Container Garden Planting Guides
Create your own container garden magic at home
Container garden planting guides were designed to help you create an impactful seasonal design, while removing the guesswork of selecting the proper plants that will thrive each season.
Download popular LGS planter designs below, and recreate them in your own pots to enjoy!
What’s included in each container garden planting guide:
Photo of the finished container garden plant design
Container garden placement guide and plant shopping list
Design modifications and plant substitutions
General container planting advice and maintenance tips
LGS Planting Guides are perfect for you if...
You dream of lush, professionally styled planters
…without the price tag that comes with custom design
You love plant shopping
…but feel a little lost when it comes to picking the right mix for a stunning, cohesive look
You enjoy digging in and getting your hands dirty
…but want a simple, step-by-step guide to bring your vision to life effortlessly
Questions before you dig in?
Click here to scroll to our COntainer Garden Planting Guide FAQs.
Check back for more LGS planting guides coming soon!
A Note about Location
All planting guides have been tested by Life Garden Style in Zone 6B Kansas City, MO. While results may vary in different areas, we advise selecting plants readily available in your area for the best success.
FAQs
-
LGS container planting guides are instructional resources to guide you in creating your own seasonal outdoor arrangements. I provide a list of all the plant materials needed as well as a placement guide so you can feel empowered to expertly plant your containers and enjoy the designer look.
-
Container planting guides were created to make container gardening easy! No prior experience is necessary, but it is helpful to have familiarity with gardening terms and materials.
-
Materials such as plants, potting mix, fertilizer, containers, etc can be sourced at your local garden center and nurseries. You can also find most items (not always plant material) in the home and garden section of box stores and on Amazon.
You can shop some of my favorites at this link. -
When selecting a suitable potting mix, ensure the mix is meant for container gardening. Avoid any topsoil or compost meant for in-ground gardening use. These mixes are too heavy for planters and will cause drainage issues.
I typically recommend a potting medium with a peat moss base, as well as some vermiculite and/or perlite mixed in. Some potting mixes contain slow release fertilizer or fine bark, which may also be ok to use.
When selecting fertilizer, I typically recommend adding a slow-release type to the soil (unless the potting mix already contains it). This type of fertilizer feeds the plants over time and usually lasts about 2-3 months. For even more vigor, you can apply a water soluble fertilizer with watering on a weekly basis during the growing season.
You can find some of my favorite potting mixes and fertilizers for container gardening at this link. -
A growing zone, also known as a plant hardiness zone, is a geographically defined area that helps gardeners determine which plants are most likely to thrive in their location's climate. The USDA categorizes zones based on the average low temperatures of the area.
Knowing your growing zone is most important for selecting plants like trees, shrubs and herbaceous perennials to determine if they will survive through the winter in your area.
By entering your zip code, you can determine your growing zone at this link.
Herbaceous annuals (which are mostly used in container gardening) can be utilized in different zones. However, it's important to note the timing of when these plants should be used by determining your last frost date. Some annuals are tender and can be damaged if exposed to freezing temperatures.
To find your last frost date, go to this link and enter your zip code.
Note: Average last frost dates are just that-average. The dates are not hard set, meaning weather can vary from year to year. It's best to use the average last frost date as a guide, then monitor weather conditions to determine when it's safe to plant non-frost resistant plants.
-
All plants suggested in the designs are commonly sold and used in Zone 6B. However, they are sold in other hardiness zones as well. You may find the plants available at nurseries earlier or later, depending on whether your climate is colder or warmer. For example, someone in Zone 4 will not find the recommended plants available to purchase as I will in Zone 6B, as their last average frost date is later than mine.
If you cannot locate a specific plant from the planting guides, it's likely that the plant does not thrive in your area. Please consult your local garden center or growers for a suitable substitution. -
Select which planting guide will work best in your space by determining the planter's daily sun exposure:
Full Sun=6 or more hours of direct sunlight
Part Sun or Shade=3-6 hours of direct sunlight
Full Shade=3 hours or less of direct sunlight -
Yes! After you purchase a container planting guide, a link to the PDF will be emailed directly to you. At that time, you can download the document and save it or print it out.
-
The longevity of each planter will vary. The two variables that have the most direct impact are weather and maintenance.
Each season of container planter guides is designed for weather and environmental conditions in that season and zone's typical weather patterns.
Seasons are not based on a calendar, rather on weather patterns. Please keep this in mind as you plant for each season, knowing that results will vary season to season and year to year.
With weather in mind, these planter recipes were developed for the following seasons:
Spring: Consist of cool-weather tolerant flowers that are able to withstand light frost. They will typically thrive Mid-March to late May in Zone 6B. They should be protected with frost cloth or pulled indoors if temperatures fall below freezing.
Summer: Consist of heat-loving flowers that thrive when planted after the threat of frost or freeze is over. They will lose vigor in cooler fall temperatures but will survive until a hard fall freeze.
Fall: Consist of flowers that thrive in cool-weather temperatures and will withstand a light frost. They typically thrive September through the first hard freeze in Zone 6B. They should be protected with frost cloth or pulled indoors if temperatures fall below freezing.
Maintenance of the planters are another huge factor in determining the longevity of a design. Regular watering is a must to ensure the survival of plants. -
I'm always happy to help! Email me at lifegardenstyle@gmail.com.
