Maximizing Small Spaces with New & Compact Plants
Container gardening continues to grow in popularity as more people embrace small space gardening or look for ways to add versatility to their outdoor areas. This trend works well for those with limited yard space, urban gardeners, or anyone wanting to add greenery to patios, balconies, or decks. By using containers, gardeners can grow a wide variety of flowers and vegetables while maintaining control over soil quality, drainage, and placement.
Trending Flowers for Containers
When considering which flowers to grow in container, consider their mature size and growing habit. Dwarf varieties can provide bold blooms without overwhelming small spaces. Flowers that have a trailing habit cascade beautifully over the sides of containers. Choose flowers that attract bees and butterflies while growing compactly. Low-growing and fragrant plants are perfect for edging or filling gaps in container arrangements.
Compact Sunflowers: Varieties like ‘Teddy Bear,’ Sunspot, and Choco that offer bold color and cheerful blooms while thriving in containers.
Petunias and Calibrachoa: These vibrant, trailing flowers provide continuous blooms that cascade beautifully over the sides of pots.
Herbaceous Perennials: Lavender, sweet alyssum, and other fragrant plants are ideal for smaller spaces, doubling as ornamental and scent-sational.
Pollinator-Friendly Blooms: Coneflowers, marigolds, cosmos, and dwarf zinnias are container favorites that also attract bees and butterflies.
Trending Vegetables for Containers
Compact and determinate vegetable varieties grow well in pots and produce high yields in limited spaces. Quick-growing and shallow-rooted vegetables, like leafy greens, are ideal for multiple harvests in small pots or troughs. With loose, well-draining soil in deep pots, root vegetables develop beautifully in containers. Compact, vining, and high-yielding vegetables are perfect for pots when provided with sturdy supports. Be sure you’ve checked the mature size of plants whenever you’re growing in containers and small spaces.
Tomatoes: Compact and determinate varieties like Kitchen MinisTM and Patio varieties are perfect for container gardening, offering high yields in small spaces.
Peppers: Both sweet and hot pepper varieties grow exceptionally well in pots, making them a favorite for urban and balcony gardeners. Try Kitchen MinisTM, Pot-a-Peno, and Snackabelle seeds.
Greens: Lettuce, kale, and spinach thrive in shallow containers and allow for multiple harvests throughout the growing season.
Root Vegetables: Carrots, radishes, and beets grow surprisingly well in deep pots with loose, well-draining soil.
Trending Herbs for Containers
Herbs are versatile, easy to grow, and ideal for containers. They add flavor to your dishes and fragrance to your garden. Many herbs are fast-growing so you can have continuous harvests. Herbs like mint, oregano, and thyme spread by sending out runners. Other herbs reseed easily. When you grow these in pots it’s easier to control the spread.
Basil: Basil grows prolifically in pots try Everleaf Genovese’ and Dolce Fresca.
Mint: Vigorous and aromatic, mint thrives in containers, keeping its spreading habit under control. Try mini and Pennyroyal.
Thyme: Hardy and drought-tolerant, thyme spills attractively over the edges of containers. Try ‘English Thyme’
Parsley: Try Garden Blend. Parsley grows well in confined spaces and offers continuous cutting throughout the season. Parsley has a long taproot so grow it in a deep container—the root is edible and a good source of antioxidants.
Cilantro: Cilantro grows quickly and is perfect for frequent harvests in small containers. Try Marino Organic.
Maximizing Your Container Garden
Choose the Right Containers: Use pots with good drainage, and consider lightweight materials like plastic or fabric grow bags for easy mobility.
Optimize Soil Quality: Use a high-quality potting mix with added compost or slow-release fertilizer to ensure nutrient-rich soil for your plants.
Vertical Growing: Incorporate trellises, hanging baskets, or plant stands to grow vertically, saving ground space while increasing your yield.
Cluster Containers: Group pots together for extra appeal and shared microclimates, which help retain moisture.
Layer Plants: Combine taller plants with trailing varieties in the same container for a lush, multi-dimensional look.
Succession Planting: Rotate crops and flowers in containers to maintain visual interest and ensure a steady supply of produce or blooms throughout the season.
Water Smart: Containers dry out faster than garden beds, so water regularly, especially in hot weather, and consider self-watering pots to reduce maintenance.
Container gardening lets gardeners experiment with trending flowers and vegetables while overcoming space limitations. Sourcing the right seeds to grow for your space is easy at Park Seed. Each of our products lists mature size and often our product pages suggest ideal uses for where to grow. The space you have available to grow in is a consideration to plan around, not a barrier to growing fresh produce and homegrown bouquets.
