Take your outdoor space from so-so to stunning with beautiful summer planters! Whether you’re going for quiet elegance or a bold statement, the many annuals (and perennials!) available this time of year make it easy to achieve just the right look.
All you need to do is follow some simple rules and you’ll be creating containers the whole neighborhood will envy.
Container Planting Guidelines
- Use good soil. A high quality potting soil will provide your annuals with a happy home where they will thrive. This means soil designated as potting soil – not garden soil or dirt from your yard, which is too heavy for annuals. We like Coast of Maine, which also has the added benefit of being organic, but have had good luck with Miracle Gro, too.
- Plant a thriller, filler, and spiller. You’ve probably hear this mantra more than once, and that’s because it works. The golden rule of a beautiful container is to plant something with height (the thriller), something that fills in the middle space (the filler), and then something that trails over the rim of your planter (the spiller). It’s a simple design approach that delivers amazing results.
- Fertilize. It takes a lot of energy for your annuals to put on a continuous show of color and blooms for the season, Since they are heavy feeders, they need plenty of nutrients. A liquid fertilizer like fish emulsion or Miracle Gro applied according to the directions on the label will ensure your potted beauties thrive.
- Don’t be afraid to get creative. Other than the three steps listed above, there are no rules! Give your artistic spirit free reign; that’s part of the process. Having a plan before you hit the garden center is recommended, so do some research on what appeals to you, develop a color palette, and have at it.
To help get your creative juices flowing, we’ve curated 15 gorgeous summer planters for inspiration.
Let the show begin!
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Bold & Colorful
Color, color, and more color! That’s the theme for this brilliant display featuring chartreuse and deep red coleus, chartreuse sweet potato vine, pink Mandevilla, and pink petunias. A simple black planter creates a neutral foundation for this vibrant creation.
Country Cottage
Just two plants combine for a gorgeous display in this aged whisky barrel. Magenta foxgloves and white flowering calibrachoa (or Mission Bells) make lovely partners. The leaves from the foxgloves act as the filler, while the flower stalks take the roll of thriller; calibrachoa makes a delicate spiller and offers a nice contrast to the large foxglove leaves.
Beware that foxgloves, while beautiful to look at, are poisonous to humans and animals. If you plant them, do so in an area not visited by people or pets.
Red Hot
Designed to look full from day one, this container mixes seven different annuals for maximum impact. Canna lily, two varieties of coleus, tickseed, two varieties of calibrachoa, and creeping jenny come together in this lush display of orange, reds, and yellows.
Quiet Elegance
White washed baskets add texture to this outdoor spot, while echoing the serenity of the surrounding garden space and furnishings. This example is proof that a stunning planter can be as easy as a potted plant set in a pretty container. A white hydrangea in one basket complemented by a miniature rose plant in the other welcomes visitors to this delightful patio.
Window Box Winner
This cheerful window box uses some of the most dependable summer plants available: calibrachoa, sweet potato vine, apricot colored super bells, and what looks like trailing verbena or lantana (the purple flower). It’s the perfect accent to a summer cottage.
Herb Garden
Who says container gardening should be restricted to flowers only? This pot of garden herbs is as useful as it is beautiful. Rosemary, basil, sage, curly and flat leaf parsley, and lavender offer a verdant display and stand ready to serve you in the kitchen. Herbs do best when harvested, so go ahead and snip some leaves for your caprese salad, homemade pizza, or other favorite dish!
Dramatic Display
Create some drama with Kimberly Queen ferns surrounded by wax leaf begonias, coleus, and ivy. The mix of textures keeps this two-toned look from being boring, and that galvanized container is to die for!
Climbing Container
White Mandevilla climbs a tee pee structure fashioned from bamboo plant stakes. It’s the perfect thriller for this cool combo featuring shades of purple, white, and green. Create a similar look by adding Persian Shield for its purple foliage, pink New Guinea impatiens, and trailing purple flowers (these look to be verbena). A concrete or stone container completes this towering arrangement.
Sun Lover
Sun loving hibiscus, lantana, and sweet potato vine come together for a creation that can take the heat. The rich green leaves of the hibiscus contrast beautifully with the chartreuse sweet potato vine, and the colorful lantana makes for a beautiful filler. Bonus: because pollinators like hummingbirds love lantana and hibiscus, they’ll make this container a regular stop on their quest for nectar.
Shady Lady
Brighten up even the shadiest of outdoor spots with a garden container that includes Zanzibar gem (or ZZ plant), red dragon wing begonia, and ‘Escargot’ begonia. We especially love the snail-like pattern of the ‘Escargot’ begonia leaves – truly a showstopper! Give this arrangement at least partial shade for optimal performance.
Blue, White & Apricot
I took color inspiration from this container when planting mine this year. The spires of the blue salvia (there are both annual and perennial varieties) mix beautifully with coral petunias, white Sunpatiens, and creeping jenny. Since I couldn’t get coral petunias, I went with white ones and substituted in coral Sunpatiens, instead. To keep things harmonious, I repeated the color combo in all 12 containers I potted around the house and barn.
Geraniums & Lobelia
Popular among gardeners of all skill levels, geraniums always make a strong showing come summertime. This container features them as the thriller, with blue lobelia and calibrachoa as supporting cast members for a non-stop show all season long. Give them plenty of sun and they’ll reward you for months.
Delicate Delight
Reminiscent of a meadow, this airy container of dahlia, salvia, and switchgrass is actually a perennial option. Plant varieties shown here include ‘Totally Tangerine’ dahlia, salvia ‘Amistad’, and ‘Frosted Explosion’ switchgrass (panicum elegans). If you’re in an area that doesn’t have harsh winters, this planter should provide you with years of blooms and color.
Vineyard Inspiration
The trailing blooms of the Dreaming Lavender (actually a compact version of the Butterfly Bush) look like clusters of grapes hanging in a vineyard. They’re joined by pale pink ‘Attar of Roses’ geraniums and purple-flowering Heliotropium ‘Midnight Sky.’ All three flowering plants offer beautiful color and a heavenly scent.
Hydrangea Happiness
A single hydrangea plant plays the role of thriller, filler, and spiller – genius! Plus, it’s a perennial, so you have a gorgeous summer container ready to perform every year. Be sure to plant this beauty in a pot large enough so it has room to grow. Try an Endless Summer variety for continuous blooming throughout the season.