when grouped together in a wide, shallow planter. These plants love full sun when the weather is cool. Just keep the soil evenly moist and they’ll be happy.

Purchase bog rosemary when its pale pink flower buds are just popping for the longest show. Its blue-green foliage creates repetition with the ornamental kale even when out of bloom. Deadhead primrose and lewisia to keep them flowering into summer.

Sink the daffodils, pot and all, into the potting mix in the container, so when blooms are done and foliage turns yellow, it’s easy to pull it out without disturbing the rest of the arrangement. Replant the bulbs in your garden or toss them in the compost pile. Pansies and nemesia will eventually succumb to summer heat, so swap them for annuals as temperatures rise in early to midsummer.

Protect containers from a cold snap

If a hard freeze is predicted, move pots full of early bloomers to a protected spot in a shed or garage to prevent damage to flowers and foliage.

Plant list (number to plant)

A) NemesiaNemesia Nesia^™ Sunshine (1)
B) NemesiaNemesia Nesia^™ Denim (1)
C) DaffodilNarcissus hybrid (3 bulbs in one pot)
D) Bog rosemaryAndromeda polifolia ‘Blue Ice’ (1)
E) PansyViola wittrockiana (6)
F) LewisiaLewisia cotyledon Elise Ruby Red (1)
G) Ornamental kaleBrassica oleracea ‘Pigeon Red’ (1)
H) PrimrosePrimula aucalia Danessa Pink with Rose Eye (1)
Container is 20 inches in diameter

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Add cool & calming colors to spring containers

Though traditionally a winter-blooming indoor plant, the cyclamen you find in a florist shop also make a nice outdoor container plant in early spring. It prefers dappled shade and cool temperatures, but move it inside if a frost is expected. Plant cyclamen in a well-draining potting mix and let it dry on the surface before you water to prevent tubers from rotting. When petals fall, twist and tug the flower stem at the base to deadhead and encourage more blooms. In summer, warm temps cause flowering to slow or stop. Leave plants in the container and enjoy the attractive foliage, or pull the cyclamen out and pot it up as a houseplant.

Lobelia makes a great cool-weather shade companion in this combination, with its tiny blue flowers cascading over the lip of the pot. Adding a bit of height in the back of the container, spiky ‘Blue Dart’ rush tolerates light shade in early spring, but prefers more sun, so move it to another planter for the summer.

Cyclamen tip

Cyclamen grows from a corm-shaped tuber that should be planted right at the soil surface, not covered with soil, potting mix or mulch.

Plant list (number to plant)

A) RushJuncus ‘Blue Dart’ (1)
B) CyclamenCyclamen hybrid (2)
C) LobeliaLobelia Magadi^™ Dark Blue (4)
Container is 18 inches in diameter

Refresh windowboxes for fall

If there’s anywhere that can benefit from a seasonal refresh, it’s a windowbox by the front door. Here’s a high-impact autumn plan with bright color contrasts and a variety of textures. Watch the video above to see how I planted up this colorful fall windowbox and tips for keeping it looking good through the rest of the season!

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Add a pop of color with late-season plants

Even as the rest of your garden starts to slow down in fall, there’s still time to add a splash of color to containers. Since plants aren’t as likely to grow as quickly at the end of the growing season, go ahead and pack them together to get a look you love right away. The nice thing about fall containers is that as the weather starts to cool and the sun becomes less intense, they don’t usually require as much water or attention to remain healthy.

Tips for planting your fall windowbox

• Let the stipa grass, violas and petunias spill over and soften the front edge of the box, and back it up with the tall spires of bright red celosia. Fill the space between with floss flower, marigolds and a couple varieties of ornamental kale.

• Windowboxes are notoriously narrow, so you might be surprised how tightly you have to pack the plants. Once that’s done, add even more long-lasting interest with dried stems or twigs from your garden or the craft store. These hydrangea stems were picked green and have aged beautifully.

