4 things to consider before shopping for flowers for your containers

1. Consider colors

Before you begin shopping for plants, pick out the color or color scheme you would like to incorporate in your container keeping in mind the color of the container and the background. For instance, if you have a black container and a dark background you may want to choose bright colors to stand out against the dark container and background like we did with the container to the right.

2. Consider sunlight

You also want to consider the amount of sunlight your container will be getting each day. For example, if your container will be sitting under a covered front porch that does not get much sunlight you will want to look for plants that require shade. If your container is sitting by your pool and will be getting the sunlight all day you want to look for flowers that take full sun such as a Zinnia.

3. Consider water

Consider how much water your flowers are going to get. Do you have an automatic sprinkler that will be watering your flowers everyday? If so, look for flowers that tolerate wet conditions such as a Coleus. Will your flowers be in the hot sun all day? You may want to consider looking for drought tolerant flowers such as a Vinca.

​4. Consider size of container

The size of your container will help you determine how many plants you will need. If I am working with a round container I like to use an odd number of plants to keep the arrangement looking round like the container. Listed below is the amount of plants I usually use with their respective container sizes. Note that this can vary depending on the kind of plants you get. For example, some plants fill out a lot more than others and need much more room to grow such as a Petunia. Also, keep in mind if you are buying packs of plants you will need to buy more to fill up your container. Packs are smaller plants and will not fill out nearly as fast because most are sprayed with a growth regulator called B-NINE that stunts the growth of plants. Some greenhouses (not us) will do this to regulate the size of the plant making it easier to transport and to extend the shelf life of the plants. 
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4" - 6" container: 1 plant
8" - 10" container: 3 plants
12" - 14" container: 5 plants
16" - 18" container: 7 - 9 plants
20" - 22" container: 11 - 13 plants
24" - 26" container: 15 - 17 plants

Again this is just a general guideline to get you started. The number of plants you put in your container is completely up to you!

​Now get out your green thumb, get your hands dirty, and have some fun!