Top 10 Plants for Container Gardens!

Last week I gave you my list of favorite annuals for planting directly in the ground and this week I thought I'd share my completely subjective list of the best annuals for planting in containers. Of course, containers can be just about any size and shape, but I'm a fan of large, deep pots that you can fill with a base of last year's leaves and then the rest with a good potting mix. If your planter is a little on the shallow side, I'd recommend a mix that specifically regulates moisture retention. I usually go for cool colors in blues, purples, whites and a little blush of pink. A little contrast of chartreuse green is welcome, too. Whatever you prefer, they'll look best when grouped with complementary colors. A container that has an array of different gradations of the same color is also lovely. Loosely following the "thrillers, fillers and spillers" concept, here's my favorites: Cleome "Senorita Rosalita": A nice, rich rose color, this particular spider flower doesn't get quite as big as others you'd plant in the ground, and she stays leafed out, avoiding that bare knees look as she matures. Annual Salvia "Black and Blue": Another thriller that looks great with Cleome "Rosalita," the flower bracts are a vivid true blue and the stems are black — one of the most striking annuals I've seen. There's a few other good blue varieties, too, such as "Blue Suede Shoes." Hummingbirds love this salvia! Persian Shield: Strobilanthes dyeranius is a gorgeous foliage plant that should be planted on the shadier side of your container garden. Let that cleome and salvia get the constant rays, saving the iridescent purple leaves of Persian Shield from fading. I hesitate to call this a filler plant because it is so striking! Petunias: Has the world of petunias literally exploded in the last handful of years or what?! There are so many hybrids available now that don't require deadheading and can put up with a little rain on their blossoms. I'm not sure I'd ever go back to traditional petunias. My favorites are the Supertunia varieties from Proven Winners and I still love the various Wave colors on the market. All of them are high volume bloomers that keep on producing as long as you feed them on a weekly basis. Verbena Bonariensis: Just as good in a container as planted in the ground, this "see-through" flower adds a quiet yet tall purply-pink halo to a container. And it's a great butterfly attractant! Coleus: So many colors and patterns, whether as an accent to a varied container garden or simply a whole pot of coleus in their various forms, this plant is just as satisfying in pots as grouped in beds. You can often get mixed multi-packs without the premium plant price, too. Dichondra "Silver Falls": Another trademarked Proven Winners hybrid, I didn't discover Dichondra 'til just a few years ago but I'm sure glad I did. An exuberant, spiller in a gray-green waterfall of leaves, it reminds me of Spanish moss draping from trees in the south. Creeping Jenny: Lysimachia nummularia is another spiller if you need a bright chartreuse complement to your container. Jenny is another robust creeper/spiller and if she hits the ground, she might root and become a perennial. Some call her invasive; I call her quietly tenacious. Begonias: No, no, no, I'm not talking your grandmother's wax begonias. Not good old parking lot begonias. I've been delving into the world of various hybrid begonias on the market for the last couple years. Specifically, angel wing begonias. There are varieties that can even tolerate full sun. I'm just beginning with these so stay tuned for more info as I experiment with them. Variegated Swedish Ivy: As a kid, back in the '70s, Swedish ivy was a big draping plant in a macrame hanger and its leaves were solid green. Julie at Julie's Gardens in Keene introduced me to the variegated variety a few years back and I've been hooked on this dappled white and green spiller ever since. Its Latin name is Plectranthus Coleoides variegata. As I look through the past few years of garden photos on my phone, I realize my list here should be twice as long but hopefully I've shared some new varieties of annuals with you. Just remember, these exuberant bloomers need to be fed and watered regularly and be sure to treat your planters to a good quality potting mix!