Flower container gardening is a relatively simple way to add color and scent to your yard and home. Climbing vines are great for covering areas such an arbor while some varieties attract butterflies. Others such as bee balm and chamomile are edible. The best way to choose the right plants for you is to think about what you are looking for in a flower container garden.

Design in Flower Container Gardening

When flower container gardening, it is important to consider the growing behavior of flowers. Some varieties like to climb and require equipment such as a trellis or netting. These plants include species such as hops, honeysuckle, and morning glories. Profile plants work well as focal points in container gardens. Keeping the size of your container in mind, plants such as daisies, poppies, or carnations make for colorful container subjects. Mid-level plants also depend on the size of your container. Petunias, phlox, or marigold may work, but the overall size should match what you have already chosen. The idea of mid-level plants is that is adds fullness to the focal point. Low growing plants can spread or simply be numerous to make the pot look full and inviting. Examples of great small fillers include creeping jenny, alyssum, and portulaca.

Annuals

Annuals are readily available from most store and economical making them a great choice for flower container gardening. When a plant is referred to as an annual, it means that the plant only grows and blooms for one season before going into seed and dying. These types of plants grow with little difficulty and the blooms usually appear in drove giving you the most bang for your buck. Another benefit to annuals is that they are not considered aggressive unless the seed is allowed to spread. This not only makes them a good candidate for growing with other varieties, but the seed can be left to spread on its own or it can be carefully collected to use for the next growing season. Some example of these include petunias, cosmos, and lobelia.

Perennials

Perennials are ideal for those looking for a more permanent solution when flower container gardening. Although considerably more expensive than annuals, perennial flowers continue to grow back each season eliminating the need for yearly planting. Another benefit to choosing perennials when flower container gardening is that, even when the blooms dry, the foliage stays green and fresh looking until winter arrives. Those that die away make room for the annuals, which are in full swing. Irises, tulips, lilies, and delphinium are great perennials to start you off.

Biennials

Flower container gardening with biennials gives you the beautiful foliage of perennials without a long time commitment. Biennial plants have a life of two years; they grow the first year and bloom the second year before dying. As with perennials, the blooms die quickly. Biennials are also much like annuals in that the foliage dies shortly after it blooms. Two biennials of choice are chrysanthemums and canterbury bells.

Annuals make great plants for beginners because they are economical and easy to grow. Perennials and biennials can require a bit more attention. Although biennials and perennials are more expensive to purchase, money is save by not having to replace them each year and the flowers they produce are well worth it.