As I mentioned before, I don't have a lot of space for a garden. I've started growing some herbs and strawberries but I wanted to make my little patio a little bit prettier so I picked up a wooden and galvanized steel tiered planter from a sample sale at work and I spruced it up with some turquoise spray paint (it's amazing what a few coats of spray paint will do!) I went to the garden supply shop with my mom and went on a little plant buying spree! My planters are approx 12" so I thought I could squeeze two or three little plants, depending on their size. I also didn't want any flowering plants-- I bought petunias last year and I really didn't like them. I decided on a variety of ground cover plants because I feel that they are easier to take care of (no plucking the dead heads off of the flowers!) and I LOVE the variety and the colors.

So, here are my planters, and a list of what's in them (in case you were wondering!)

1. The two tall red plants are Alternanthera, (Brazilian Red Hots) and the greenery in the center is Sedum album (Baby Tears.)

2. The tall silvery plant is Dusty Miller (Silver Dust) and the greenery on either side is Auera, or Creeping Jenny.

3. The dark purple vine-y plant on the left is Sweet Caroline Raven, the bright green/yellow is Sedum "Lemon Ball", and the vine on the right is another sweet potato vine called Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Red.

4. The short tiny greenery is Sedum hispanicum minus, or "Purple Form" and they are next to my favorite plant, the Trifolium repens, (Dark Dancer White Clover. )

5. The greenery in the back of the first pot on the left is Beacon Silver Lamium, the red and green leafy plants in the front are Hypoestes. The middle pot has Chocolate Mint, and the pot on the right has Lemon Balm planted in it.

6. The larger pot on the left has Lamium, and Beacon Silver Lamium and the pot on the right is filled with my second favorite plant, the Molton Lava Oxalis (which looks like yellowy clovers) and another Dusty Miller.

Most of these plants are full sun or partial sun to shade. My patio faces east and south so I get a fair amount of sunlight all morning into early afternoon. I wish, however, I would have paid better attention to which plants I put together. The Brazilian Red Hots and the Baby Tears in photo #1 really shouldn't be together-- the Red Hots like partial shade and to be moist, and the Baby Tears actually thrive in really sunny and dry conditions... oops...(maybe Ineed to write up a post about what I wish I would learned first, prior to setting up my plants?)

Despite my planting errors, (hey! I'm learning!) I absolutely LOVE my little container garden and I love spending time on my little patio now, especially weekend mornings with a cup of coffee and on those rare days when I get to go home right after work. Who knew it would only take some flower pots, paint, an ugly old planter, and a whole bunch of plants?

What are your favorite plants to use in your container garden? Let me know in the comment section below!

Adventures in container gardening