29 Pretty Plant Combinations for Creating Stunning Container Gardens

Use Gorgeous Foliage

This combination is elevated to high drama with the inclusion of acalypha, an underutilized foliage plant. Look for additional plants such as coleus or elephant's ear to make your plantings spectacular in this bold and dramatic container garden.

A. Petunia 'Ultra Pastel Pink': 5

B. Sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatus 'Blackie'): 2

C. Acalypha wilkesiana: 1

Create a Summertime Gem

Cheerful and bright, this design will hold its good looks for months thanks to tough plants like Profusion zinnias and white angelonia.

A. Angelonia 'Angelface White': 1

B. Zinnia 'Profusion Orange': 1

C. Coleus (Solenostemon 'Wild Lime'): 1

Use a Color Scheme

Having trouble choosing colors for a container garden? Pick just one or two. Here, the deep turquoise container accentuates stunning blue flowers and purple blooms to create a beautiful statement all season long.

A. Angelonia 'Angelface Dresden Blue': 2

B. Celosia 'Purple Flamingo': 1

C. Calibrachoa 'Superbells Blue': 3

Go Classic with Black

This dramatic combination features contrasting foliage texture and color. The deep purple foliage and pink-blushed white flowers of the oxalis perfectly complement the black-glazed container. Add holiday cheer to this classic container with candy cane oxalis, just one of the many types of oxalis that is available.

A. Oxalis regnellii: 7

B. Calla (Zantedeschia 'Black Forest'): 1

C. Elephant's ears (Colocasia 'Illustris'): 1

Mix It Up

A change from the usual russets and yellows of fall container gardens, this design features pink flowers and stands out for its originality and style.

A. Mum (Chrysanthemum 'Pobo Lavender'): 1

B. Ivy (Hedera helix 'Glacier'): 1

C. Sedum sieboldii: 1

D. Flowering cabbage (Brassica oleracea 'Ruby'): 1

E. Aster novae-belgii 'Crimson Brocade': 1

F. Wood fern (Dryopteris marginalis): 1

Employ Foliage for Season-Long Power

Even without flowers, this arrangement is beautiful thanks to a mix of foliage colors and textures. The textured leaves of this dramatic foliage container garden add contrast and interest. The cannas can't-miss form is a focal point of this container.

A. Canna 'Australia': 1

B. Fuchsia triphylla 'Firecracker': 1

C. Sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas 'Blackie'): 1

D. Gerbera 'Festival Salmon': 2

Plant Grasses

This country-style design shows off several different calibrachoas (also called Million Bells) complemented by the osteospermum and phlox. While charming on its own, the addition of ornamental grass creates height, drama, and textural beauty.

A. Calibrachoa 'Million Bells Terra Cotta': 3

B. Calibrachoa 'Superbells Trailing Blue': 3

C. Calibrachoa 'Million Bells Terra Linda': 3

D. Osteospermum 'Lemon Symphony': 3

E. Purple fountaingrass (Pennisetum 'Rubrum'): 1

F. Phlox drummondii 'Intensia White': 3

Create Elegance

The soft pink color scheme and petal-filled flowers of a tree rose combine beautifully in a classic, elegant planting that will bloom all summer long.

A. Tree rose (Rosa 'Baby Blanket'): 1

B. Begonia 'Prelude Pink': 5

C. Vinca (Catharanthus 'Coconut Cooler'): 3

Keep It Balanced

Purple fountain grass creates balance to the waves of blue nemesia in this gorgeous miniature garden. The plants were proportionally chosen for this lower-than-usual container.

A. Nemesia 'Blue Bird': 3

B. Nemesia 'Compact Innocence': 1

C. Ivy-leaf geranium (Pelargonium 'Picasso'): 2

D. Purple fountaingrass (Pennisetum 'Rubrum'): 1

E. Zinnia 'Profusion White': 3

Make a Cool-Season Stunner

The pansies will boost color from early spring to the start of summer in this cool-season container. When it gets hot, change the pansies for heat-tolerant annuals such as angelonia.

