Top 10 Plants for Pots and Containers

Pots and containers offer the gardener great versatility and are a fantastic way to experiment with planting and design. From short-term bedding displays to permanent features of small trees and topiary, planting in pots adds another dimension to the garden, softening corners, brightening dull spots and providing instant, yet easily changeable, results.

When choosing your pot, stick to just one or two different materials. Take your cue from the style of the house and garden – red brick buildings are enhanced by terracotta containers, while a modern plot is the best backdrop for galvanised metal pots.

Bigger pots have more impact and plants growing in them won’t dry out as quickly, but an eclectic group of small containers creates a quirky, ever-changing scene. Repetition can be effective – garden designers often use three or more identical containers planted with the same plants, for maximum impact.

To recreate the pot pictured above, you will need to plant Zinnia marylandica ‘Zahara Yellow’, Lantana ‘Lucky Pure Gold’, Bidens aurea, yellow tagetes, Helichrysum ‘Silver Mist’ and Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Sonata White’.

Alan Titchmarsh shares his five favourite plants for containers in this short video from BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine.

Some plants work well in pots all year round. These include hardy evergreen foliage plants like yucca, English ivy variegated euonymus and heuchera, and flowering plants like Skimmia japonica and hebes. Evergreens tend to be best for year-round pot displays as they are always in leaf and therefore always have something to offer the display. Match them with plants that flower at different times – from spring through to winter. Planting long-flowering plants like