Plants for Summer Containers — Simple Creative Home

Summer Containers for the Front Garden via Cottage Magpie

I have this ongoing battle with the front containers. Every year I get this idea that I want to plant them up with evergreens or perennials so that we'll have foliage and interest year after year without having to buy starts at the local garden center. But then every year I realize after a winter of neglect that the perennials (or evergreens) are miserable and sad, really need to be just planted in the ground.

I'm not good with containers, have I mentioned that? When I say that I am a low-maintenance gardener, what I mean is that I don't maintain anything. I mean, sure, I weed from time to time, and mow as often as necessary, but otherwise? It's a cutthroat business, this garden of mine.

So this year, I decided that enough was enough. Annuals do well all season in the containers. They are welcoming and colorful. Sure, they'll die this fall, but you know what? That's perfectly okay. I'll stick some evergreen clippings in the pots for the holiday season and that will be that. Problem solved.

Life is so much easier when you just accept the reality of who you are, don't you think?

Summer Containers for the Front Garden via Cottage Magpie

I had to include some carnations. I love love love the way they smell. I put them in the post closest to the window, I'm hoping I'll be able to smell them from inside.

Summer Containers for the Front Garden via Cottage Magpie

I have eight containers in the front garden. Two by the door, two by the porch and two by the bench. I used to have two by the garage door, but this last year I moved them to the path to the gate. I still may add a pair to the garage area, but I'm not sure. I've run out of pots and I don't want to buy any more! :-) I do still have a matching pair of barrels, so maybe I'll use those. Eventually. For now, I just have the eight.

Summer Containers for the Front Garden via Cottage Magpie

I put Calibrachoa in almost all of the pots. You may have seen them marketed as "Million Bells"? They look kind of like tiny petunias and are great for pots, spilling over the edges, even in partial shade. You can see I only planted these a week ago and they're already expanding like crazy.

Summer Containers for the Front Garden via Cottage Magpie

Someday I might get ambitious enough to start all my plants from seed. Or to take cuttings and keep them over winter, since several of these plants are actually tender perennials. But for now, having my annual birthday ritual of picking out flowers for the pots is working for me.

Summer Containers for the Front Garden via Cottage Magpie

They're still very sparse, but I still kinda love them! And I love knowing that cheery billows of little flowers will be spilling over the edges of these containers all summer long.

Do you plant annuals at all?

Linking up to: An Oregon Cottage and Sew Much Ado.