Elevate Your Outdoor Decor

It’s time to decorate your outdoor space with plants and flowers! Containers are perfect for displaying plants on your patio, balcony or other outdoor spaces.

Here are some tips to consider when creating your summer container display.

Design Elements for Visual Appeal

When it comes to containers, plants are typically grouped into three categories: thriller, filler and spiller.

Thriller: These plants add height to the container and are usually the focal point. Examples of thrillers are purple fountain grass, canna lilies and colocasia.

Filler: Plants in this category fill the space around thrillers. They are shorter than thrillers and may have a more spreading habit. Some common examples are petunias, begonias and geraniums.

Spiller: As the name suggests, these plants have a trailing habit that leads them to spill over the side of containers. Examples of spillers include sweet potato vine, creeping jenny and vinca vine.

Your site’s conditions are crucial in deciding what plants to grow. Sites with full sun are great for flowering plants that prefer heat, while shaded areas are ideal for foliage plants. If you have part shade, consider using a mix of foliage and flowering plants that grow well in less sun.

Transform Ordinary to Extraordinary

Each of us has our favorite colors, but certain combinations of colors tend to stand out and make the plants shine. You can divide colors into two categories: warm and cool. Here’s a description of each with examples.

Warm Colors: Think of colors that remind you of sunsets, like orange, red and yellow. These energetic colors make the plants seem closer to you. Color affects your perception of space; warm colors can make a room feel smaller and more enclosed.

Cool Colors: These colors make the plants seem further away, allowing a small space to feel more significant. Cool colors also bring a soothing effect to an area. Purple, white, blue and green are examples.

Gardeners often use themed containers with cool or warm colors to create a consistent look. One thing to remember is that color applies to foliage, too. Many annuals have colorful foliage, like flowers, that may be used as a focal point.

Elevate Visual Appeal With Textured Plants

Texture plays a role in how you perceive the plants in a container. There are two types of texture: fine and coarse.

Fine-textured plants usually have small leaves or flowers, giving them a light or airy feel. Some examples are purple fountain grass, creeping jenny and baby’s breath.

Coarse-textured plants have large leaves or flowers, making them feel big and heavy. A few examples are alocasia, colocasia and canna lilies.

Use Foliage to Create Unique Displays

Flowers are the main attraction for many annuals but it’s good to include foliage in your plant palette. Whether you have sun or shade, many plants have unique foliage with different shapes, sizes and colors. If you have little sunlight on your site, foliage may be a crucial part of your design. However, there are many foliage plants for sunnier sites too.

Containers are an excellent growing method to bring the plants closer to you. It’s time to get outside and enjoy another growing season!

About the Author:

Jung Seed is a family-owned and operated garden and seed company based in Wisconsin. Respected for quality, value and service since 1907. They have the largest selection of non-GMO seeds, plants, bulbs and supplies online.