Container planting day is one of our absolute favorite moments of the gardening season—the culmination of months of planning and dreaming since winter. This year, we're taking our container game to the next level with four substantial Karema planters from Campania International, each thoughtfully designed for different light conditions and featuring exciting centerpiece plants that go far beyond the typical arrangements.

The Container Collection: From Full Sun to Deep Shade

Our terrace offers a perfect laboratory for testing different light requirements, allowing us to showcase plant combinations for every garden situation:

• Two full sun containers - Receiving direct sunlight all day
• One part sun container - Getting morning light with afternoon protection
• One full shade container - Located next to our grill with minimal direct sun
• Hanging baskets - Positioned for adjustable light exposure on swivel hangers

This variety lets us experiment with different plant combinations while demonstrating what works (and what doesn't) across various growing conditions.

Revolutionary Centerpieces: Beyond Purple Fountain Grass

Instead of relying on the ubiquitous purple fountain grass that dominates most container designs, we've chosen shrubs and small trees as our centerpieces—a bold approach that provides instant structure and long-term impact.

The Full Sun Stars

Rise Up Lilac Days Rose - In our extra-large container, this David Austin climber takes center stage, supported by an Essex plant support obelisk from Gardener's Supply. We learned from last season that these roses start delicate but become enormous by season's end, necessitating proper support from the beginning.

Paired with a Jolly Good clematis, this combination provides sequential blooms—as rose flowers fade, clematis blooms appear, and vice versa. Both plants offer exceptional fragrance, perfect for our seating area where we want to enjoy multiple senses.

El Nino Chitalpa - Our second full sun container features this exciting new Proven Winners introduction, hardy in zones 6-9. As Zone 6a gardeners, we're pushing the boundaries with this experimental centerpiece. The chitalpa arrived as mere sticks just weeks ago but has already put on seven inches of growth, demonstrating its vigorous nature.

This shrub can produce 2-8 feet of growth in a single season and blooms on new wood with purple flowers. If it survives winter in the container, it would die back to soil level and regrow—making it a fascinating long-term experiment in container culture.

The Part Sun Showstopper

Punk Hill Japanese Maple - Perhaps our boldest choice, this Iseli selection features deeply dissected leaves that look almost prehistoric (we likened them to velociraptor feet!). In a part sun location, this maple will soften the edge of our house while providing a dramatic focal point visible through various garden vistas.

The dark foliage creates a trio with our Blood Good Japanese maple and weeping Ruby Falls redbud, establishing a cohesive design theme throughout this section of the garden.

Supporting Cast: Annuals That Shine

Each container's annual selection was carefully chosen to complement the centerpiece while providing season-long color and interest.

Fragrance-Forward Selections

Bluebird Nemesia - Highly fragrant annual perfect for seating areasArromance Pink Nemesia - Vanilla-scented flowers that complement the chitalpa's expected vanilla fragranceMeteor Shower Verbena - Sterile verbena bonariensis that won't self-seed but attracts countless pollinators

Textural Contrasts

Plum Dandy Alternanthera - A trailing hybrid (10-16 inches) that we've coveted for years, offering rich burgundy foliageSpace Age Black Hole Rex Begonia - Dramatic foliage for the part shade container (15-18 inches tall)Double Delight Blush Rose Begonia - Full sun begonias that challenge conventional wisdom about begonia placement

New Introductions for 2026

Super Bells Magic Double Grapefruit - Easter egg-colored double flowersLaguna Royale Lilac Lobelia - Improved heat tolerance in the Laguna seriesShadow Storm Sweet Potato Vine - Variegated trailing accent for 2026 release

The Shade Solution: Ferns and Soft Colors

Our shade containers focus on texture and subtle color rather than bold blooms:

Kimberly Queen Nephrolepis Fern - Upright growth habit with a "wild" personality, supported by a Decor Wow obelisk for structureRock-a-Poco Apple Blossom Impatiens - Soft pink flowers perfect for low lightPink Shabby Lamium - Silvery foliage that will eventually transplant to garden bedsLarge Violet Torenia - Trailing habit with dark purple flowers for contrast

Soil Strategy: Matching Media to Purpose

We used two different Coast of Maine products to optimize growing conditions:

Bar Harbor Blend Potting Soil - For shrub centerpieces, providing the structure and drainage trees and shrubs requireOrganic and Natural Planting Soil for Annuals - A new introduction specifically formulated for flowering and foliage annuals, with a richer, more compost-like appearance

This differentiated approach recognizes that shrubs and annuals have different nutritional and structural needs, even within the same container.

Irrigation Innovation: Drip for Containers

For the first time, we've installed drip irrigation on our large containers, putting them on their own zone for daily watering. This system includes:

• Half-inch black supply line running through all containers
• Quarter-inch drip line with emitters every six inches
• Figure-eight end pieces to secure lines
• Landscape staples to keep lines properly positioned

The six-inch emitter spacing provides heavy water coverage—essential for large containers in full sun that dry out quickly.

Design Principles That Tie It All Together

Repetition for Cohesion

We repeat key plants across multiple containers:

• Plum Dandy alternanthera appears in multiple arrangements
• Double Delight begonias work in various light conditions
• Meteor Shower verbena provides consistent texture

Matching Plantings to Purpose

• Seating area containers emphasize fragrance
• Shade containers focus on interesting foliage
• Full sun containers feature bold, heat-tolerant combinations

Seasonal Succession Planning

Many of our annual selections will transplant into garden beds after the growing season, extending their usefulness beyond container culture.

Lessons from Container Evolution

This year's approach represents significant evolution in our container strategy:

1. Scale Up Centerpieces - Moving from small annuals to substantial shrubs creates immediate impact
2. Invest in Infrastructure - Drip irrigation transforms container maintenance from daily chore to automated system
3. Experiment with Hardy Limits - Testing marginally hardy plants in containers allows for easy winter protection
4. Plan for Multiple Seasons - Choosing plants that can transition to the garden extends value

Looking Forward: The Season Ahead

As these containers develop throughout the summer, we anticipate several exciting changes:

• The chitalpa's rapid growth and first flowering
• How the Japanese maple adapts to container culture
• Whether the full-sun begonias thrive in their challenging placement
• How the improved lobelia performs in heat

Most importantly, these containers represent more than seasonal decoration—they're living experiments that inform our ongoing garden development while providing months of beauty and fragrance in our most-used outdoor spaces.

The investment in quality containers, proper irrigation, and thoughtful plant selection creates displays that enhance rather than compete with our established garden beds, proving that container gardening can be both practical and spectacular.

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