How to Choose Container Plants Place in the Shade
As I mentioned in the last blog, Container Plants for Sun, after you choose your containers and place them where you want them, you need to determine how much sun they will receive. Containers that are in the sun six or more hours a day need plants that grow in the sun and containers that get less than six hours a day of sun need plants that grow in the shade.
Fewer types of flowers flourish in the shade, so you may have to depend on plants with colorful foliage to add bright spots to your shady areas. Here are some suggestions for plant combinations for containers in the shade.
Here are some suggestions for plant combinations for containers in the sun:
Green and Yellow:
- An Elephant Ear (Alocasia or Colocasia species) in the center of the container for height
- Several Coleus with yellow tinted foliage placed around the Elephant Ear for mid-level color
- Several yellow-leaved Sweet Potato Vines (Ipomoea species) spaced around the edges of the container where they will hang down
Pink and Purple:
- Purple Fountain Grass (Pennisetum species) at the back of the container for height
- A Coleus with purple or pink tinted foliage in front of the Fountain Grass for mid-level color
- A pink Impatiens in front of the Coleus for low-level color
- Licorice Plant (Helichrysum species) in front of container to drape of edges.
Red and White
- Any type of fern at the back of the container for height
- A red Begonia in the front on one side for color
- A white Fuchsia in the front on the other side for color
You can plant a single type of flowering plants in individual containers and group the containers together for visual impact. Some flowering plants to use for this are Begonias, Browallias, Impatiens and Pentas. To create a focal point, use large foliage plants, such as Caladiums, Elephant Ears, Hostas, or ornamental grasses.
In the next blog, I will tell you How to Plant Your Containers.