Best Plants for Sunny Containers
A sunny patio, balcony or doorstep is the perfect place to create a colourful container display. With the right plants, you can enjoy months of vibrant flowers, beautiful foliage and even attract bees and butterflies to your garden.
Whether you're refreshing existing pots or starting from scratch, here are some of our favourite plants that thrive in full sun.
Why choose sun-loving plants?
Containers dry out more quickly than garden borders, especially during warm summer weather. Choosing plants that naturally enjoy sunshine means they'll cope much better with bright conditions and reward you with long-lasting colour.
Many sun-loving plants are also drought tolerant once established, making them a great choice for busy gardeners.
Our favourite plants for sunny containers
Geraniums (Pelargoniums) – One of the UK's favourite summer bedding plants, geraniums flower continuously from late spring through to autumn. They're available in a huge range of colours and love a warm, sunny position.
Lavender – Fragrant, easy to grow and loved by bees, lavender brings a Mediterranean feel to patios and balconies while filling the air with its wonderful scent.
Petunias – Perfect for hanging baskets and containers, petunias produce masses of colourful blooms all summer long with regular deadheading.
Calibrachoa (Million Bells) – These trailing plants are covered in small, trumpet-shaped flowers and are ideal for spilling over the edges of pots.
Verbena – A fantastic choice for adding height and colour, verbena flowers for months and is a favourite with butterflies and pollinators.
Bidens – Bright yellow blooms make bidens a cheerful addition to mixed containers, flowering continuously throughout the season.
Salvia – With striking flower spikes in shades of purple, blue, red and pink, salvias are heat-loving plants that continue performing even during hot spells.
Osteospermum – Also known as African daisies, these colourful flowers open in the sunshine and are excellent for bright patios and balconies.
Tips for successful summer containers
Choose a good quality compost to help retain moisture and give your plants the nutrients they need.
Water regularly, especially during hot weather. In the height of summer, containers may need watering once or even twice a day.
Feed every week or two with a liquid fertiliser to encourage continuous flowering.
Remove faded blooms regularly to keep plants looking tidy and encourage new flowers to develop.
Group pots together where possible, as this helps reduce moisture loss and creates a fuller display.
Create your own colourful combination
For a container packed with colour, try combining upright salvias with trailing calibrachoa and soft, fragrant lavender. Mixing different heights, textures and flower shapes creates a display that looks beautiful from every angle.
Don't be afraid to experiment with colour either—bright oranges, deep purples and vibrant pinks all thrive in sunny spots and make stunning summer displays.
Find your perfect container plants at Flowerland
Our plant areas are full of summer favourites, from vibrant bedding plants to fragrant herbs and pollinator-friendly perennials. Whether you're planting up a patio pot or transforming your balcony, you'll find plenty of inspiration at both our Bourne End and Iver centres.
Our gardening team is always happy to help you choose the best plants for your space, so pop in and discover what's looking beautiful this season.
