The world of plants is a pretty exciting place where you can create an environment to match your taste and lifestyle. And, while they can be used inside a home, there's something especially lovely about plants that provide the same experience as a garden. Shrubs are often called evergreen plants; no matter how cold it gets outside, they can thrive! Countless varieties of shrubs are great for growing in containers, but the best ones usually have a few key traits in common.
Types Of Shrubs For Planting In Containers
Shrubs are the perfect choice for container gardens because they don't require a lot of space, are low maintenance, and can easily be moved when you need to rearrange your garden.
Here are seven of the best types of shrubs for planting in containers:
Fragrant Shrubs
Fragrant shrubs are those that are used in the perfumery industry. The perfumes are essential oils extracted from flowers, leaves and seeds of plants. They are used as a natural fragrance and they do not contain any synthetic chemicals.
The best way to use fragrant flowers is to plant them in your garden or backyard. However, if you do not have a garden or backyard then you can purchase fragrant plants from any nursery or garden center.
There are several types of fragrant shrubs like Lo & Behold 'Blue Chip Jr.' butterfly bush and 'Lil Miss Sunshine' bluebeard which are ideal companions for a sunny spot and provide fragrance from spring to fall.
The silvery-green felted foliage of the dwarf, sterile butterfly bush is a perfect foil for the scented purple flowers that bloom for months. When the golden leaves of the Bluebeard are crushed, they emit a herbal odor (plus this plant is covered with sky-blue flowers in late summer).
It is important that you know how to differentiate between fragrant and non-fragrant shrubs so that you can buy the right one for your home or office space.
Shrubs With Multi-Season Colors
When you combine these three shrubs, you get it all: flowers, berries, and a color blaze in the fall. Brandywine viburnum has glossy green leaves that conceal the intense red fall color. It also has white spring flowers that are followed by berries of various colors. 'Pinky Winky' hydrangea matches its size but outperforms it in flower power.
Stout red stems complement the rose tones that flush the white blooms in the fall. 'Blues Festival' St. John's wort, on the other hand, is much more delicate, with soft blue-tone foliage almost completely obscured by flowers in summer and fall.
Shade-Providing Shrubs
The bold foliage of 'Little Honey' hydrangea adds sunshine to the shade. Large white flowers are a bonus for this plant, which is all about the leaves, which change from yellow to a rich burgundy in the autumn. This oak leaf has large chartreuse leaves that stand out in a shady location.
Azaleas and Rhodies All rhododendrons are evergreen, but azaleas are evergreen and deciduous. Regardless, rhododendrons and azaleas are both excellent flowering shrubs for shade. They attract early-season pollinators and make striking statements in partial to full shade.
Deer-Resistant Shrubs
In spring, Tiers of 'Lemony Lace' elderberry foliage are accented withwith flower cluster followed by red fall berries. On the other hand, the 'Sunjoy Tangelo' barberry has vibrant orange leaves that turn red in the fall.
These shrubs make a statement independently but can also be combined to make a larger statement. Boxwood has been a popular garden shrub for hundreds of years, owing to its classic, uniform appearance. These shrubs can be left to grow naturally or sheared into hedges or topiaries.
Shrubs For Small Space
These shrubs may be small but pack a punch, especially when planted together. This new dwarf ninebark ('Tiny Wine') is bushy, compact, and resistant to mildew. Its bronze foliage contrasts beautifully with the constellation of delicate flowers in spring. 'Anna's Magic Ball' arborvitae's sculpted chartreuse foliage is a year-round standout.
The Rose of Sharon is a traditional beauty with modern enhancements. Pollypetite® has the same beautiful flowers as a hibiscus but on a much smaller frame. It is ideal for planting in container groups and gardens where space is limited, as it grows only 3-4' tall and wide and has a naturally rounded habit! Its light lavender flowers are lovely, as is the fact that it has a very low seed set. That means less weeding and more time to enjoy its months-long display of cottage-style blooms!
Pollinator-Friendly Shrubs
The 'Spilled Wine' weigela's deep-purple wavy leaves are wide-spreading making it a striking addition to a container vignette. Hummingbirds are drawn to hot-pink flowers in the spring and early summer. This type of weigela prefers direct sunlight.
The fragrant, trumpet-shaped white flowers of Funshine abelia attract swarms of butterflies and hummingbirds! Two other characteristics make it particularly useful as a pollinator plant: It blooms from late summer to mid-autumn, providing nectar when migrating pollinators, in particular, need to stock up on food. Secondly, it also blooms for an extended period, making it a dependable source of sustenance.
Sunny-Spot Shrubs
Forsythia is excellent for a sun-loving flowering shrub if you want early-season blooms. The bright yellow blossoms are among the first originating plants to flower in northern climates in spring, shortly after the snow melts, signaling that warm weather is on its way! These low-maintenance, fast-growing plants can reach a height of ten feet.
The spirea 'Double Play Blue Kazoo' is a five-star shrub just for its soft blue foliage, especially with the burgundy flush on new growth and intense red color in fall. In the spring, clusters of fuzzy white flowers attract bees and butterflies. Tip roses of Sharon are reminiscent of a party dress, making it an excellent companion plant. The effect is magical when set against the soft green and creamy white variegated leaves. This can be pruned to keep it smaller.
Conclusion
Overall, if you have a spot where you would like to have some extra color and privacy, consider planting some shrubs! Shrubs are a good choice for container gardening because they often carry just one flower per stem, which allows them to fill out the container nicely. There are many types of shrubs that you can choose from for container planting. They mostly come in a variety of sizes and colors too.
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