How to choose plants for your container garden

Growing a garden in planters has some special considerations, which we should use to inform our choice of plants.

Long Bloomtime

Even more so than in a small urban garden, you are likely to view your garden in planters from up close. Especially if it is on a balcony, but even if it is at the edge of your patio or on your front porch. This means we should try to have it look good all the time, despite it's smaller size. It's not going to be good enough to distract your view to somewhere else for a month of the season. One strategy is to choose plants that have exceptionally long bloom times. Generally annuals have the longest bloom times, but there are some perennials that put on a good long show, especially if you keep them deadheaded. I'm thinking of garden sage (Salvia), shasta daisy (Leucanthemum), tickseed (Coreopsis), beebalm (Monarda), catmint (Nepeta) and cransbill(Geranium).

Another strategy is to rely more on the leaves than the flowers for a show. Of course hostas are our main contender. But also consider the coral bells (Heuchera), lungworts (Pulmonaria), and all of the ornamental grasses. Both little bluestem (Schizachyrium scopariuim) and japanese forest grass (Hakonecloa) look positively stunning in planters. 

Extra Winter Hardy

Your planter is a harsher environment than the ground and is more likely to freeze and thaw multiple times over the winter. For this reason, stick to plants that are a zone hardier than your map tells you. Just be conservative. Pick a rose that is breed in the prairies rather than the warm balmy climate of England, for instance. Native ground covers, such as this Canadian Ginger (Asarum canadense) do wonderfully in pots. 

Shallow Roots

We don't often think about the root zone of plants, but it is at least as important to picking appropriate plants as their sun and water requirements. Plants that want to grow a big deep root system aren't usually good candidates for planters. I would avoid false indigo (Baptisia) and sea holly (Eryngium). Instead, look for plants that stay shallow. Those that spread along the ground above or just under the soil, such as the mints are good choices. Those include Beebalm (Monarda),catmint (Nepeta), obedient plant (Physostegia). Also consider any of the sedums. Other shallow rooted plants are lamb's ears (Stachys), yarrow (Achillea), oregano, thyme and, surprisingly, lavender.

Canadian Shield Plants

When I think about the landscape north of Toronto, shallow patches of soil on top of smooth rock comes to mind. That pretty much describes a planter on a balcony. So, you should expect any plant from the Canadian Sheild stands a good chance in your planter garden. Think of the junipers and jack pine trees with their roots wrapped around the rocks by the lake and the tamarak surviving in a beaver meadow. The wild canadian columbine, sedges (Carex), blueberry and bunchberry would be the call those harsh environments hom

Our selection

You'll find a collection at our store of plants that should fit the criteria for planters. Of course, not every plant will fit every planter situation. You still need to take into account sunlight, zone, watering needs, and simply how you want it to look. But, we hope that this selection of best bets will get you started. Planter Friendly Plant Collection