Fun Ideas For Your Late Summer Containers

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Now that many of our spring garden blooms have faded and the temperatures in Fort Lauderdale are peaking, there’s a whole new world of fabulous flowers and plants that we can add to the garden. Plus, with all the summer entertaining and outdoor activities that pop up in July and August, it’s always nice to add a fun, festive touch to your landscape design with exciting flowers that command attention. 

The easiest way to add new plants to the yard in a pinch is through container gardening. There’s just so much flexibility as to where you can place them, and the containers themselves can be really beautiful too! And you can’t go wrong with hanging baskets—they’re one of our favorite ways to decorate with plants. 

We’ve compiled some ideas and inspiration for your late summer container gardens, so you can spice up the scenery with bold color and visual spectacle.

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Experiment With Brand New Annuals

Every year, there’s always a tidal wave of brand new annuals that get released, with incredible color combos and patterns that never fail to impress. From hardy hybrid varieties to swirling, stripey petaled beauties that look hand-painted, there’s always something new and exciting to discover. Summer is the best time to experiment with these temporary annual plants, because you don’t have to commit to anything long-term, and you might end up discovering a new favorite! 

To see the latest new annual varieties that have just been released for 2020, visit us at Living Color and ask one of our experts to show you what’s new on the scene. Who knows, maybe you’ll gain a reputation for being a savvy garden trendsetter on your street!

Opt For Warm, Rich Sunset Colors

Hot summer nights need a hot color palette to match. We love the impact of rich, blazing sunset tones in the yard—they complement the setting sun perfectly! Opt for a mix of ultra-saturated, fiery tones like deep gold, tangerine, true red, magenta, and deep reddish plum tones. We always recommend planting annual Celosia, because their pointy tufts look like bright flames, and they come in all sorts of beautiful sunset colors.

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Upcycle Some Containers

Why splurge on fancy containers when you can give new life to some old junk? After all the spring cleaning from last season, you’ve probably got some stuff collecting dust in the garage that could be transformed into a totally functional plant pot. With a good cleaning, and maybe a few drainage holes added in for good measure, you can create something really unique, while also helping the environment by reducing landfill waste. Old furniture like drawers and shelves, teapots, tonka trucks, rubber boots—the list goes on! Get creative and think outside the box. 

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Plant Mini Tomatoes and Peppers

Colorful heritage tomatoes and peppers are arguably just as beautiful as a basket full of flowers, plus the added benefit of a bunch of harvestable food to enjoy at the end of the season. These tasty rainbow snackables thrive in full sun, and have the best flavor when they get plenty of time to bask in the heat. 

Plant some starter plants in hanging baskets and hang them around the patio—the bright, shiny fruits look just like colorful strings of patio lights! Remember to water them every day, because edible plants need lots of water to produce food, and soil in hanging baskets dried out much faster than in a garden bed.

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Make A Hummingbird Planter

Catching a tiny hummingbird flitting about isn’t always a common sight to behold, but by creating a container arrangement made specifically for attracting hummingbirds, the odds of encountering them are much higher! Hummingbirds have a few distinct preferences for the kinds of flowers they like, so if you tick all those boxes, you’re likely to draw some into the yard. 

Hummingbirds love the color red, so a big red pot full of bright red flowers will certainly grab their attention. Their long, skinny beaks are made for dipping into tubular flowers so they can sip on the sweet nectar inside, so you’ll want to choose blossoms that have that trumpet-like shape, like Cuphea. They also love Petunias and Impatiens, which are some of the most popular summer annuals of all time. We have plenty of varieties in store, so feel free to swing by and check out the selection!


Our summer annuals are going fast, so drop by the greenhouse or place an order over the phone soon! We still have curbside pickup and citywide delivery options available, just give us a call to make your arrangements.


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