Container Gardening

Many native plants are suitable for container plantings, giving you an opportunity to highlight the beauty of your favorite natives or to create a small wildlife-friendly oasis on a balcony. Bringing plants into the “living rooms” of our yards – the balconies, patios, doorways – provides for up close and personal interaction with the textures, scents, and other subtleties that may be lost in the larger palette of a garden bed.

Things to Consider:

While there is nothing really natural about potted plants, you will be creating a habitat for these plants. As you begin this gardening adventure, consider the natural habitat of the plant(s) you want to feature in your container garden

 

Where will the pot be placed?

Many native plant have very specific growing needs. If you have a full exposure balcony or a deeply shaded front porch, this will limit the choice of plants.

What kind of soil does it like?

If you have a particular plant in mind think about where they grow. Dry rocky pockets? Deep, moist soil? Sandy Beaches? You will need to do your best to mimic these conditions for your potted plants.

What kind of material is the pot?

The material and the color of the pot will affect how hot the soil will get and how quickly it will dry. For example, if your plant loves moisture, a wicking pot is an excellent solution.

Great Plants for the Coastal Container Gardener

  • Stonecrop (Sedum spathulifolium, S. oreganum, S. divergens, S. lanceolatum )

    Nodding onion (Allium cernuum)

    Common Camas (Camassia quamash)

    Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea)

    Farewell-to-Spring (Clarkia amoena)

    Sea thrift (Armeria maritima)

    Woolly Sunflower (Eriophyllum lanatum)

  • Sword fern (Polystichum munitum)

    Evergreen huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum)

    Sea Blush (Plectritis congesta)

    Nodding onion (Allium cernuum)

    Kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)

    Wild strawberry, (Fragaria chiloensis, F. vesca)

    Red Flowering Currant (Ribies sanguineum)

    Vine maple (Acer circinatum)

  • Deer fern (Blechnum spicant)

    Maidenhair fern, (Adiantum pedatum)

    Licorice Fern (Polypodium glycyrrhiza)

    Western Red Columbine (Aquilegia formosa)

    Dull Oregon grape (Mahonia nervosa)

    False Solomon’s seal (Smilacina racemosa)

    Alumroot (Heuchera glabra, H. micrantha)

    Fringecup (Tellima grandiflora)

    Pacific bleeding heart (Dicentra formosa)

  • Stonecrops and Sedums

    These make wonderful container plants. They enjoy bright light and can endure dry and hot conditions. Line a hanging basket with them for year-round beauty.

  • Woolly Sunflower

    An evergreen perennial that grows vigorously in the spring and is a favorite of pollinators. Drought tolerance and will hang over the sides of your pot if you let it.

  • Nodding Onion

    A perennial that attracts all sorts of pollinators and which all parts are edible.

  • Sea Blush and Camas

    Sea Blush is a showy perennial that shares potted space well with other plants like Common Camas, Woolly Sunflower, Farewell-to-Spring, Nodding Onion and more!

  • Monkey Flower

    Lover of bright spaces and damp soil Monkey Flower is a showy annual that will brighten up the corner of any poatio.