The best flowering plants for pots are versatile and do well in a variable climate. Choosing the right outdoor plants to flourish in the UK climate can be a bit of trial and error. However, there are some flowers that generally do well in pots and are adaptable to changes in sunlight. It's so joyous to adorn the Sunday roast with a sprig of rosemary from a pot outside the kitchen door or catch the heady fragrance of hyacinths and lavender in spring and summer, respectively. By positioning planters outside your back door, and selecting the right plants, you can enjoy year-round colour and scent.
At certain times of the year, flowering plants will be readily available from nurseries and online as plug plants. For the rest of the year seed packs can be purchased ahead of the next flowering season. Germinate the seeds between January and March for a dazzling display of spring and summer flowers.
Best flowering plants for pots at a glance:
• Best overall flowering pot plant: Geranium Magic Beauty Mixed Flower Seeds – View on Amazon UK
• Best flowers for full sun: Petunia grandiflora 'Cascade Pink Orchid Mist' F1 Hybrid – View on Thompson & Morgan
• Best grow-your-own flowering plants: Marigold Petite Mixed – View on Amazon UK
Selecting the right flowering plants for pots depends on how much sunlight your outdoor space receives. Some plants thrive in shade, while others prefer partial shade or full sun. You should also consider what type of soil the plant needs – generally, loamy soil is the best option as this contains organic matter that will give nutrients to a plant. The majority of pot plants will need free-draining soil as this helps to prevent waterlogging and root rot. If in doubt, potting soil is the perfect mix and is readily available to buy online.
To ensure your pot plants are a blooming success, there are some other factors to take into consideration. Generally, the UK is a maritime climate with wet and mild weather. However, we've had some extreme heat in recent summers, therefore opting for drought-tolerant plants is one way to ensure you always get a display of flowers – come rain or shine.
Best flowering plants for pots
Best overall flowering pot plant
Add a cheerful touch to pots, balconies and window boxes with an array of vibrant colour. Get easy to grow blooms in red, white, pink with this pack of Jamieson Brothers® Geranium Magic Beauty Mixed Flower Seeds. Geranium plants can thrive in both sun and partial shade, making them a reliable planting choice for the UK climate. There are approximately five to eight seeds per pack and they will flower from June onwards if they are sown between January and March.
Customer review: "My wife and I like to make up hanging baskets. We are hoping this seed collection will be as beautiful as promised. We have just planted these in seed trays and popped them in the greenhouse to avoid frosts and neighbourhood cats. Time will tell."
Pros
- Low maintenance
- Vibrant blooms
- Attract pollinators
Cons
- Roots will rot in overly wet soil
Best flowers for full sun
www.thompson-morgan.com
Enjoy a profusions of colourful blooms with this pack of Petunia grandiflora 'Cascade Pink Orchid Mist' F1 Hybrid. This half-hardy annual produces large soft pink double and semi-double blooms from June to October. They are low maintenance plants that enjoy full sun and partial shade – ideal for a beautiful display in containers – regardless of your gardening experience level.
Customer review: "Looking fantastic in the greenhouse."
Pros
- An abundance of flowers
- Versatile
- Easy to grow
Cons
- Doesn't state how many seeds are in the packet
Best grow your own flowering plants
Bright and colourful Marigolds are good value for money and an easy to grow plant that loves a sunny position. This pack of Marigold Petite Mixed contains approximately 105 seeds. Sow outdoors between April and May for July flowers. With vibrant, fiery hues these delightful double pom-pom blooms will brighten up any garden. Marigolds have pest repellent properties, which can help to deter insects in the hot summer months.
Pros
- Easy to grow
- Value for money
- Bold and colourful blooms
Cons
- No customer review specifically for this seed pack
Best flowering pot plant for fragrance
Well-suited to soaring summer temperatures Lavender, Lavandula Angustifolia 'BeeZee Pink' is a drought-tolerant plant that's well-suited for pots. Lavender attracts bees and butterflies, enhancing the biodiversity of your garden. Position in full sun and plant in well-draining soil. Relax and enjoy it's stress-relieving fragrance; you can even pick the flowers and dry them so you can enjoy the therapeutic scent for longer.
Customer review: "The plant arrived on time and was well packed and in good condition. It is now thriving very well since planting out."
Pros
- Soothing fragrance
- Drought tolerant
- Pollinator
Cons
- Reviews comment that plant is small upon arrival
Best for cut flowers
www.jparkers.co.uk
If it's flowers you're looking for this Campanula Medium Collection is our pick of the bunch. This charming
Campanula Medium Collection blooms in summer with bell-shaped flowers in various colours. Enjoy an enchanting display from May to July and attract pollinators to your garden. This pack of 15 module plants gives plenty of scope for filling pots and containers. Bell flowers are a hardy perennial, tolerating a range of growing conditions, with minimal upkeep required.
