Plant Combinations for Spring Container Gardening

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Last year I did a post with Helen Weis from Unique by Design on container gardening basics. And when I tell you it’s been our most popular post…that’s really an understatement. It’s gotten almost half of our pageviews over the past 12 months. Crazy! [Thanks again Helen…oh-wise-guru-of-all-things-container-gardening!!]

Soooo….I thought I’d follow-up with another container gardening post…showing you what I did in some of my containers this spring…providing you with linked lists of the plant combinations I chose. Here you go…

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36” Window Box on Our Back Porch Railing (Sun/Partial Shade)

Since this window box is right outside our back door, it’s the one that greets our friends and family whenever they come over for a visit…and the container that we see more than any other. So at the very least, it needed to be welcoming. Although sometimes I’ll put a pop of color in it…this year I remained true to the green & white palette you’ll find in the rest of our yard.

Spring Container Gardening Plant Combinations - Redeem Your Ground | RYGblog.com

Spring Container Gardening Plant Combinations - Redeem Your Ground | RYGblog.com48” Stone Trough Planter on Our Pergola (Partial Shade)

I needed to soften the lines of our pergola right next to our hanging day bed, but I didn’t have enough room to put a pot  > 10” wide…nor did I want to put a series of small pots all in a row. I also needed to stick with plants that were more shade-loving…given that the Evergreen Clematis “Armandii” has completely covered our pergola. So using an old 4′ trough planter…this is what I came up with.

Spring Container Gardening Plant Combinations - Redeem Your Ground | RYGblog.com

Spring Container Gardening Plant Combinations - Redeem Your Ground | RYGblog.com

24” Window Box on Our Potting Shed (Partial Shade)

As is often one of the primary reasons you add a container to an outdoor space, I wanted to soften the otherwise hard lines of our potting shed…while also adding a bit of texture. I may not get enough sun to get many strawberries, but I thought it was also at least worth trying to add some edibles in this small window box.

Spring Container Gardening Plant Combinations - Redeem Your Ground | RYGblog.com

Spring Container Gardening Plant Combinations - Redeem Your Ground | RYGblog.com

5’2″ Window Box on Our Chicken Coop (Partial Sun)

I inherited this large wooden window box from my in-laws…painted it the same color black as the shutters and doors of our home, chicken coop, and potting shed…and hung it on one of the two large “windows” of our coop. In addition to wanting it to be dense with plant material…for obvious reasons due to its location, I also wanted to use plants that had bug repellent qualities.

Spring Container Gardening Plant Combinations - Redeem Your Ground | RYGblog.com

Spring Container Gardening Plant Combinations - Redeem Your Ground | RYGblog.com

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So there you have it. What have you planted in your containers this year? I’d love to see what you’ve come up with to redeem your ground through container gardening.

Spring Container Gardening Plant Combinations - Redeem Your Ground | RYGblog.com

Take care my plant-loving friends,
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8 Comments

  1. Donna Swalley on May 1, 2015 at 7:18 pm

    Thank you for this post. I’m hoping to do my containers next week on our NEW front porch. . The area is shaded and you gave me great ideas for plants to choose from. Thanks!

    • Doug Scott on May 2, 2015 at 11:25 am

      Donna…I look forward to seeing your NEW porch…and what you come up with for your containers. Cheers, D.

  2. Deb on May 4, 2015 at 11:44 am

    I am planning to add a window box to my chicken coop this year. Never thought about using plants with bug repellent qualities. Thanks for the idea!

    • Doug Scott on May 4, 2015 at 3:13 pm

      Thanks Deb. Lemon Balm is a great plant in the “mint” family that I’ve used…as well as the geraniums. A number of other herbs have insect-repellent qualities…for example: thyme, other mints, basil, and lavender (which is also purdy!). And of course citronella grass…and Marigolds. Let me know what works for you so I can try them out too. As always…thanks for chiming into the discussion my friend. Take care, D.

  3. Lucy on May 4, 2015 at 1:26 pm

    Love the caladiums in the window boxes. Going to try that when it’s time to refresh mine.

    • Doug Scott on May 4, 2015 at 3:07 pm

      Thanks for chiming in Lucy! I love including caladiums in my window boxes…they provide great height as a centerpiece plant/”thriller”…and given their unique leaf size/shape, they provide great interest/texture to a container garden. They are also a bit nostalgic for me…since my mom would use them in our landscape beds growing up in Florida. Please send us pics of your window boxes…would love to see how they turn out. Take care, D.

  4. Gail on May 8, 2015 at 7:46 am

    Everything is beautiful and always enjoy your pictures and the comments! Keep up the great work.

    • Doug Scott on May 8, 2015 at 5:03 pm

      Thanks so much Gail!!! So appreciate your continued support my friend. Take care, D.

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