Container garden plants

When the hot days of summer hit, many container garden plants slow down to produce flowers and new foliage, even if you water regularly. Beat the heat by filling your containers with these colorful plants that thrive as temperatures rise. Most come from warm places around the world, so they are often grown as annuals in cooler areas. However, you can spend many of them indoors and bring them back outside when the warmer weather returns.

1. The angel's trumpet

In full bloom, a good-sized angel's trumpet will stop you in your tracks. The drooping flowers are actually trumpet shaped and can reach over 1 foot in length depending on the variety. The flowers emit a sweet, sweet fragrance after sunset. If you have pets or children, be sure to keep these plants out of reach, as all parts are poisonous if ingested.

2. Agave

Although it is not grown for flowers, agave is a wonderful plant that provides an architectural flair to any container. There are striped and solid varieties of agave in different shades of green and blue. Most varieties have very sharp leaf tips, so if you have small children or pets, you can cut the points or cover them to minimize injury.

3. Angelonia

This adaptable flower is sometimes called the summer snapdragon. No matter how tall the mercury, its purple, white or pink flowers appear throughout the summer. Some varieties of Angelonia have large flowers, while dwarf varieties are the perfect size for container gardens.

4. Bamboo

Although it can be a rapid spread threat when grown in the ground, bamboo is a dramatic specimen plant when grown in a large container (where it cannot escape). This creates a fast growing screen perfect for privacy. When planting bamboo, make the planting hole twice as wide as the root ball; If you're planting in a container, make sure it's big enough!

5. Banana

With its large leaves, the banana has a large presence in the landscape. Place the plant in the center of a garden bed or against a fence for tropical elevation at the back of the garden. While most are plain green, look for varieties with dark red or white edges for added interest.

6. Canna

Perfect for creating a lush, tropical look, canna offers large leaves (many varieties are available) and bright flowers in shades of red, orange, yellow and pink. These plants are often found near water, so they need moist soil to be happy in the garden. You can grow cannas indoors and then bring them outside next spring.

7. Lantana

Loved by butterflies, lantana produces multi-colored flowers in red, orange, yellow, pink and white. Some varieties have flowers that create an ombre effect, darkening from light or outside. Some varieties have a variety of foliage that adds extra color to your garden even when they are not blooming.

8. Mandevilla

One of the most regular flowering vines, Mandevilla produces large trumpet-shaped flowers in shades of red, white and pink. This is a fast growing climber with clusters of flowers along the vine. Remember that this plant is poisonous if ingested.

9. Passionflower

One of the most beautiful climbing vines, passionflower has intricate flowers in rich colors of every color of the rainbow. Make sure they have a sturdy trellis or trellis for them to climb on. This is another butterfly favorite!