Summer wouldn’t be complete without some beautiful containers. Whatever look you’re going for, we’ve done the hard work for you, picking a mix of plants for sun and shade, in a range of different colours and planting styles.
Our selection mixes traditional bedding plants such as garvinea with perennials such as black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), achillea and penstemon, with grasses and foliage plants for extra interest. Take inspiration from our selection, below, and watch these video guides, showing how to plant up a pot for summer colour and how to water and care for it.
More summer gardening content:
Just peachy
Place a shorter container display on a table, where you can better admire its blooms.
We used:
- Salvia ‘Salmia Orange’
- Pelargonium ‘Mrs Pollock’
- Fuchsia ‘Coachman’
- Musa acuminata ‘Dwarf Cavendish’
- Calibrachoa ‘Mini Rosebud Romantic Peachy’
- Aeonium Velour
Delightful dahlias
This scented container comes into its own on balmy summer evenings.
We used:
- Nicotiana ‘Lime Green’
- Dahlia ‘Twyning’s After Eight’
- Isotoma axillaris ‘Gemini Blue’
- Glandularia ‘Samira Blue’
Bowl of beauties
This collection of sun-lovers will be a magnet for pollinating insects.
We used:
- Pennisetum setaceum ‘Skyrocket’
- Senecio polyodon
- Ammi majus
- Origanum laevigatum ‘Herrenhausen’
- Erodium variabile ‘Bishop’s Form’
Hot colours
This fiery pot is perfect for a sunny spot.
We used:
- Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora ‘Emily McKenzie’
- Penstemon ‘Red Riding Hood’
- Rudbeckia fulgida ‘City Garden’
- Anemanthele lessoniana
- Libertia ixioides ‘Goldfinger’
Bedding container
This bright pot will thrive in a sunny position. The plants may not be fully hardy, so will need some protection over winter.
- Garvinea (hardy gerbera)
- Begonia sutherlandii
- Carex comans
- Angelonia angustifolia
Meadow planting
This meadow-inspired pot will do best in a sunny spot.
- Centranthus ruber, known as red valerian
- Achillea ‘Terracotta’
- Salvia nemorosa ‘Ostfriesland’
- Hordeum jubatum
- Linaria purpurea
- Geum ‘Mrs J Bradshaw’
Wildlife-friendly
This pot will attract bees and other pollinators.
- Achillea millefolium ‘Red Velvet’
- Malva sylvestris ‘Brave Heart’
- Penstemon ‘Pershore Pink Necklace’
- Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’
- Scabiosa atropurpurea ‘Black Cat’
Shady container
This planting combination will thrive in a shady area.
- Acer palmatum ‘Katsura’
- Tiarella ‘Iron Butterfly’
- Lamprocapnos spectabilis ‘Alba’ (Dicentra)
- Ivy (Hedera helix)
Perfumed purples
It wouldn’t be summer without some fragrance to fill the air.
- Nicotiana ‘Perfume Deep Purple’
- Mixed Solenostemon (coleus)
- Rudbeckia hirta ‘Denver Daisy’
Light and dark
Use a black container to contrast with the paler tones of these plants.
- Bidens ferulifolia
- Solenostemon ‘Lime Wizard’
- Tulbaghia violacea ‘Silver Lace’
- Euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’
Shades of pink
Perfect for a sunny spot, this container is packed with shades of pink, purple and green.
- Canna ‘Phasion’
- Cosmos ‘Casanova Red’
- Nicotiana alata
- Solenostemon ‘Lime Wizard’
- Ipomoea ‘Black Tone’
- Begonia ‘Glowing Embers’
- Petunia ‘Bright Lights’
- Celosia caracas
Pink and white
This floaty combination will last for months on end.
- Gaura ‘Whirling Butterflies’
- Miscanthus ‘Morning Light’
- Diascia ‘Juliet Pink’
- Verbena ‘Aztec Silver Magic’
- Heucherella ‘Tapestry’
Move on up
Extend the interest vertically with climbing plants that flower along their length.
- Tropaeolum peregrinum
- Nemesia ‘Easter Bonnet’
Keep it simple
Planted in a rustic metal container, this bountiful lavender exudes south of France charm.
Fresh and formal
Planted in a wooden tub, this clipped box cone is ideal where formal containers are required.
- Buxus sempervirens (box)
- Veronica ‘Shirley Blue’
- Ajuga ‘Chocolate Chip’
Sun-baked spots
Planted with sun-loving succulents, this pot is best sited in those hot spots of your garden.
- Hylotelephium ‘Pinky’
- Sedum ‘Blue Carpet’
- Saxifraga ‘Doctor Ramsey’
- Rhodanthemum ‘African Eyes’
- Sedum ‘Cape Blanco’
Brilliant for bees
Bees are especially attracted to purple and pink flowers, and this pot is brimming with them.
Dreamy daisies
This cheery pot is filled with long-flowering daisies, complemented by glaucous brassica leaves.
- Osteospermum ‘Glistening White’
- Brachyscome ‘Bravo Mix’
- Kohlrabi ‘Lanro’
Nicotiana profusion
Nicotianas are brilliant performers. This pared back pairing combines a red-brown and a green-flowered variety.
Versatile veg
A mix of zinnias are a cheering sight in this pot, but they’re supported by beautiful veg and herbs that hide bare soil.
Cornfield charm
This refreshingly blue container is planted up with masses of cornflowers, direct-sown in early spring.
Cottage garden
This three-plant blend will lend a relaxed, cottage garden feel to wherever you site it.
Solo sagina
You don’t always need to pack a container with different to plants to make an impression. This robust pearlwort will positively sparkle all by itself.
- Sagina subulata
Keep your container displays looking vibrant for longer, watch this video guide to creating a container for late summer colour.
Keep the display going
Many of the plants shown here are perennials. Cut back after flowering and they should reappear next year. Alternatively, plant in the garden when the display is over.
