Mixed containers are a great, and fairly easy (no digging required!) way to add color and texture to your deck, porch or patio. For those who like visual simplicity, choose just one or two types of plants, or several plants with a similar color.

If you like more diversity, the sky’s the limit!  Choose a tall plant for the center (thriller), medium height for the middle (fillers), and something that will trail over the edge of the pot (spiller). And choose plants that will work under the same sun/shade situation, though it’s amazing how adaptable many of the good container flowers are.

For best results, make sure you use GOOD QUALITY potting soil (this is really important!), have the ability to water as needed, which may be daily once the plants get larger and the summer heats up, and some fertilizer on hand. Feeding every two to three weeks should do the trick. Below are some examples of containers seen beautifying central Alabama!

front: Caladium Red Flash, Angelonia purple, Zinnia white ad Vinca Cora White. Back: Coleus Redhead, Coleus Wasabi, Begonia Dragon Wing Red

Red petunias, white scaevola, yellow coleus and Sunpatiens Compact Lilac

Caladium Tapestry surrounded by white Vinca Cora, hot pink petunia and Portulaca Pazazz Rose Glow

Juncus Blue Arrow with Vinca Cora white, dark pink petunias on left and Portulaca Pazazz Red Flare on right

Coleus Vino (dark, purply red) with Coleus Wedding Train (trailing), and yellow coleus with Blackie Sweet Potato vine weaving through. The bloomers are white zinnia linearis, Petunia Cascadia Indian Summer, and yellow lantana

Sunpatiens Electric Orange

variegated cuban oregano, white calibrachoa

caladium white queen with scaevola white

begonia dragon wing pink, euphorbia super flash, torenia rose moon, dichondra silver falls

elephant ear black coral, pink gomphrena fireworks, silver artemisia, oregano kent beauty

white caladium aaron with other shade foliage

banana, blue plumbago, lysimachia

w yellow lantana, white petunias and blue scaevola

begonia dragon wing red

begonia baby wing pink

Caladium White Queen, blue scaevola, Coleus Trailing Burgundy

Coleus, melopodium, calibracheo

black-eyed susan, red-orange fuchsia gartenmeister, pink gomphrena pink dazzle, pale orange calibrachoa

gold coleus orange king, begonia dragon wing red, black-eyed susan, coleus mint mocha, pink trailing vinca, blue scaevola, green/white cuban oregano

zinnia profusion white, begonia dragon wing red, coleus mint mocha

pink petunias, blue scaevola, begonia whopper bronze leaf red, coleus redhead, white lantana

coleus defiance, begonia dragon wing pink, blue scaevola with rosemary on left

Pink and cherry vinca, yellow lysimachia (golden creeping jenny), white trailing angelonia, and pink vining mandevilla