• Tuck field corn tassels, cattails, maiden grass seedheads and dried hydrangea blooms along the back of the box and between plants in the center to add height and seasonal interest.

Fall windowbox plant list

A) Floss flowerAgeratum houstonianum Aloha Blue
B) CelosiaCelosia argentea var. cristata ‘Smart Look Red’
C) French marigoldTagetes patula ‘Fireball’
D) ViolaViola hybrid
E) Stipa grassAnemanthele lessoniana ‘Sirocco’
F) PetchoaPetunia x calibrachoa Supercal^® Premium Cinnamon
G) Ornamental kaleBrassica oleracea
This windowbox is 8 x 8.75 x 30 inches long.

Hanging basket planter inspiration

A hanging basket is one of the easiest ways to put color right at eye level, where there might otherwise be none. It can dress up a structure, like a porch or pergola, in an instant, tying it more closely to your garden. And all it takes is a shepherd’s hook and hanging basket to create vertical interest in any bed or border.

See how I created the monochromatic hanging basket in the video above along with my helpful planting tips below. Then scroll on to find 4 more must-try plant combinations for your hanging basket planters!

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Monochromatic white hanging basket

Hanging basket planting how-to

1. Start with your largest focal point plant and place it in the basket. In this case, I positioned the petunia first.
   
2. Add plants that will trail, such as the verbena, sedum and sweet potato vine seen here. Pull some branches around the basket hanging wires so it looks natural and helps spread the foliage around.
   
3. Add plants that will trail, but also have more upright growth to fill in the basket. Fanflower and lantana do that job in this basket.
   

Design tip

I like to have a focal point plant to one side, then fill in with different kinds all around. They will mesh together as they grow. But you can also make a very symmetrical basket with a center focal point plant and a "skirt" of trailing plants around the edge of the basket.

Plant list (number to plant)

A) LantanaLantana camara Shamrock^™ White (1, 4" pot)
B) SedumSedum mexicanum Lemon Coral^® (1, 4" pot)
C) Sweet potato vineIpomoea batatas Sweet Caroline Medusa^™ Green (1, 4" pot)
D) FanflowerScaevola aemula Whirlwind^® White (1, 4" pot)
E) VerbenaVerbena hybrid Lanai^® ‘Green Apple’ (1, 4" pot)
F) PetuniaPetunia hybrid Ray^™ Pistachio Cream (1, 6" pot)

Hanging basket with petunias and flowering vines

Hanging baskets make an outstanding entry accent — just envision one like this on either side of your door! Chock full of flowers, a bright basket tells everyone exactly where to go. Hang it from a porch pillar close enough that the container almost touches, and the plants will hug the support. If a blustery wind comes along, that will help keep it from flailing about.

Fertilizer tip

As plants grow, they may need additional fertilizer in midsummer. Use a water-soluble general purpose fertilizer once a week to give them a boost.

Plant list (number to plant)

A) PetuniaPetunia Supertunia^® Royal Velvet^® (1)
B) PetuniaPetunia Supertunia^® Trailing Rose Veined (2)
C) Black-eyed Susan vineThunbergia alata Lemon A-Peel^® (1)
D) Licorice vineHelichrysum petiolare ‘White Licorice’ (2)
Hanging basket is 12 in. in diameter

Hanging basket with tropical flair

Add color to any spot with long-blooming mandevillas. Buy a small cultivar, such as red Vogue ‘Audrey’, and use this well-behaved twining vine in a hanging basket — no cutting back necessary! With summer-long blooming tendencies to rival any bedding annual, ‘Audrey’ makes a fine addition to this combination. And at 18 to 36 in. long, it won’t overtake its companions.

Start with a 1-gal.-sized pot containing two or three small mandevillas. Put the plants into the hanging basket planter, then add a burgundy iresine and a variegated airplane plant. You may need to direct the vines away from the chain to keep it trailing instead of climbing.

