| What's the best type of flower for your container | | | | - Ferns. There are many fern varieties that thrive in |
| garden? There are three essentials to consider: | | | | shade gardens. Pick painted ferns with a silvery cast |
| The site: Where you garden is just as important as | | | | or other varieties in green. Ferns provide a refreshing |
| what you plant. | | | | look to your patio or deck planters. |
| For instance, is your site one that gets 6-8 hours of | | | | - Plantain lily (Hostas) are perennial flowers that occur |
| sun a day? Great-you can grow all sorts of annuals, | | | | in varieties that thrive from full shade to full sun. |
| perennials, and vegetables that need this sustained | | | | These big-leafed statement plants send up pretty |
| amount of light. | | | | spikes of blooms in white or lilac come midsummer. |
| Have a shade garden spot? How shady? A northern | | | | (partial shade, depending upon variety) |
| exposure is good to plant moss, and maybe some | | | | - Patience Plant (Impatiens) are low-mounding prolific |
| very low-light bloomers, but not much else. Other | | | | bloomers that glow in the shade. In warmer climates |
| low-light locations offer many more options; in fact, | | | | they'll last year round and mound up quite tall. In |
| there are loads of pretty flowers to plant in a shade | | | | cooler climates, they're great shade annuals. (a part |
| garden. | | | | to full shade plant) |
| In-between? Some sun in the morning and afternoon, | | | | Part Shade |
| but shade during most of the day? That's ok-there | | | | - Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla mollis) are graceful low |
| are plenty of flowers and herbs you can grow in this | | | | growers with scalloped-edged leaves and lime-green |
| setting. | | | | flowers. In the morning, dew collects in the leaves. |
| How about weight? If you garden on the roof or | | | | - Caladium have lovely heart-shaped leaves in lots of |
| balcony (or if you have hanging planters), weight is a | | | | colors, from white through pink, red, and green. |
| factor in your garden planters. Use soilless potting | | | | Great potted up singly or as an accent with a variety |
| mixtures and make sure to use outdoor planters | | | | of flower types. (partial shade to shade) |
| within site weight tolerances. | | | | - Pot Marigolds (Calendula officinalis) are very bright |
| Your Style: What types of flowers do you enjoy? | | | | yellow to orange-colored annual flowers that provide |
| When you look out your condo or apartment | | | | blasts of color to garden planters. (tolerates part |
| window, do you want to see a riot of color? Or are | | | | shade) |
| you in dire need of a calming Zen moment? Your | | | | - Coleus, Painted Nettle (Coleus blumeii). Like caladium, |
| flower choices will be based on the answers-and in | | | | coleus is also a showy foliage plant available in lots of |
| these two cases, the plant selections couldn't be | | | | colors including purples, deep reds, lime-green, and |
| more different! | | | | yellow. Can grow to 18 inches in the right conditions. |
| If you tend toward lots of color and big, overflowing | | | | Sun |
| pots, try cascading petunias, or mounding tropical | | | | - Mandevilla (Mandevilla laxa) is a showy climbing |
| hibiscus. A more minimalist approach might be a | | | | tropical flower. Beautiful in pots with trellises, they |
| monochromatic or bi-color palette, such as clay | | | | bloom prolifically in shades of white through hot pink. |
| flower pots with lovely white calla lilies and trailing | | | | (blooms best in full sun) |
| variegated ivy. Or perhaps a cloud-carved evergreen | | | | - Oleander (Nerium oleander) and Hibiscus, too, are |
| might be even better. | | | | wonderful when trained as standards with three-foot |
| Your lifestyle: If you're home a lot and love puttering | | | | trunks topped by glossy green leaves and big |
| in your garden, then lots of terra cotta pots (which | | | | flowers. Both types of flowers can be purchased in |
| dry out faster than cement or stone planters) filled | | | | spring at most nurseries. |
| with water-hogging flower types would be just fine | | | | - African Daisy (Osteospermum) is just one type of |
| for you. On the other hand, if you travel, or are just | | | | daisy that blooms well in containers. |
| into low-maintenance living, maybe cacti and | | | | - Geranium (Pelargonium) and Petunias are two types |
| succulents are better choices. | | | | of flowers that come in a variety of colors, bloom in |
| Think through these issues. Your answers will define | | | | full sun but can tolerate part shade, and come in |
| the sort of container garden that will please you. | | | | flower types that both trail or grow upright. A |
| Since sun and shade requirements are really | | | | summer container staple. |
| important considerations, here are some container | | | | - Fanflower (Scaevola) is a wonderful trailing |
| gardening ideas about what types of flowers you | | | | fan-shaped flower that thrives in sun and comes in |
| might use in three different light situations: | | | | both white and lavender. |
| Full shade | | | | |