A. Pansy (Viola 'Violet Beacon'): 5

B. Licorice plant (Helichrysum 'Limelight'): 3

Keep It Simple

You can have a beautiful container garden with one kind of plant. As this pot of angelonia shows, grouping one variety in a container underscores a plant's unique features. Here, angelonia makes a great color contrast with the annual phlox in the foreground.

A. Angelonia 'Angelface Blue': 3

Contrast with Several Varieties of a Plant

These six varieties of peperomia boast an astounding array of leaf colors, shapes, and textures. With growth habits ranging from upright to trailing, this container will surely please anyone who loves low-maintenance houseplants.

A. Red-edge peperomia (Peperomia clusiifolia variegata): 1

B. Baby rubber plant (Peperomia caperata ‘Red Ripple’): 1

C. Baby rubber plant (Peperomia clusiifolia ‘Tricolor’): 1

D. Parallel peperomia (Pepperomia puteolata): 1

E. False philodendron (Peperomia scandens): 1

F. Baby rubber plant (Peperomia obtusifolia ‘Golden Gate’): 1

Add Beauty to an Evergreen

Adding colorful annuals is a fun way to dress up a plain evergreen for a dose of summer-long color.

A. Boxwood (Buxus 'Green Gem'): 1

B. Verbena 'Superbena Purple': 3

C. Coleus (Solenostemon 'Mississippi Summer'): 3

D. Ivy (Hedera helix 'Glacier'): 3

Create a Classic

Charming and old-fashioned in an elegant way, this gorgeous spring container garden in its decorative terra-cotta container will last till early fall.

A. Geranium (Pelargonium 'Maverick Star Pink'): 1

B. Nemesia 'Blue Bird': 2

C. Nemesia 'Compact Innocence': 1

D. Petunia 'Supertunia Giant Pink': 3

E. Ivy (Hedera helix 'Anne Marie'): 4

Add a Festive Feel

This perfect little red and blue combination is ideal for gracing the deck or patio for an Independence Day celebration. Explore other perfect container pairings for geraniums.

A. Geranium (Pelargonium 'Red Elite'): 1

B. Evolvulus glomeratus 'Blue Daze': 5

Pay Attention to Texture

Achieve texture in your container garden with leafy and flowering perennials, annuals, and grasses. Here, an ornamental grass plays beautifully against chunky coleus and cascading calibrachoa.

A. Coleus (Solenostemon 'Black Star'): 1

B. Calibrachoa Superbells 'Cherry Red': 3

C. Purple fountaingrass (Pennisetum 'Rubrum'): 1

Try Different Textures

Informal but colorful, this display would look great in a country- or cottage-style garden thanks to its soft colors and intriguing mix of textures. Choose heat-tolerant annuals that bloom all summer long such as cockscomb (celosia) that adds colorful texture without much maintenance.

A. Celosia 'Purple Flamingo': 1

B. Cigar plant (Cuphea ignea 'Dynamite'): 1

C. Calibrachoa 'Superbells Trailing Light Blue': 3

D. Beefsteak plant (Iresine 'California'): 1

E. Dahlia 'Gallery Salvador': 1

Add Layers of Interest

This container makes an impressive impact with its blast of color. A stately ornamental grass rises above mounding plants, contrasting the trailing creeping Jenny and sweet potato vine. By midsummer, the pot will be completely covered with a lovely golden skirt of leaves.

A. Maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light'): 1

B. Sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatus 'Margarita'): 2

C. Wax begonia (Begonia 'Vodka'): 2

D. Coleus (Solenostemon 'Olympic Torch'): 1

E. Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea'): 2

Create Cottage Charm

This gorgeous container garden's loose, billowy feeling is a perfect cottage garden accent. A cottage garden design allows nature to take its course freely and tends to be lower maintenance than other carefully manicured garden styles.

A. Verbena 'Escapade Bright Eye': 3

B. Plectranthus argentatus: 2

C. Parrot's beak (Lotus berthelotii): 3

Draw the Eye Up

This colorful display, overflowing with abundance, demands attention. Late-blooming pineapple sage becomes the crowning glory in late summer when it bears its bright red blooms. Be sure to keep your plants well-hydrated to reach their full potential.

