Best Container Plants for Full Sun and Heat of Summer
If you want your summer garden or outdoor living space to truly come to life this summer, a couple of beautiful containers with plants in them may be what you are looking for. Whether it’s a vibrant, intense and bright colorful look you want or a more curated color theme that you are going for with showy flowers in summer containers – the coming season will let you embrace it! It’s not easy to beat the heat with plants if you live in a warm weathered, humid climate like we do in North Florida… finding the best container plants for full sun and heat tolerant is key!
Here is a selection of some container planting ideas that are easy to maintain summer plants for heat and drought. All of these options can grow in a wide range of climate zones but be sure to check your zone at the top of the website before choosing anything.
The best plants for container gardening are easy to care for, low maintenance, and provide a beautiful view or fruit to pick. Whether you are looking for summer flowering plants like roses or evergreen container plants like Phillies. We have tons of options here at Perfect Plants!
The Best Container Plants For Full Sun
Roses
Roses in summer containers are every gardener’s dream. They are the perfect summer plants that allow you to be able to brighten any living space, while also giving it a stylish and trendy twist. Roses are actually easier to grow in pots and containers, especially if your garden soil is not very high quality, to begin with. Growing them in containers will allow you to be able to control the kind of environment that they are in – what soil they are planted in, how much water they get, and their daily sunlight exposure.Depending on which shade excites you more, you could give the following options a shot:
Petite Knock Out® Rose Bush ($39.95) it would still be, as Shakespeare put: ‘a rose by any other name which would smell just as sweet.’
Blueberries
Potted blueberry plant. This is quite an unknown fact to many, but blueberries can actually be grown in containers – no matter the size.Blueberries are the perfect fruit to embrace the flavors of summer. Growing them as summer container crops is a popular choice because of how easy it is to nurture them into healthy plants, even if you have a small garden space. Plus, they’re a delicious snack to munch on. Imagine a casual outdoor stroll picking blueberries for a fruit salad – a true summer treat! What’s more, is that they look delicately beautiful on any patio or garden front – outdoor eye candy for sure!
One blueberry bush that I highly recommend for growing in a summer container is the Pink Lemonade Blueberry Bush. It stands out with its vibrant pink-colored berries, offering a delightful taste that perfectly embodies the essence of summer.
Gardenias
Gardenias – white, subtle and creamy.
Frostproof Gardenia loaded with blooms! Known for their white flower heads and shiny leaves, gardenias are not very demanding plants. They will grow almost anywhere if you give them a chance – preferably in containers. They’re perfect as heat tolerant plants because they aren’t particularly fond of cold winter temperatures. Their creamy shade and exotic fragrance is the perfect duo for you to create the ideal summer aesthetic using these summer container plants. Have flower blooms all season long even during the hottest days of summer!Potted gardenias have long been known to accentuate indoor spaces such as porches, patios and even kitchens. Give these beautiful summer plants a shot if you want an aromatic garden this summer with long blooms.
Not only are they great for your landscape, but they also make beautiful cut flowers. Deadhead spent flowers to encourage re-blooms.
Olives
Potted olive plant. Olives are well-known to be fairly adaptable as plants and therefore don’t find it a hassle to take on the container life as a plant. The ideal time to grow them is once the winter has subsided because olives don’t handle frost and low temperatures very well below freezing.
Plant your olive plants in containers packed with rocky and dry soil, olive plants love those. They don’t need a lot of water, in fact they would much rather do without excess moisture. This is why your containers should not be plastic based should you try to grow olives.
Give these delicious summer container plants a shot. They are drought tolerant plants and will survive in warm climates. Olives thrive in full sun and well drained soil.
Sky Pencil Holly
Ideal for landscaping concepts. A dramatic plant that demands the attention of anyone passing by, this gravity defying plant looks beautiful in summer containers. Its unique shape and structure is what makes it so appealing to be grown in the corners of sidewalks and garden beds. The size of your sky pencil plant depends on how much space you give it to be able to grow properly. What makes them an even better candidate to add to your summer container collection for this season is how easy they are to grow!You can place sky pencil plants in containers to line entrances and at the corners of a doorway to frame it as they stand on guard to greet anyone who walks past them.
They can get up to 8-10 feet tall at full maturity so choose a pot that can handle that verticle height!
Most Popular Shrubs & Hedges
The Cerise Charm® Loropetalum Shrub is a stunning addition to any garden, with its vibrant burgundy foliage and delicate pink blooms that appear in spring. This shrub is a versatile plant that can thrive in USDA grow zones 7-11, making it a great choice for a variety of climates, including places with hot summers. This evergreen shrub prefers plenty of sunlight to promote optimal growth and beautiful foliage color. It can be grown in containers, making it an excellent choice for those with limited garden space or for adding a touch of elegance to patios and balconies. With its compact size, reaching a maximum height and width of 3-4 feet, the Cerise Charm® Loropetalum is easily maintained and can be easily pruned to suit your desired shape and size.
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Do take into consideration a few things before choosing your plant and making the purchase. Our best recommendation would be to choose a pot with a drainage hole. Most plants like good drainage and well draining potting soil. Wet feet from wet soil will cause root rot and will cause your plant to die. We want to keep your plants growing strong and healthy!Take into consideration the pot size. Do you want a large pot with a small plant? No! You want the pot size to correlate with the size of the plant you purchase.
Keep an eye on the watering needs. Are your plants drought tolerant like the Arbequina olive tree? Or do they need more frequent watering and moist soil like the gardenias and blueberries?
If you do not have a patio or porch to place your hot summer containers on, consider a hanging basket like our Hanging Boston Fern to make use of limited space.
At Perfect Plants, we are selling world-class and affordable plant containers and other useful gardening accessories so you can get a head start on your brand-new gardening regimen. Order your favorite products right away!