Plant list (number to plant)

A) IresineIresine herbstii ‘Purple Lady’ (1)
B) Variegated airplane plantChlorophytum comosum ‘Variegatum’ (1)
C) MandevillaMandevilla Vogue^® ‘Audrey’ (3)
Container is 14 in. in diameter

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Feature foliage for shady hanging baskets

Coral bells’ mounding habit does a great job filling out hanging baskets. Putting foliage plants at eye level makes it so details, such as intricate veining or a silver overlay, are easier to appreciate. Plus, you’ll get to enjoy a slightly different look each season, as coral bells and heucherella bloom in summer, and coral bells’ leaves change hues in cooler weather. When it’s time for fall cleanup, just add these perennials to the front of the border.

Hanging basket watering tip

Hanging baskets need to be checked once a day for water. Depending on the weather, they may even need water more than once, especially if in full sun in the heat of summer.

Plant list (number to plant)

A) BrunneraBrunnera macrophylla ‘Emerald Mist’ (1)
B) Coral bellsHeuchera ‘Electric Lime’ (2)
C) Coral bellsHeuchera ‘Georgia Peach’ (1)
D) Coral bellsHeuchera ‘Sugar Plum’ (1)
E) HeucherellaHeucherella ‘Glacier Falls’ (1)
Hanging basket is 24 in. in diameter

Flower power for part shade

Vigorous Supertunia Vista Silverberry petunia will benefit from regular feeding all summer long. After you plant, start with a balanced water-soluble fertilizer, such as 10-10-10, every two weeks. As temps get hotter, though, plants need weekly doses and can even be fed with every other watering. Lightly trimming back leggy stems in midsummer guarantees neat-looking plants that will still hide the hanging basket from view.

With an upright, mounding habit, BabyWing begonia does well in heat and humidity, blooming in early spring and continuing through frost for long-lasting color without much extra help. Although plants can take full sun, they’ll look best in part shade, especially in the afternoon.

Plant list (number to plant)

A) Foxtail fernAsparagus densiflorus ‘Myersii’ (1)
B) IresineIresine herbstii ‘Purple Lady’ (1)
C) Asparagus fernAsparagus densiflorus ‘Sprengeri’ (1)
D) PetuniaPetunia Supertunia^® Vista Silverberry (3)
E) BegoniaBegonia BabyWing^® Pink (2)
Hanging basket is 14 in. in diameter

This is the time of year that containers are top of mind for every gardener. Half the fun of planting them is trying out new combinations or swapping plants out for new looks each season. The other half is seeing what other gardeners have come up with — a little inspiration can really get the creative juices flowing. Last year we put out a call to readers asking them to send in their best container designs in our 2023 Garden Gate Container Challenge. The response was amazing — our readers really know how to put together beautiful containers!

Thanks to everyone who sent in an entry, and congratulations to our winners. The Grand Prize winner and two Runners Up received some beautiful containers from Gardener’s Supply Company. Take a look through the top entries and you’re sure to find one (or several!) that will encourage you to try a new plant or color palette in your containers this year.

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1st prize foliage

Container Challenge Grand Prize Winner: Stacey Toomey, PA

Our grand prize winning container by Stacey Toomey is a 60×14-inch windowbox that’s attached to an east-facing window in part shade. The antique shutter she secured to the front provides interest when the plants are still small.

To provide a foundation for the design, Stacey bought three 12-inch preplanted hanging basket combos from the garden center that she fell in love with. They included wing begonia, inch plant and potato vine that were spaced out evenly across the length of the windowbox. That left plenty of room to fill in the gaps with other plants she had found in 4-inch pots.

Keep your windowbox looking good

Maintenance is simple for this windowbox: water, feed and trim. These are vigorous plants, so once the roots have filled in, it will need almost daily watering in summer. And a Liquid plant food at full strength every 12 to 14 days will help keep growth strong and the foliage colorful. Finally, snip any wayward stems back to a leaf joint as needed to keep a balanced look.

