This tropical perennial plant (hardy in zones 8 to 10) likes moist, warm conditions but needs to be kept sheltered from high winds. They can also be grown indoors in bright, indirect, or filtered light. Design tip: Grow colocasias in very large pots. Plant a medium-height plant around them, such as fuchsias, coral bells, or coleus. Plant draping plants around the edges of your pot, such as creeping Jenny, ivy, or sweet potato vine. Heuchera comes in a wide range of leaf shapes and a fabulous array of colors, from dusky browns and grays to pinks and lime greens. Most forms an attractive mound and will keep this form without being pruned. Design tip: To show off the shape and colors of these spectacular plants, place heucheras alone in a pot that is the same size as the plant or smaller. Or you can use it as a filler plant in a large mixed container. Hostas are perennial in USDA zones 3 to 8. If you live in a cold climate and choose a pot that is tough enough to last all winter outside, you can leave your hosta potted up in a sheltered location. The purple and black leaves of Persian shields are show stoppers—almost iridescent. Too much sun and the leaves will bleach out; too little sun and the plant might get leggy, so make sure to place your container in partial sun. To keep the plant full and well-shaped, pinch it back during the growing season. Keep Persian shield moist; do not let the soil dry out. Tip: If you live in an area colder than zone 10, you may be able to bring the plant in to overwinter. Place it in a bright spot, out of direct sun. It’s also easy to propagate Persian shield by cuttings, either by rooting them in water or in soil. Mixing different varieties of coleus can make a stunning display. Keeping them pinched back so they stay bushy rather than leggy is important. Also, cut off any flowers to keep leaf production up. Most coleus varieties prefer full shade over partial shade (at least give them afternoon shade to avoid scorching leaves). If you live in a cold climate, they can be overwintered indoors in a 70-degree home, although those with more exotic leaves can be somewhat more temperamental to keep alive. Tip: Coleus can also be easily propagated over winter by taking leaf cuttings and rooting them in water. Pot up the rooted cuttings in late winter, and by spring planting season, the potted specimens will be vigorous and ready to plant in outdoor pots. Dinosaur kale (Brassica oleracea “Lacinato”) is a fabulous blue color and can add both texture and personality to a mixed container. “Redbor” kale has a ruffled leaf and its color range extends from magenta to dark purple. Both kale and chard last well into winter and are said to taste even sweeter after a frost. Ornamental kales and cabbages are sold in nurseries in the fall and they are beautiful as well. Although they are edible, these ornamental varieties are not known to taste particularly good—they can be tough and bitter. Plant herbs alone in pots, in mixed containers, or make interesting themed herb gardens, such as a pizza garden, herbs of Provence garden, or a salsa garden. Tip: Some herbs are biennials, like parsley, so you may want to plant them in a container as an annual unless you choose to bring these types inside to overwinter and fool them into thinking that it’s just been one long season. If you bring the pot into your kitchen for the winter, you’ll continue to reap its culinary benefits. Ferns can be easy to grow, and although some thrive only in shade there are also some will tolerate sun. Ferns generally like shallow containers (not more than 6 inches) with a good blend of peat moss or compost. And don’t waterlog them—most prefer relatively dry shade. Some varieties even prefer fully drying out before being watered again, so check the water needs of the type you choose and make sure it’s compatible with the other plants in the container. Tip: Many ferns will overwinter indoors, but some will survive in pots outdoors in sheltered locations. Tip: Although often planted afresh as new annuals each spring, it’s also possible to bring rex begonias indoors for winter in cold climates, where they can be happily domesticated as houseplants. Keep them in a warm, humid environment with indirect light and moist, not wet, soil.
