The Top 5 Prettiest Potted Plants

All we really want out of our gardens is something gorgeous to fawn over, right? Kath Smyth of the Calgary Horticultural Society shares her top-five stunners best grown in pots.

Illustration by Lynn Scurfield

 

New Zealand Flax (Phorium)

“This is a big plant that doesn’t grow well in a garden, but it’s great for pots. I love it because of its rainbow colours. Plant around it with purple foliage, flowers with texture, pink flowers, maybe a trailer. It lends itself to all sorts of looks because it has a beautiful wide, strap-shaped blade.”

 

King Tut Grass (Cyperus Papyrus)

“Essentially a water plant, this one just kills me in the summer when the flowers suddenly pop out of the little umbrella-like heads. It’s reedy and soft and has a lovely flow to it. I companion it with one of my favourite hanging plants.”

 

Climbing Snapdragon (Asarina)

“This one has a bell-shaped flower that looks similar to fuchsia, but it’s a little different. It’s a deep-purple colour and it’s just stunning in a pot, on its own, or [with] a few old-fashioned flowers like zinnias or asters.”

 

Cup-and-Saucer Vine (Cobaea Scandens)

“I have a privacy screen on my deck and this pink, purple and white flowering plant just scrambles all over it. I’ll do it alone in a pot because I love how it climbs up the eight-foot trellis that leans on my screen. My dog Marigold thinks it’s all just for her; she loves the shade.”

 

African Daisies

“I’m a big fan of this daisy that opens and closes with the sun. It loves my sunny deck where I pot it with English ivy. And I like to surprise people, so I’ll add in herbs like sage, parsley, maybe basil, for their texture.”

This article appears in the May 2020 issue of Avenue Calgary.

Related posts

How Worm Castings Can Benefit Potting Soil

Alana Willerton

How to Give Your Flower Pots a Little TLC at the End of the Season

Alana Willerton

The Case For Growing Fruits, Vegetables and Herbs in Containers

Alana Willerton

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Privacy Policy

Privacy & Cookies Policy
Avenue Calgary