Container Gardening
Multi-Season Container Gardening
The Four-Season Container

A new season doesn’t have to mean new containers! With some clever planning and a good knowledge of seasonal plant hardiness, you can reinvent the same container to suit all four seasons. When it comes to overwintering shrubs in containers, it’s a good idea to choose a shrub that’s rated one or two zones hardier than your current climate zone to ensure that it survives the winter. Read on for information about the best seasonal companions for your shrub, planting tips, and article resources to help your plants change with the seasons.

Here are some super-tough shrubs that will make a fantastic centerpiece in your all-season planter. Check out our Plants By Climate Zone Page to learn more about plants that are best for your location.

• Changing With The Seasons •

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Spring

Spring is finally here! Start by planting your all-season shrub thriller, and pair it with cheery, cold-tolerant spring annuals. Find more info on Spring planting in the articles below.

COLD-TOLERANT SPRING ANNUALS
COLD-TOLERANT SPRING ANNUALS

Plants in the Spring Container

  • pinpoint blue chamaecyparis
  • spot on pulmonaria
  • shadowland autumn frost hosta
  • superbells honeyberry calibrachoa
  • yellow pansies
spring leaf graphic
Summer

Things are warming up, so it’s time to switch our your spring underplanting for more heat-loving varieties. Learn about some of our colorful summer favorites in the links below.

HEAT-LOVING SUMMER ANNUALS
SUMMER PLANTING GUIDE

Plants in the Summer Container

  • pinpoint blue chamaecyparis
  • supertunia black cherry petunia
  • Mojave red portulaca
  • colorblaze strawberry drop coleus
edible flowers arranged on cheese
spring leaf graphic
Autumn

Leaves are changing colors and the air is feeling brisk. Time to swap out your summer plants and plant an autumn palette of blooms that can handle a crispy cool evening. Add a pumpkin or two for fall flair! Find our Fall planting suggestions below.

COLD-TOLERANT FALL ANNUALS
FALL CONTAINER INSPIRATION

Plants in the Fall Container

pinpoint blue chamaecyparisfall ornamentals

spring leaf graphic
Winter

The first snow is falling and winter has come. Now it’s time to let your container centerpiece shrub really shine. Fill in the planter with berries and greenery for some holiday cheer! Find information on how to successfully overwinter shrubs and containers below.

OVERWINTERING SHRUBS IN CONTAINERS
SHRUBS WITH WINTER INTEREST

Plants in the Fall Container

  • pinpoint blue chamaecyparis
  • arctic fire red
  • ornamental winter greens and berries
fountain grasses page link
Versatile Fountain Grasses

Fountain grasses make striking thrillers in containers, and they are far more robust than you might expect. Click the link below to learn more about fountain grasses.

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USEFUL LINKS

plants by climate page link
PLANTS BY CLIMATE ZONE

Whether it’s the hot and humid South, the variable Midwest, or the dry Southwest, our guide, based on the USDA’s Climate Zone map, will help you choose plants that will thrive in your climate.

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CONTAINER GARDENING PROJECTS

Explore more container gardening projects, DIYs, and learn about the National Recipes of the Year.

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MORE MULTI-SEASON CONTAINERS

Another take on the multi-season container featuring the resilient evergreen North Pole Thuja

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