Plant list

A) CaladiumCaladium ‘Red Flash’
B) Wing begoniaBegonia Dragon Wing^® Red
C) Potato vineSolanum jasminoides ‘Variegata’
D) Inch plantTradescantia zebrina
E) Swedish ivyPlectranthus Guacamole
F) Asparagus fernAsparagus densiflorus

Colorful entry containers

Runner Up: Shirley Schultz, WI

Shirley’s 17-inch-tall and 24-inch-square containers provide a brilliant greeting on either side of the sidewalk that leads to her front door. They’re packed with colorful annuals that bloom from spring to frost.

You can’t miss the large-leaved coleus splashed with pink—it makes an eye-catching thriller for this combo. The globe amaranth and lantana are great for attracting pollinators, are super drought tolerant and don’t need deadheading. They thrive in this south-facing spot, but Shirley still waters daily in the heat of summer. The only deadheading you may need to do is on the petunia, but the blooms aren’t sticky like some older varieties, which makes this task easier. Shirley’s palette of bright, warm colors could easily be swapped for pastels or a monochromatic theme if that fits in better with your garden’s style.

Plant list

A) Areca palmDypsis lutescens
B) ColeusPlectranthus scutellarioides
C) Globe amaranthGomphrena pulchella Truffula^™ Pink
D) PetuniaPetunia x Calibrachoa Supercal^® Premium Caramel Yellow
E) LantanaLantana Luscious^® Bananarama^™

Sophisticated color palette

Runner Up: Sandy Butkis, MI

When you’re putting together a container, it helps to have a color theme to get things started. Sandy’s combination uses shades of purple to bring a relaxing vibe to her deck. But sunny yellow from the variegated vinca and bright magenta petunia really adds some pop.

Most of the plants are quite heat and drought tolerant and take summers in stride. But the Swan River daisy is more a fan of cooler temperatures and does great in the Michigan summers where Sandy lives. In hot, humid regions plants can get lanky as hotter weather takes hold. Just cut the stems back by a third for fresh regrowth by fall.

Fertilize for more flowers

To keep this container flowering, Sandy sprinkles Osmocote^® on top of the potting mix at planting time. Then she fertilizes every 3 weeks with a liquid plant food, such as Miracle Gro^®.

Plant list

A) AngeloniaAngelonia angustifolia Carita^™ Purple
B) EuphorbiaEuphorbia Euphoric^™ White
C) Swan River daisyBrachyscome iberidifolia
D) PetuniaPetunia Itsy^™ Magenta
E) VerbenaGlandularia Lanai^® Compact Twister^™ Purple
F) VincaVinca minor ‘Illumination’

Tropical-inspired container garden

Honorable mention: Joyce Hannaford, MA

Joyce put this grouping together with “leftovers” from other containers she’d planted up earlier, and it turned out great! Its bright and bold blooms from lantana and mandevilla bring warmth, excitement and a tropical feel to the patio. The plants don’t need any deadheading and are quite drought tolerant.

To get this look, when you’re shopping for mandevilla, look for varieties with a bushy habit, such as Sun Parasol^® Original Red, which grows 18 to 24 inches tall and wide. See More of Joyce's Garden in our Talk & Tour video on YouTube.

Plant list

A) LantanaLantana hybrid
B) MandevillaMandevilla hybrid
C) DichondraDichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls’

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Terrific trough planter

Honorable mention: Sophath Toun, RI

When you have a special planter like this 48×18-inch antique stone trough, you want to give it pride of place. What better way to do that than by incorporating it into the foundation planting as Sophath has done? This foliage-rich planting needs little maintenance to keep it looking beautiful. As part of the foundation planting, the trough sits outdoors in this zone 6 garden all year and the contents get swapped out seasonally to keep curb appeal high.

Mounds of begonia, iresine and purple Swedish ivy cover the long stems of the row of elephant ears that provide lots of interest and drama for this group. The elephant ears were started indoors before going into the trough. Regular feeding every couple of weeks with a water-soluble plant food encourages more stems and large leaves.

