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Container Garden Ideas: Inspiration and Recipes #2

More lovely container garden ideas, inspiration and recipes. Lovely container garden images and plant combinations from thriller plants to spiller plants and filler plants and everything in between.

Hello friends!

It’s that time again!

What time would that be, Lynn?

Well silly, it’s time to get our Container Garden ideas on paper, planned and planted…of course!

Oh, THAT time! Right!

I am continuing my quest to document Container Garden ideas as I come across them.  I’m beginning to think of myself as the Julia Childs of Container Garden recipes.

Now I just need to get her accent down and I’ll be all set.

But seriously, if you are like me the warming of temperatures naturally forces your mind to consider how you will create your container gardens for this spring and summer, among other spring-y type considerations.

This is the third post I’ve done over the year showing some Container Garden Ideas, Inspiration and Recipes.  Pop over here to see my first container garden post and here to see my second container garden post to see the first two.

Full disclaimer: I am not even close to a horticulturalist…so…I can’t claim that I’m 100% accurate of my identification of these plants or plant combinations.  However, I do think I came pretty close to get the desired effect, which is all I’m really after anyway.

  • This first pot includes some of my go-to plant combinations for container garden recipes and is great in a partly shady area. I love the contrast of the dark and moody blacks against the almost electric greens.

Black Elephant Ears,  Wasabi or Green Lantern Coleus, Coral Rose Diascia, Black Magic Coleus, and Marguerite Sweet Potato Vine

  • This long planter box, with it’s softer and less dramatic plant colors and textures, is perfect against the stone of this home.

Dusty Miller Silver Dust, Alternanthera ‘Cognac’, Petite Licorice Plant, Serena Purple Angelonia and Purple Verbena 

Container Garden ideas: plant combinations - image of Dusty miller, petite licorice plant and purple angelonia container garden recipe
  • In homage to Prince and any other Purple-lovers out there…this container pot will do well in most light situations, from partial shade to full sun.COLLAGE OF CONTAINER GARDENS

Strobilanthes -Persian Shield, Oxalis ‘Charmed Wine’, Ragtime Sweet Potato Vine

Container Garden ideas: plant combinations - image of Strobilanthes, Oxalis and sweet potatp vine container garden recipe.
  • You can never go wrong with the plant combination of Classic Red Geraniums and Variegated Vinca Vines.  It surely doesn’t hurt to have a rusty bike and a brooding bust in the background either!
Container Garden ideas: plant combinations - image of red geraniums and varigated vinca vines container garden recipe.
  • I like the contrast between the soft pinks and gray/greens against the dark sweet potato vine and sedum.

Sweet potato vine (Ipomoea Batatas) , Coral Rose Diascia, American Pink Geranium, Helichrysum petiolare ‘White Licorice’, Gaura, Lobelia and Sedum, Burgundy variety

Great container garden ideas, including images and recipes with specific plant names and plant combinations for thriller, filler and spiller.
  • And for just the right spot, this flower-filled wagon is full of fun and whimsy.

Lobelia,  Rose and Red Verbena, Marigolds, Salvia, Red Geraniums and Creeping Jenny

image of Little red wagon filled with great Container Garden ideas, Lobelia, Red Verbana, marigolds and creeping jenny container garden recipe.


We get most of our plants from our local Home Depot. They have an extensive variety of thrillers, fillers and spillers from which to choose to create your own “recipe”.  They have a wonderful program by which you can Order Online Here and pick it up at your local store within hours or at your convenience.

Helpful Hint: If you have really large pots for your container garden idea, consider filling at least a quarter of the way with gravel or bricks if you don’t have to move the pot.  If you need your pot to be lighter, consider empty water bottles with the lids on, styrofoam or empty plastic pots.

Have you started planning out your Container Garden recipes for this spring and summer? Do you have some favorite plant combinations? What are your “go to” thriller, filler and spiller plants? Do tell!

And if you are just starting the ‘hmmm…what-should-I-do-with-my-Container-Gardens’ process…pin this for your future reference.

image of container garden in old red wagon
Container Gardens, Inspiration and Recipes for your Spring and Summer Planters, including images and the names of the plants.

And, don’t forget! Container gardening isn’t just for the outdoors! You can do indoor container gardens as well.

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit today; I appreciate it more than you’ll ever know. And when you leave a comment…ah, it makes my heart sing! If you want to see what I’m up to from week to week, sign up here to sign up for updates.

I have published printable PDFs of several of my most popular knit patterns and other printables and have made them available to all of my subscribers. Come back and check every now and again. I will continue to add patterns and printables to this page as we go along.

So, if you’d like to get in on the ‘subscriber benefit’ action, simply subscribe to Nourish and Nestle using the form on the right sidebar. It’s towards the top a bit. I have sent all my subscribers the link to the Subscriber Benefits Library, but if you missed it or misplaced it, drop me a line.

Until next time,


Thanks for making my day by SHARING!!

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4 Comments

  1. Absolutely beautiful, thanks and I can’t wait for a few more weeks, still not sure what mother nature is going to do in Chicago

    1. Well, has Spring sprung? We are in the 80s today, but dropping to 40s on Friday…it’s that time of year when the weather is so changeable.

      But you can start planting ideas for your container gardens!

      Hugs, Lynn

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