Planting Flowers In A Pot | Tips + Tricks

Hi, sweet friends.

I spend last weekend planting flowers, and after my second trip to the nursery, I hopped on my IG Stories and asked you guys if you’d like to see my tips and tricks and how I plant flowers in a pot.

95% of you said YES, so…here we are!

My love of planting flowers goes back to the summer after I graduated high school, when my mom and I spent the summer working for her friend, planting flowers in the Wisconsin Dells.

I learned a lot about flowers that summer, but most of all remember how much I absolutely loved my time under the sun, my hands in the dirt and muscles sore at the end of the day.

Over the years of planting flowers at my own home, I’ve learned some tricks that help my flowers pots look full and gorgeous all summer long…

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SHOP MY OUTFIT

Planting flowers in pots, tips and tricks — My pots from last summer.

THE FLOWERS

It can be overwhelming when you go to the nursery, which is why I always have to make 2 or 3 trips. There are just SO many options. I tend to stick with the same handful of flowers every year. I have used trial and error and these are the ones that I have found work best with our Midwest weather, while also not being too high maintenance.

Also, remember that I’m talking about annuals, not perennials. Annuals last one season, while perennials bloom every year.

Here’s my formula when I’m planting in a big pot:

1 big/tall flower or plant (they call it the “thriller”) for the middle. I like to use a Spike for most pots, or I’ll use a Mandevilla if I want some drama.

2-3 filler flowers. I like to really pack my pots full of flowers because I want them to look good right away. I’m sharing a list of my favorite filler flowers below.

2-3 spillers. These plants sometimes don’t bloom (some do), but they’re just as important as the thrillers. They soften the pots and help them look full and professional. I’m sharing my favorite spillers below.

Here are my favorite flowers to plant in pots…

Geraniums (full sun)
Mandevillas (sun)
Begonias (morning sun, afternoon shade)
Sunpatiens (full sun)
Impatiens (shade)
New Guinea Impatiens (morning sun, afternoon shade)
Petunias (sun)
Spikes (this is what I plant in the middle)

THE SPILLERS

While the flowers are the stars of the show, the spiller plants are just as important to help your pots look full and profesh.

Here are my go to spillers…

Sweet potato vines (all types)
Sweet Alyssum
Ivy
Coleus (more of a filler)

THE TIPS + TRICKS

OK, it’s time for my tips and tricks for planting flowers in pots. Be sure to watch the video below to see it all in action.

BEFORE YOU GO TO THE NURSERY

PLAN AND MAKE A LIST. It’s overwhelming, even with a list, so try to have a plan going in.

GET THE RIGHT FLOWERS FOR THE RIGHT LOCATION. Do some research before you go to the nursery and know whether you need shade, half sun/half shade, or full sun flowers.

AT THE NURSERY

SHOP FOR ONE POT AT A TIME. This is a personal preference and it’s how my mind works. I like to group the flowers together so I can visualize them in the pot.

TAKE YOUR TIME. Get a lay of the land and don’t be afraid to ask for help.

CHECK OUT THE NURSERY’S POTS FOR INSPIRATION. If you’re not sure where to start, take a look at the nursery’s display pots to get some ideas. (You could also go that route and buy those, but where’s the fun in that?)

READ FLOWER TAGS. Each flower and plant will have a tag that says whether it likes sun or shade, and how tall it will grow. (It will also tell you how far apart to plant it from another flower, but I ignore that part for my pots.)

IGNORE THE BLOOMS. I know it’s hard not to pick the flower with the gorgeous blooms, but look for buds instead.

DON’T FORGET SOIL + FERTILIZER. Chances are, you’ll need more soil than you think. If you’re not sure, ask how much you will need for X number of pots that are X big. Also, be sure you have some fertilizer on hand. I fertilize my flowers every Monday.

AT HOME

Watch the video below for a step by step process of how I plant my pots…