Container Gardening Complete

Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete

700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 80 5/24/17 11:07 AM
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete

700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 81 5/24/17 11:07 AM

Perennials

By definition, perennial plants are those that

survive for many growing seasons. Generally, the

top of the plant dies back to the ground during the

winter, but the root system survives, though many

perennials do retain some ground-hugging foliage

year-round.

Perennials are a surprisingly useful group

in container gardening. Though their flowering

season is typically shorter than most flowering

annuals, they really add a unique design element

to containers. Much like annuals, perennials are

selected for their flower power, or for the texture,

color, and form of their foliage. Perennials grown

primarily for their foliage, such as ornamental

grasses, hostas, coral bells, ferns, and spurges

make both excellent focal points and accent

plants in container designs, especially when

mixed with complementary species.

Aside from adding unique physical attributes

to the design, another perk of using perennials is

that you can plant them elsewhere in your garden

at the end of the season, or overwinter them in

their containers and grow them for many seasons.

The following chart includes fifteen of my

favorite perennial plants for container gardens,

each with a unique attribute that lends itself

well to container designs. Though there are

many different named varieties of each of these

perennials, as a whole, each species works well

in containers. There is a great amount of variety

among the different cultivars of these plants, so

do a bit of experimentation to determine which

ones work best with your personal design style.

Many perennials make excellent container plants. Those grown primarily for their foliage, such

as this coral bell, hosta, and dwarf Japanese painted fern (Athyrium ‘Silver Slippers’), add a lot

of color, texture, and form to container designs.

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Designing and Planting Your Containers 81

Recommended Perennials

COMMON NAME BOTANICAL NAME USE DESIGN USE HEIGHT GROWING

CONDITIONS

COMMENTS

Dwarf bee balm Monarda didyma

‘Petite Delight’

Flower Thriller and

Filler

1 to 2 ft. Full sun Attracts hummingbirds and

bees; blooms midsummer.

Coral bells Heuchera

cultivars

Foliage Filler 6 to 12 in. Full to part

shade

Some varieties have unique

and striking foliage colors;

flowers are tiny on tall

stems.

Black-eyed

Susans

Rudbeckia spp. Flowers Thriller and

Filler

2 to 3 ft. Full sun Attracts pollinators; long

bloom time; birds enjoy the

seeds.

Yarrow Achillea

millefolium

flowers Thriller and

Filler

2 to 3 ft. Full sun Flat-topped flower clusters;

lacy foliage; long bloom

time.

Aromatic aster Symphyotrichum

oblongifolium

Flowers Filler 12 to 18

in.

Full sun Late-season bloomer; many

small flowers; great for

pollinators.

Daylilies Hemerocallis

spp.

Flowers Thriller and

Filler

1 to 3 ft. Full sun Many different flower colors;

strap-like foliage; look for

repeat blooming.

Tick seed Coreopsis spp. Flowers Filler 1 to 3 ft. Full sun Small, bright flowers; long

bloom time; easy to care for.

Golden hakone

grass

Hakonechloa

macra ‘Aureola’

Foliage Spiller 10 to 12

in.

Part to full

shade

Soft, flowing, shade-

tolerant, grass-like plant;

gorgeous yellow variegation.

Cranesbill Geranium spp. Flowers Filler and

Spiller

1 to 2 ft. Full sun Lots of round flowers; round

leaves with a serrated edge;

many different varieties.

Hosta Hosta spp. Foliage Filler 6 in. to

3 ft.

Full shade Many varieties have

unusual variegation and/or

coloration; come in many

different sizes; deer favorite.

Creeping Jenny Lysimachia

nummularia

‘Aurea’

Foliage Spiller 2 to 6 in. Full sun to part

shade

Excellent low-growing,

trailing plant for the edge of

containers.

Garden phlox Phlox paniculata Flowers Thriller 2 to 4 ft. Full sun Tall stems topped with large

flower clusters; attracts

butterflies and bees; look

for resistance to powdery

mildew.

Astilbe Astilbe spp. Flowers Thriller and

Filler

1 to 3 ft. Part to full

shade

Plume-like flowers; do not

let plants dry out or the

foliage will crisp.

Blanket flower Gaillardia spp. Flowers Filler and

Spiller

1 to 2 ft. Full sun Lots of bright, daisy-

like flowers atop loosely

mounded foliage.

Cushion spurge Euphorbia

polychroma

Foliage

and

flowers

Filler 12 to 18

in.

Full sun to part

shade

Flowers are actually colored

leaves called bracts; early-

season interest; tight,

mounded foliage.

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