Summer is the perfect time to refresh your container gardens with vibrant new plants! With an abundance of colorful blooms, lush foliage, and heat-loving plant varieties to choose from, the possibilities are endless. Give your outdoor space a seasonal refresh and let your creativity shine!
Rapid growth, endless blooms, and interesting textures—there are so many reasons to give your container gardens a fresh new face, just in time for the sunshine! Seasonally updating your containers means that you’re always featuring the very best plants for that period of time—things that can handle the changes in temperature, humidity, and light that are inherent in the Summer season. It gives you the opportunity to remove tired Spring annuals and to transplant perennials or evergreen plants that have outgrown their space. Plus, you can experiment with new color palettes or varieties that you might not have thought of!
Whether you have a strong vision for your porch pots or you prefer some design assistance, we’re here to help add seasonal color to your outdoor space. All of our Portland-area nurseries are fully stocked with locally grown seasonal plants, healthy evergreen classics, and gorgeous outdoor pottery to help you find the perfect plants for your container garden.
Summer Container Garden Design Tips & Inspiration
Container gardens are most impactful when they complement the aesthetic of your home and existing plantings and they feature a color scheme that you like. Use the simple formula of “Thriller, Filler, and Spiller” to create dynamic container plantings that look fabulous all season long!
We’ve put together some guidelines and inspiration for how to select plants and choose a pot for Modern, Traditional, Tropical, and Bohemian container gardens in tasteful color palettes from our Landscape Design Guides! Of course, the best rules are meant to be broken, and you can find your own signature style by incorporating plants beyond those outlined below.
Ideas for Modern Container Gardens
1) Spider’s Web Japanese Aralia, 2) Black Mondo Grass, 3) Diamond Snow Euphorbia, 4) White Licorice Plant, 5) Midnight Lace Sweet Potato Vine
1) Columnar Yew, 2) Blue Mouse Ears Hosta, 3) Rex Begonia, 4) Latte Petunia, 5) Purple Queen Tradescantia
Modern container plantings are balanced, clean, geometric, and minimal. They are more focused on form and texture of foliage rather than flowers. Use monochromatic color palettes and repeated leaf shapes for elegant consistency. Modern thrillers should be architectural in form and add height and structure to the planting. Evergreen thrillers can provide year-round framework for easy seasonal plant changes. When choosing a modern container, look for simple or angular shapes, geometric patterns, and matte finishes in neutral colors.
Ideas for Traditional Container Gardens
1) Young Lycidas Rose, 2) Cora Pink Vinca, 3) Bluebird Nemesia, 4) Smitten Pink Double Calibrachoa, 5) Variegated Vinca
1) Topiary Boxwood, 2) Angel Wings Senecio, 3) Feather Falls Sedge, 4) White Bacopa, 5) White Supertunia
Traditional container plantings are formal, intentional, and symmetrical or neatly organized. They usually rely on an evergreen, structural central planting—topiary, or tree-form plants are an excellent selection for traditional thrillers. Simple complementary fillers and thrillers sit low and don’t detract from the thriller. Annual florals provide a pop of seasonal color. Traditional style containers tend to have a classic planter shape and feature uniform, neutral colors. They can also include interesting edges, lips, or repeated patterns.
Ideas for Tropical Container Gardens
1) Tropicanna Gold Canna Lily, 2) Asparagus Fern, 3) Coleus Variety, 4) Variegated Creeping Jenny, 5) Chartreuse Sweet Potato Vine
1) Red Banana, 2) Crystal Palace Lobelia, 3) Coleus Variety, 4) Royal Magenta Petunia, 5) Emerald Lace Sweet Potato Vine
Tropical container plantings bring drama, color, and exuberance to a patio or act as a bold, eye-catching accent in the landscape. Tropical thrillers are large and make a statement with bold, vibrant leaves. Vivid fillers and thrillers with interesting foliage add excitement. When selecting a tropical container, opt for simple shapes and bright colors in high-gloss or matte finishes.
Ideas for Bohemian Container Gardens
1) Star Jasmine, 2) English Lavender, 3) Supreme Cantaloupe Coneflower, 4) Double Vintage Coral Calibrachoa, 5) Silver Falls Dichondra
1) Spanish Lavender, 2) Bright Lights White African Daisy, 3) Sparkling Amethyst Verbena, 4) Diamond Heights Ceanothus, 5) Petite Licorice Plant
Bohemian style container plantings are layered, relaxed, and organic. They tend to feature romantic flowers in softer tones with feathery foliage and grasses that provide movement or textural interest. Cascading spillers are a must. When selecting a bohemian container, go for rounded pots with earthy colors—avoid hard lines and harsh contrast. Choose natural materials such as stone with matte or rough textures.
Need some guidance on how to care for your container gardens? Check out our our blog for best planting and maintenance tips to keep your container gardens thriving through the season!
Other Approaches to Container Garden Design
Premade Drop-In Container Gardens
All of our Garden Centers stock a beautiful range of seasonal drop-in container plantings. Drop-in pots are ideal for garden lovers with busy schedules or for those who prefer not to get their hands dirty. All drop-ins are planted into a plastic pot that can discretely fit inside your own decorative container at home to provide instant-gratification. You’ll have dynamic, colorful, curated arrangements that can be easily refreshed or switched out through the seasons!
Custom Container Planting Service
If you’d like our in-house experts to design and plant your container garden, our custom container planting service is the perfect fit. Call us to book a consultation, bring in photos for inspiration, and book a time to have us plant up your container at the garden center. We will create a memorable, high-impact planting that is perfectly aligned with your style.
Annual Container Design Subscription
Eliminate the guesswork in crafting the perfect container gardens for your outdoor spaces with our NEW Annual Subscription Service, provided by our Residential Landscape Maintenance Division. Gather your pottery, choose your favorite color palette, book your three plant rotations for the year, and we’ll design, deliver, and install beautiful potted arrangements on-site with fresh foliage and blooms for each season!
Visit us at any of our garden centers to find new and unusual plants, high-quality outdoor pottery, and inspiration for stunning seasonal planting combinations. Our knowledgeable staff is on-hand to help you choose the perfect plants and pot for your space!