Container Gardening Ideas for Perennials

Containers are miniature gardens where you can manipulate the soil type and amount of water for a lush and long-lasting season. Perennials have interesting colors and textures and come back each year fuller and stronger. For a well-balanced container and one that dazzles your outdoor landscape, group different heights, colors and textures.

Pocket Planter

Pocket planters have small pockets spaced around the container, perfect for planting small and large perennials. To create a pocket planter with perennials, start by planting the larger and taller perennial in the top portion of the container. Use perennial blooms like black-eyed Susan for dramatic height. In the small pockets below, add in small perennials like crocus and sedum. Use a creeping plant like ivy to creep around the pocket planter for a dramatic look to the planter.

Hanging Basket

A hanging basket is a miniature garden to be placed anywhere in your outdoor space. Hanging baskets brighten and lighten up the landscape and look great hanging from outdoor structures like arbors or your front porch. Group the hanging baskets from a chain or rope and at various lengths for a dramatic outdoor design. Inside the baskets, add perennials like billowing lantana and colorful cosmos. Around the front, add a creeping sweet potato vine to drip down the side of the hanging basket with its bright green foliage.

Window Box

A window box full of perennials dresses up the outside of the home with their bright and beautiful foliage. Create an herb window box for a sweet-smelling design and one that creates a burst of green to the home. Perennial herbs like dill add height to the window box as well as their unusual foliage. In the middle of the box add a silver sage to bring in their cool color and low-growing foliage. Add small creeping herbs like oregano and thyme to the front of the window box to drape down the side for a lovely cascading effect to the window box. Install the window box outside the kitchen window for easy access to the herbs.