A. Ageratum 'Blue Horizon': 3

B. Bacopa (Sutera 'Snowstorm White'): 3

C. Calibrachoa 'Superbells Trailing Rose': 3

D. Swan River daisy (Brachycome 'Mauve Delight'): 3

E. Petunia 'Explorer Rose': 1

F. Pineapple sage (Salvia elegans): 2

Maximize Color

Master the art of using color in your garden by using wonderful color combinations to create a feeling of abundance. Accent it with texture, such as here, where gaura provides nice verticality and creates a fun contrast with the spreading petunia.

A. Lantana 'Bandana Cherry Surprise': 1

B. Petunia 'Rose Double Madness': 3

C. Licorice plant (Helichrysum petiolare 'Icicles'): 1

D. Gaura lindheimeri: 1

Tuck It In

Container gardens don't need to be big to make a significant impact. This very colorful and eye-catching arrangement fits well in just about any spot. Use small-space garden strategies to get the most out of your yard.

A. Nemesia 'Sunsatia Pear': 1

B. Nemesia 'Sunsatia Raspberry': 1

C. Nemesia 'Sunsatia Lemon': 1

D. Nemesia 'Sunsatia Cranberry': 1

E. Pansy (Viola 'Karma Blue Blotch'): 1

Enjoy Sweet Scents

A perfect accent for a herb garden or next to your favorite chair on a deck or patio, the scented geranium will delight with its scent and contrast to fragrant sweet alyssum.

A. Scented geranium (Pelargonium graveolens 'Grey Lady Plymouth'):1

B. Sweet alyssum (Lobularia 'Wonderland Purple'): 3

Be Sweet & Romantic

This little planting is filled with many shades of pink flowers. Use pink in the garden on its own and with planting partners of other colors. Choose light pink flowers for an airy feel or bright pink flowers that pop against a green background.

A. Godetia (Clarkia 'Grace Salmon Red'): 3

B. Verbena 'Babylon Purple': 3

C. Snapdragon (Antirrhinum 'Solstice Red'): 3

Go Crazy!

Container gardens don't have to be restrained. This striking collection displays beautiful foliage textures and colorful leaves against pink and red flowers in a wooden half barrel.

A. Dusty miller (Senecio 'Silver Dust'): 3

B. Ivy-leaf geranium (Pelargonium 'Crocodile'): 3

C. Scented geranium (Pelargonium tomentosum): 3

D. Licorice plant (Helichrysum petiolare 'Variegatum'): 5

E. African daisy (Arctotis 'Cerise'): 3

F. Salvia patens: 2

Create Drama in a Pot

It's easy to plant a container garden when you know a few garden design basics. This simple design demonstrates classic planting proportions with "thriller plant" (cordyline), "filler plant" (lantana), and "spiller plant" (trailing coleus).

A. Lantana 'New Gold': 1

B. Coleus (Solenostemon 'Stained Glassworks Trailing Plum'): 2

C. Cordyline australis: 1

Overflow with Color

This container is full of color and texture from its flowers and foliage. A bright gerbera daisy rising out of the top becomes the highlight of this planting. Take your container to the next level and try growing Gerbera daisies indoors and outdoors.

A. Gerbera daisy (Gerbera 'Festival Orange'): 1

B. Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea'): 3

C. Verbena 'Superbena Burgundy': 3

Make a Lively Trio

This container garden has a sense of movement created by the umbrella sedge's angle set off by the trailing petunia and balanced by the stocky geranium. For a lush patio garden, try grouping containers together.

A. Geranium (Pelargonium 'Scarlet Elite'): 1

B. Petunia 'Supertunia Mini White': 2

C. Umbrella sedge (Cyperus alternifolius): 1

Add Mounds of Texture

This fun combo with traditional petunias and osteospermums is elevated by the dramatic perilla that demands attention. Grow annuals like these from seed to save a little money and have more varieties to choose from.

A. Perilla 'Magilla': 1

B. Petunia 'Supertunia Royal Velvet': 2

C. Osteospermum 'Lemon Symphony': 2