If you have big dreams for your garden but not so much space, perhaps you should consider miniature container gardening! They’re fantastic options for apartment-dwellers who yearn for a garden but are limited to their patios, and they can also work indoors if you’re hoping to brighten up a corner in your home. On top of that, if you choose a colorful assortment of different containers and arrange them creatively, your garden aesthetic will be twice as nice.
What Can You Grow in Mini Flower Pots?
You might be quick to assume that mini pot gardening in limited space means you have limited options, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The beauty of container gardening is the versatility— you can arrange and rearrange however you see fit, and you can move the containers in and out of the light depending on your plants’ needs.
You’ve got plenty of options in terms of what plants you can grow in your pots, too. From tasty edibles to fragrant herbs and pretty flowers, there are loads of plants that will thrive in a small pot garden. An unexpected upside to mini flower pots is that they make great containers for daintier flowers that otherwise might get hidden or outshone in a large backyard garden full of other plants. Small, delicate blossoms like forget-me-nots are self-seeding and usually don’t exceed 6 inches tall, so in a small container of its own, it will get the attention it deserves and certainly won’t be forgotten! Other lovely smaller flowers that do well in small container gardens are:
Pansies: There are so many spectacular color combos available in this sweet, delicate flower. It can be hard to decide on just one, but luckily a mix of colors always looks fabulous. They’re low-maintenance and tolerate partial shade, but they prefer cooler weather, so it’s best to plant these little guys in late autumn so you can enjoy them over the winter until spring. They’re even edible, so when spring comes along you can pop off the flower heads and toss them in a salad or press them into sugar cookies and cupcakes. (Just make sure to avoid any chemicals on them when growing!)
Begonias: Another shade-tolerant blossom with many vibrant color options, this classic container flower will do just fine in a mini pot. They’re quite hardy perennials that should keep coming back to bloom again each spring, and they take well to cutting, so you can place them in cute smaller vases if they’re starting to get a bit bushy.
Baby Tears: These adorable flowers get their name from their small teardrop leaves. They have long stems that flop over in their containers and grow downward, which can create a really gorgeous effect if you’ve got them in a pretty pot in a complementary color.
Creative Ideas for a Small Pot Garden
A little variety will ensure your container arrangement is interesting, balanced and aesthetically appealing. A bunch of containers in the same size and color can be a bit boring. Try mixing things up a bit with these fun ideas for mini flower pots:
Painted Pots: Our garden center has a great assortment of different pots, but if you’re a creative type and would like to take things a step further, why not buy some terracotta pots and paint them with pretty designs using colorful paints for terra cotta?
Teacups: Miniature teacup gardens are downright adorable, and you can find tons of pretty teacups at a local antique shop with sweet painted patterns and floral prints. Since they’re a bit on the shallow side and don’t have drainage holes, be careful about overwatering, and maybe opt for plants that don’t need much water at all, like succulents or cacti. Some smaller garden herbs that prefer dry soil, like thyme, work pretty well in teacups as well.
Grow a Mini Veggie Garden
Vegetables require a bit of care and attention to produce tasty, plentiful yields, and their roots often soak up quite a lot of water, so some vegetables aren’t really suited to containers. However, you can definitely pick someedibles to grow in a container garden that will do splendidly. Lettuce, radishes, bean plants, and dwarf pac choi in vibrant sunset colors will grow well and look beautiful in a tiny container arrangement.
Herbs are another no-brainer for small container gardening. Cilantro, dill, rosemary, mint, basil, and so many others can be grown in small pots. If you’d really like to save space, you can install little bars across a window in your kitchen and attach tiny hanging pots to fill with tasty herbs, so they’ll always get lots of sun. Plus, that perfect burst of flavor to add to your cooking is in the most convenient possible place.
Watercress is an often-forgotten edible that has a lovely fresh flavor and is jampacked with vital nutrients. It kind of looks like clover, and it grows quite fast without much maintenance at all. Toss some into a smoothie, on top of fried eggs, or sprinkle it as a garnish for a little extra somethin’ at dinnertime.
Mini pot gardens are the perfect blend of convenience and cuteness. Whether you’re a newbie gardener with no yard or a seasoned gardener who’d like to try something a little different, you can get so much out of miniature container gardening. Plus, if you find yourself with a surplus of tiny potted plants, you can always give some away as gifts.