Plant list

A) Elephant earColocasia ‘Coffee Cups’
B) IresineIresine herbstii
C) CaladiumCaladium hybrid
D) Rex begoniaBegonia rex-cultorum
E) Purple Swedish ivyPlectranthus purpuratus

Colorful Shade Container

Honorable mention: Claudia Hagen, PA

A shady out-of-the-way corner can be a challenging place to put a container, but Claudia found a group of plants that thrive on neglect, providing color and texture from spring to frost. She didn’t bother with fertilizer to maintain a full look for this sophisticated container — the plants did just fine without it.

While you may be used to growing snake plant indoors, this versatile old favorite is just as happy outdoors. That rippled leaf pattern makes it a great thriller in part sun or shade. Purple heart is a fast-growing filler that provides depth and a moody look in the center of the planting. Don’t be afraid to trim the stems back once or twice during the growing season if it gets too big. Adding perennials, such as tall sedum and yarrow, extends the seasonal color, and you can move them into the garden once container season is over.

Plant list

A) Snake plantSansevieria hybrid
B) Asparagus fernAsparagus densiflorus
C) Tall sedumHylotelephium ‘Autumn Joy’
D) Purple HeartTradescantia pallida ‘Purpurea’
E) LantanaLantana hybrid
F) DichondraDichondra argentea

Cottage garden windowbox

Honorable mention: Linda Laine, OH

Linda has been trying different plants over the years to get a cottage garden look for the 8-foot-long windowbox just outside her dining room window. She finally discovered a combination that provides maximum color with minimal effort. This mix of annuals, from the upright angelonia to the bacopa spilling over the front, doesn’t need deadheading and looks great with just an occasional feeding and watering.

Not only does this custom-made composite windowbox frame the view from the dining room, it provides season-long color for the bench in front. Linda’s pups, Whisper and Kokopelli, love to sit there and soak up the sun in this bright spot.

Plant list

A) AngeloniaAngelonia angustifolia
B) CalibrachoaCalibrachoa hybrid
C) PetuniaPetunia hybrid
D) BacopaSutera cordata

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Flower-Filled Windowbox

Honorable mention: Leanne James, IL

Adding a windowbox is a great way to integrate the storage shed in with the garden. Leanne’s beautiful design starts with 4½-inch pots that she plants in a custom-made 36 × 10-inch wooden windowbox. Leanne adds a slow-release fertilizer at planting time, then a month later starts using a water-soluble plant food every 10 days. Most of the plants are vigorous growers and need maintenance pruning every 3 weeks to keep this exuberant look full instead of wild looking. Since the shed window is more decorative than functional, the taller plants aren’t blocking anyone’s view.

Plant list

A) Purple fountain grassPennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’
B) Globe amaranthGomphrena pulchella Truffula^™ Pink
C) HeliotropeHeliotropium arborescens
D) ColeusPlectranthus Dipt in Wine
E) StarflowerPentas lanceolata Lucky Star^® Violet
F) FanflowerScaevola Surdiva^® Blue Violet
G) Sweet potato vineIpomoea batatas ‘Margarita’
H) ColeusPlectranthus ‘Burgundy Wedding Train’

Purple Passion Container

Honorable mention: Charlene Coulson, MI

You can’t tell by looking at it, but this is simply a plastic planter that Charlene slipped into a decorative wrought-iron plant stand. The growing conditions on the west side of the house in full sun can be pretty harsh. But this group of plants did just fine.

At 18 to 30 inches tall, Angelface Blue angelonia makes a great thriller for the 24-inch-long and 8-inch-wide planter. It provides a stately presence and loads of color from late spring to frost. For the most part, these long flower spikes stay upright, but Charlene added the bamboo arch as extra support on windy days.

Plant list

A) AngeloniaAngelonia Angelface^® Blue
B) VerbenaGlandularia Superbena Sparkling^® Amethyst
C) PetuniaPetunia Supertunia^® Latte
D) VerbenaGlandularia Superbena^® Imperial Blue