Creative Container Ideas For 2018

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Container gardening gives you the best of both worlds: flexibility and the ease of adding this summer’s garden trends to your yard, without the time commitment! What are this year’s top gardening trends?  These trends are unconventional with their large selection of colorful plants and edible container gardens (yes, that is a real thing)! Of course, the popular succulent is finding new ways to be enjoyed all year round.

Color of the Year

Each year, the trend for gardening colors is influenced by the Pantone color of the year. This year’s Pantone color, Ultraviolet, is one that won’t disappoint, especially in your container garden.

Ultraviolet is a complex color that sits on the edge of our visible spectrum. Our eyes only see a portion of the color, unlike bees and other pollinators that experience a wider spectrum of vision and its full color! Did you know that ultraviolet is a real, measurable color, while purple is an imagined color that only exists in your brain?

In your container garden, ultraviolet flowers can appear vivid and lively during the day, then suddenly gloomy by sunset. How can you keep ultraviolet flowers vibrant all day? You can add bright, yellow flowers to your container to bring out ultraviolet’s best features. Since ultraviolet is opposite to yellow on the color chart, these colors will complement each other well! You can also pair it with chartreuse foliage, an eye-catching bright plant, to prevent your ultraviolet plant from getting lost in the shade.

Our ultraviolet flowers are easy to maintain over the summer and will look amazing in the Fall, with the changing colors and lower sunlight. You’ll find some beautiful, ultraviolet flowers at our garden centers this summer, including  Wishbone Flower, and ‘Supertunia Royal Velvet’ Petunia.

Edible Container Gardens

Edible container gardens provide the benefits of vegetable gardening without the hassle! You can enjoy garden-fresh vegetables right from your patio.

To get the best results, choose a larger container, that is at least 12 inches in diameter with sufficient drainage, and use a soilless mixture like our KVG GOOD STUFF potting soil. Since vegetable plants need at least 6 hours of sunlight during the hottest part of the day, you’ll want to be sure to place your container in a sunny area. Keep your containers well-watered and apply a dose of KVG GOOD STUFF fertilizer every few weeks after first planting your vegetables.

Depending on the vegetable, you can plant them from seed or transplants. Tomatoes can be easily transplanted and grow well in large containers.

One of our favorite edible plants is the Pepper Mad Hatter, also known as the Sweet Pepper, originally from Peru and Bolivia. The Pepper Mad Hatter can get up to 4 ft tall and are well-suited for a large container. You can enjoy their super-crunchy and sweet flavored fruit right from your backyard. Pick some up from one of our many Kansas plant nurseries!

Another one of our top edible plants is an indigo tomato and a 2018 All American Selections Winner called ‘Midnight Snack’. The unique coloration of the indigo-type cherry tomato is a mix of red and black-purple, when exposed to sunlight. Not only is their fruit packed with antioxidants, but they are a delicious and a healthy midnight snack alternative.

You can also search our super-duper plant search for a list of all the vegetables that we carry at our garden centers.

Popular Succulents

Succulent plants are continuing to be a popular trend this year and it is easy to see why.  They add the right combination of ease-of-care and modern design. This may be the easiest plant in your container to take care of!

Succulents are well-suited in for shallow containers or terra-cotta pots, and there is a plethora of fun and modern containers to choose from. You can choose anything from vintage to modern-looking containers, such as old birdcages, to add a trendy design to your yard. Let your imagination run wild finding fun containers such as seashells, teacups, old bowls, vases, watering cans, wooden drawers, Tonka trucks; heck, even old high-tops can be cute! Just be sure to drill holes for drainage.

You can increase the longevity of your succulents and save money by following these tips:  Succulents thrive when planted in a blend of peat-based potting mix, like our KVG potting soil. Our soil is also great for starting your own cuttings, simply pluck off a baby rosette or growth tip if it’s a sedum-like succulent and set it on the soil surface. This is best done in summer when the soil temperature is warm, and give it some shade during the hottest part of the day. You just need to water when the surface is dry until it sends out roots. Avoid overwatering though too.

• Add a layer of pebbles on the bottom of your container to help with drainage if you are using a heavier soil mix.

• Choose containers that have sufficient drainage and water only when soil is very dry. 

• The most common cause of death is over-watering, poor drainage and non-porous soils.

• If you notice the leaves are getting sunburned, move to a shadier location. Most of them enjoy full sun, but some can get leaf burn.

You can enjoy your succulents all year round by bringing them indoors during the fall.  You might want to spray your container for bugs before bringing inside and keep your containers in a sunny window during the winter. Some types, like sedums, might need trimmed back if they get leggy.

You can choose from a nice blend of different shapes and colors of succulents from our garden center in Mission.

Adding beautiful colors to your yard can be enjoyable and easy with container gardening. This year’s gardening trends provide endless possibilities to be creative with your containers and enjoy your masterpieces throughout the summer!