Planting in containers is a great way to add color to patios and porches and create beautiful welcoming entryways.  The type of container you use does not necessarily have to be limited to traditional planting pots.  Wheelbarrows, wine barrels, anything that can hold an amount of planting medium with enough room for growing roots and drainage can be used.  The key to creating a lavish display – just as in decorating tabletops – is to have various heights and color.  Having at least one plant variety that grows tall, a couple of ‘spillers’, those that hang down over the pot, and a couple of mounding types with lots of color, will grow into a lush display.  I have also done containers with a single color story, such as purple using purple potato vine, petunias, and tall spikes for example.  Be sure to use a good planting mix with fertilizer already mixed in to feed your plants throughout the growing season and have good drainage.  Here are some beautiful examples for your inspiration.

The barrel example comes from a fellow blogger, theguildedbloom.  The succulents are an idea from Southern Living.  When you stack pots such as the second photo shows, place a clay pot that is similar in height in the middle of the lower pot upside down, then stack the other on top.  This eliminates the need to fill completely with dirt and ‘contains’ the plants planted around it.

Boxwoods traditionally do very well in containers, such as here, again from Southern Living.  However, they do need some room to develop their roots.  Lined up they create a privacy hedge, or grouped together in various heights a dramatic simple focal point.  It can be difficult to over-winter these pots where winters are harsh.  They should be moved to a protected location, which can be cumbersome.  Extreme conditions can freeze both the roots of the plant and the pot, so be cautious as to the size you wish to plant if you are in these areas.