Container Gardens

While brightly colored flowers in containers are always eye-catching, dark-hued plants and containers can be just as stunning. Just choosing a dark-colored planter instantly lends an elegant, modern feel to a container garden, but filling it with equally dark red, purple, or bronze plants really makes an impact. Here are some of the best thrillers, fillers, and spillers for dark containers, plus a few of our favorite ways to mix and match these plants to create the perfect, moody look for fall or any time of year.

If you travel frequently or tend to over or under water your plants, self-watering planters are the solution to keeping your plants healthy. To find the best options, we tested a dozen planters over the course of six months, noting how easy they were to use and how well our plants fared. Whether you’re looking for a hanging self-watering basket for your parched petunias or a large, striking planter with a huge water reservoir for a sunny deck, we have something for every gardener.

Plants of all kinds can spruce up your home’s exterior instantly, but you don’t need a gigantic yard to accommodate flowers, herbs, or even vegetables. If you’re looking to scale back from planting large flower gardens or if you are short on outdoor space, consider adding window boxes to your home.

While a simple pair of potted plants can provide a little boost to a backyard, assembling containers in larger groupings can transform the space entirely. But coming up with the right mix of potted plantings requires an eye for design. Enter garden designer and instructor Rochelle Greayer. Here, she shares lessons from her own backyard for container gardens that transform any outdoor space.

Whether you want to grow a pot of herbs or create some colorful porch pots, how many plants should you put in one container? The answer depends on the size of the container in question, the types of plants you want to grow, and the look you're going for. Get your container gardens off to a strong start with these tips on figuring out how many plants to grow in them.

Whether the backdrop is a leafy green garden or a dark fence, a container of silver plants instantly brightens the landscape. In the warm months, silver foliage has the added benefit of adding a cooling visual effect, too. Ready to start bringing a little shimmer into your yard? Here are 5 of our favorite container combos highlighting the luminous allure of silver plants.