Eight container recipes from our own benches

16″ round pot · 5 plants · about 7 gallons of potting mix

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  ThrillerCaladium 'Carolyn Whorton'big pink leaves edged in green
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  FillerNonstop Begonia 'Rose Picotee'dinner-plate doubles, nonstop
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  FillerPolka Dot Plant 'Splash Select Mix'pink freckles at the base
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  SpillerCreeping Jenny 'Goldilocks'chartreuse coins spilling over the rim

The one we build most. Everything here is happy out of the sun, and it holds together from May to frost with nothing but water.

16″ round pot · 5 plants · about 7 gallons of potting mix

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  ThrillerSalvia 'Mysty'violet-blue spikes the hummingbirds work all summer
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  FillerCuphea 'Sweet Talk Red'firecracker blooms, loves heat
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  FillerLantana 'PassionFruit'butterflies line up for it
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  SpillerVerbena 'Cadet Violet Blue'trailing bloom clusters

Put this on a deck rail and watch. Every plant in it is a nectar station, and the whole thing shrugs off August.

16″ round pot · 4 plants · about 7 gallons of potting mix

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  ThrillerOrnamental Millet 'Copper Prince'bronze-burgundy blades and dark cattail plumes
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  FillerMarigold 'Taishan Gold'dense gold, no deadheading
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  FillerAngelonia 'Serena Purple'upright spikes, heat-proof
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  SpillerSweet Potato Vine 'Blackie'near-black leaves pour over the edge

Reads gold-and-bronze all summer, then looks like it planned for fall the whole time. Add a mum in September and it's a new pot.

16″ round pot · 5 plants · about 7 gallons of potting mix

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  ThrillerZinnia 'Zesty Orange'sandpaper stems, papery blooms
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  FillerDusty Miller 'Silverdust'silver felt — wool in a deer’s mouth
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  FillerLantana 'Shamrock Yellow'pungent and skipped
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  SpillerBidens 'Golden Empire'golden trailer they leave alone

For the yard with hoofprints. Nothing is deer-proof, but every plant here is on the seldom-bothered list — see our deer guide for the full rundown.

16″ round pot · 5 plants · about 7 gallons of potting mix

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  ThrillerRosemary 'Tuscan Blue'upright, aromatic, brings inside for winter
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  FillerBasil 'Spicy Globe'tidy mound, endless pesto
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  FillerParsley 'Italian Flat Leaf'and swallowtail caterpillars, if you’re lucky
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  SpillerFrench Thymefragrant little mounds that soften the rim

Put it three steps from the kitchen and you'll actually use it. Chemical-free, so everything goes straight in the pan.

16″ round pot · 5 plants · about 7 gallons of potting mix

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  ThrillerSnapdragon 'Snaptastic Mix'cottage spikes in the cool months
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  FillerOsteospermum '4D Pink Lemonade'African daisies that love cool sun
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  FillerNemesia 'Escential Cherryberry'fragrant little blooms
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  SpillerBacopa 'Scopia Gulliver White'white curtain over the rim

The pot for April and October — all four of these do their best work when nights are chilly and everything else is sulking.

16″ round pot · 5 plants · about 7 gallons of potting mix

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  ThrillerCanna 'Cannova Bronze Scarlet'bold tropical leaves and hot blooms
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  FillerCelosia 'Fresh Look Red'flame plumes
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  FillerGomphrena 'Ping Pong Lavender'clover buttons that laugh at heat
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  SpillerCalibrachoa 'Cabaret Bright Orange'a waterfall of mini-petunias

Maximum volume. This is the pot people stop and photograph, and it peaks exactly when Minnesota gets hot.

16″ round pot · 5 plants · about 7 gallons of potting mix

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  ThrillerPersian Shieldmetallic purple foliage, lit from within
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  FillerAngelonia 'Serena Purple'upright spikes
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  FillerFelicia 'Forever Blue'true-blue daisies, genuinely rare
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  SpillerLobelia 'Magadi Compact Blue'cascading cobalt

Blues and purples read cool and expensive. Keep it out of the hottest afternoon spot and the lobelia will run all season.