How to Arrange Plant Containers
- 1). Choose plants that have the same light requirements. Choose all shady plants for a spot under an awning or all sun-loving plants for a western-facing balcony. For example, if you plant begonias, which prefer shade, with zinnias that love the sun, one or the other won't thrive. The same logic applies to watering requirements. Lantana loves the sun and is drought-tolerant. Plant lantana with echinacea or gaillardia, both of which are drought-tolerant as well.
- 2). Place the container in its permanent position. Put a paper towel in the bottom of the container over the drainage holes. The towel keeps soil from leaking out but allows water to drain. Fill the pot two-thirds full of soil.
- 3). Put a tall upright plant such as salvia or snapdragons in the center of the pot. Fountain grass and meadow rue serve this purpose as well. The tall stems and branches lead the eye upward. Don't remove the plant from its nursery container.
- 4). Place a cascading plant on either side of the upright plant. The stems and leaves of the plant will soften the edges of the planter and add contrast to the upright plant. Ivy geranium and bacopa are good choices. Asparagus ferns grow well in sunny areas and add greenery to the container. They do flower but the flowers are insignificant. Ivy does well in the shade, as does trailing vinca, which has blue star-shaped flowers.
- 5). Arrange a bushy plant in the container on the opposite sides of the cascading plants. The growth habit of these plants will fill the container in, giving it a lush look. Petunias, nemesia and medium-size zinnias will keep blooming all summer.
- 6). Adjust the arrangement of the flowers until you're satisfied with the look. Take the plants out of their pots, starting with the tall upright center plant and plant them into the container. Some of the smaller plants may have to have additional soil put underneath them to bring them up to the right height.
- 7). Fill in any gaps with small plants from six-packs of plants. Good choices would be sweet alyssum and lobelia. Top off the container with soil. Push it between the plants so that there's firm contact between the root balls and the soil. Water the newly planted container garden well. Remove spent blossoms to keep the flowers blooming.