6 Things: Container Garden Trends for Spring

Container gardens will always be an essential component of our outdoor spaces; they’re versatile, practical, and add instant appeal to patios, decks, and porches. With that said, we’re constantly coming up with new ways to freshen up these classic plantings for the next season—adding unusual elements, pairing unexpected botanicals, or making updates to the containers themselves. Below, you’ll find six ideas we’re particularly excited about this spring.

1. Natural structure: Adding natural elements to build structure and height in your container garden is a simple way to make a classic container planting feel custom. Kerry Ann McClean from our green goods team suggests using “foraged pieces like clumps of tied grass, defoliated vines, dried winter seed pods, and stumps or buy pieces like ghostwood or vine wreaths that can be unwound and broken apart.” Just remember, always get permission when collecting from private and public lands that are not your own!

2. Textured foliage: Try pairing multiple textures of the same hue together for a standout container. We love the idea of trading the traditional bright colors of the season for a more muted, monotone approach that brings a layered, tactile feel to the garden.

3. Dry gardens: “Dry gardens are as much about the stone and gravel used to plant into as they are about the plants themselves,” Kerry Ann says. “Use scree (a loose planting mix made mostly of fine stone particles, sand, and a little organic matter) to sit shallow-rooted plants into. Top dress using stone mulches in varying sizes (sand to grit to gravel). Thoughtfully place larger stones with character to create a landscape of miniature mountains. Tuck plants in clusters against these larger stones to mimic the way plants seek moisture and protection against stone outcropping in nature. Viola! The ultimate low maintenance garden.”

4. Red succulents: If you feel like you’re in need of an update to the green succulents, aloe, and cacti that have proliferated over the last few years, try adding a bunch of deep red varieties to the mix. They’re just as hardy and easy to care for as their verdant counterparts, but they add an element of surprise to a well-trodden container trend.

5. Raised containers: Elevate your containers this season—literally! Simply adding an elevated base to any of your containers will add visual interest, especially when grouped together in varying heights and sizes. “Raised containers are also great for maintenance if bending down is a challenge,” Kerry Ann adds.

6. Meadow plantings: Bring the wild, natural feeling of a meadow in springtime to your own garden by planting up an array of wispy, colorful, and ethereal plants and flowers. “Just keep the tallest plants to the center and taper off to the edges,” Kerry Ann advises. “This is a great opportunity to use those plants that have gotten a little leggy waiting for a new home from their nursery pot!”

Inspired to add something fresh and new to your patio this season? Be sure to stop by your local terrain for all the elements you need for any one of these container garden ideas.