One of my favorite things to do each spring is go to a local nursery and spend the day picking out flowers to plant for the year. The majority of what I plant is in pots and containers on my deck, but I do have a few spots around the yard where I plant a few things as well. I always have good intentions of documenting what I planted each season so I can look back and remember what flowers thrived the most, and this year I decided to go ahead and share it all with you as well in case you need some guidance or inspiration!
I realize by this point in the summer you most likely already have the majority of things planted, but I thought this might be a good reference in the future to go back and scroll through in the spring seasons to come! So today I’m sharing photos of everything I planted, my yearly favorites, and what is thriving the most so far!
PLANTS
lemongrass, white licorice, superbells blue moon punch calibrachoa, superbena whiteout
SUNLIGHT
full to part sun
This large planter has turned out to be one of my favorites so far. It sits partially under the gazebo, but gets a good amount of afternoon sun. The lemongrass is a nice, tall spiky accent in back, and the white and purple flowers will continue to spill over the sides as they grow. This is the first year I’ve picked out white licorice plants, which I grabbed because of their soft muted sage color. So far they have grown like crazy, sprawling across the planter with strong, hardy stems.
PLANT
SUNLIGHT
part shade to shade
This beauty is one of my surprise favorites this year. I needed more plants that could tolerate shade under the gazebo and grabbed this one hoping it would be worth the higher price tag. The coloring on the leaves are spectacular and add a ton of interest to the deck. The tag says it is adaptable as a houseplant, so we will see at the end of the season if I can transition it inside.
PLANTS
lemon grass, bright lights white african daisy, diamond snow euphorbia, superbena stormburst
SUNLIGHT
full to part sun
For this planter, I started with another tall lemongrass in back and for the first time planted white daisies, which adds such a pop of cheer and whimsy. I was really drawn to all the pretty purple hues this year and picked out the sweetest lavender and white stripe superbena that is just starting to spill over the sides of the planter. One of my favorite “filler” plants is the diamond snow euphorbia because of its tiny, delicate flowers that help fill in bare spots between plants.
PLANT
SUNLIGHT
shade
I always pick up a few impatiens for under the gazebo because they like the shade and have such beautiful dark green foliage. I really like double impatiens as well, but didn’t see many available this year. These do tend to get leggy sometimes, meaning they grow tall and sparse, so I try to give my impatiens a good trim around midsummer.
PLANT
SUNLIGHT
part shade
I was gifted a few herb plants on Mother’s Day including basil, lemon balm, and peppermint, and I decided to plant each of them separately in pots since I don’t have a formal garden. They smell amazing, inspire me to use fresh herbs more in my cooking, and I actually really love the simple greenery alongside all the flowers I have planted.
PLANTS
tall white snapdragon, bright lights white african daisy, supertunia royal velvet, diamond snow euphorbia, superbells blue moon punch calibrachoa, white vinca, sweet potato vine
SUNLIGHT
full to part sun
I have one large rectangular planter that sits on the small deck addition we added, and I try to add lots of variety and interest in here to make a statement when you first walk out onto the deck. This year I started with tall white snapdragons in the back, which can get up to 30-36″ tall and add plenty of height to the planter. Then I mixed in more white daisies, some dark purple petunias, the lavender striped superbena, diamond snow euphorbia, and white vinca to fill in the middle and sides of the planter. In front, I planted sweet potato vine, which will grow and spill down the planter with big, beautiful dark purple leaves. I can’t wait to see how this one fills in as the season goes on, especially once the snapdragons start blooming.
PLANTS
spanish lavender, astilbe pumila, white licorice
https://www.provenwinners.com/plants/pelargonium/americana-white-zonal-geranium-pelargonium-zonaleSUNLIGHT
full to part sun – except the astilbe pumila, which likes shade
This planter actually ended up being a collection of leftover plants I hadn’t found a spot for yet. The white licorice plant has really taken off, but I’m excited to see the lavender start to sprout up a little more and the astilbe pumila grow its lilac-pink flowers. I just love the soft, almost fuzzy texture of the licorice plant that you can see in the second photo below.
PLANTS
white geranium, white dwarf snapdragon, silver falls dichondra
SUNLIGHT
full to part sun
This year I was able to find the dwarf variety of my beloved snapdragons, and I planted several of them together in my concrete pots. They have started blooming much sooner than the tall snapdragons, and I just love all the dainty, fluffy white flowers. I always grab geraniums every year, and I adore the tall clusters of flowers throughout the summer. To add some interest, I planted some silver falls dichondra in front of the geraniums to create a messy spill of beautiful muted greenery.
PLANTS
tall white snapdragon, real pink miniature rose, white dianthus, diamond snow euphorbia, superbells blue moon punch calibrachoa
SUNLIGHT
full to part sun
I squished quite a few plants into this wood planter (which I bought from Lowe’s), and while it looks a little wild now, I think it’s going to be a show stopper as it grows and develops. I started with a few tall snapdragons in the back for height and planted two miniature rose plants as the focal point of the group. I added the diamond snow euphorbia to give it a full look, along with superbells and white dianthus, which has a really fun petal shape. Tons of interest, a variety of colors, all nestled right between two adirondack chairs on the deck where I love to drink my coffee in the morning.
PLANTS
stratosphere white butterfly flower, superbena stormburst, bluebird nemesia, white geranium, white knight sweet alyssum, superbena whiteout, tall white snapdragon, multicolor dwarf snapdragon, supertunia royal velvet
SUNLIGHT
full to part sun
This little flower bed in our backyard sits between the deck and the little barn, and I love coming up with different things to plant here each season. One year, I did a whole bed of lavender plants, which smelled incredible all summer, and this year I picked out a variety of purple, white, and a few touches of pink flowers to fill in the space. I picked out a new plant this year as the focal point of the bed, a beautiful stratosphere butterfly plant. Its tall and wispy stems have the prettiest white flowers, and I’m excited to see the snapdragons and geraniums start to fill in and bloom beside them. The rest of the bed is a variety of plants that will sprawl and fill in throughout the season. Some of my favorites are the sweet alyssum, superbena, and bluebird nemesia.
I think it’s important to state that while I am far from an expert gardener, I do love experimenting and learning more about how to create a beautiful garden as the years go by. Like many things in life, I look back on how little I knew about taking care of a yard or planting flowers when we first moved into this house and realize that getting your hands dirty and just trying is the first step to learning how to do something. Trial and error. Successes and lessons. And now one of the best parts of my day is going outside each morning to check on my plant babies, see what has grown, what needs some TLC, and simply enjoy the beauty of nature.
I hope this post is helpful and might give you some inspiration for your own garden next year. Let me know if you would like me to continue sharing what I plant and maybe even an update of how everything looks as the growing season goes on. If nothing else, I hope you enjoyed pretty pictures of all the flowers as much as I did. 🙂
Do you have any questions for me? Let me know!
– MORE OUTDOOR POSTS –
How to Stain a Deck
How to Restore & Protect Outdoor Wood Furniture
Barn Makeover Part 1
Barn Makeover Part 2
How to Clean Your Outdoor Cushions
Tall Outdoor Cedar Planter DIY
How to Build an Outdoor Console Table
Deck Addition
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