Pros
- Attractive flowers
- Attracts bees and butterflies
- Easy to care for
- Make excellent cut flowers
Cons
- No customer review for specific product
Best flowers for cold weather
Hugely popular in the UK, there's hardly a garden without a container of pansies and violas. Pansy 'Delta Mix' x 20 Full Plant Pack blooms in abundance, earlier and longer than other variety of pansies. Delight in these cheerful blooms throughout the winter, as these cold-tolerant annuals flower both in spring and autumn. The heart-shaped petals come in an array of dazzling colours and can brighten the chilliest of days.
Customer review: "Pansy plants came well packed and plants ready to put into the garden, first time buy. Will be certainly buying again."
Pros
- Tolerates low temperatures and light frost
- Edible flowers
- Long flowering season
Cons
- Susceptible to root rot in waterlogged soil
Best for winter colour
Hellebores are tough little cookies that flower from February into early spring. Enjoy delicate shades of pink, purple, yellow, red, and white. These whimsical flowers have ruffled petals and thrive in shade or partial shade. Hellebore 'Double Queen' Mix 3 Jumbo Plugs require minimal care once they're established. Make them a long-lasting perennial to brighten up your winter garden.
Customer review: "These plugs arrived extremely quickly. They were well packed. Now planted and looking good in the garden. Awaiting from them to bloom in the next few months."
Pros
- Blooms in late winter into early spring
- Shade loving
- Easy to grow
Cons
- Some customers comment that not all their plants developed
Best shade-loving flowering plant
If your garden receives limited light, Hostas are a good option. Hostas have large green textured foliage and are shade-loving plants. Also known as Plantain Lillies, these long-lasting perennials produce unusual bell flowers in the summer. You Garden x 3 Hosta Mix Perennial Hosta Plants offers a array of leaf shapes with variegated colours.
Customer review: "Another bargain from YouGarden Store, the three plants arrived healthy, watered and well packaged, they are really lush and green and should grow quickly once planted."
Pros
- Lush foliage
- Thrives in shade
- Easy to maintain
Cons
- Some reviews comment that they received poor quality plants
Best for unusual blooms
www.jparkers.co.uk
With striking feathery red blooms, Astilbe Fanal or False Goats Beard is a shade tolerant, summer flowering plant that makes for an eye-catching display. Ideal for positioning under trees, this long-lasting perennial attracts butterflies and tolerates damp conditions. Needing minimal care, except a nutrient-rich soil, brighten up a shady area with a graceful Astilbe.
Pros
- Elegant flower spikes
- Shade loving
- Low maintenance
Cons
- No customer review
Best for colourful foliage
www.jparkers.co.uk
This Heuchera Luxury Collection offers a riot of colourful and lush foliage, rather than flowers. The benefit of this low-maintance plant is a long season of colour without the need of deadheading. If you're looking for pot plants that need minimal care, this collection of coral bells offers visual interest for container planting. They're versatile too; enjoying sun or partial shades. This pack of five includes: Heuchera Forever Purple, Heuchera Marmalade, Heuchera Obsidian, Heuchera 'Peach Flambé', and Heuchera Electra.
Pros
- A colourful collection
- Low maintenance
- An alternative to flowers
- Shade tolerant
Cons
- No customer review
FAQs: Best flowering plants for pots
What do I need to consider when growing pot plants?
Pot plants that flower bring beauty and vibrancy to the smallest of outdoor spaces. Before you buy, there are a few factors to consider to ensure your canna lilies (or whatever else you love) are bursting with fragrance and provide breathtaking blooms.
Location and aspect are fundamental to ensuring your flowering plants thrive. Choose sun-loving plants for south-facing gardens, such as petunias, geraniums and marigolds. In contrast, east and west-facing gardens will get the sun at certain times of the day, so opt for partial shade-loving plants, such as heuchera, hostas and bedding begonias. In north-facing gardens, Astilbe and Lily of the Valley are good options for hardy flowering pot plants that grow in the shade.
Soil provides the nutrients that keep plants healthy. In pots and containers the soil should be free-draining and there must be a drainage hole in the bottom. Pot plants, such as pansies, are susceptible to root rot if the soil is waterlogged. Use a compost that gives continual release plant food and won't saturate, such as Miracle-Gro Premium Moisture Control Compost.
The size of the pot is important to allow roots to spread out and develop. A plant in a pot that's too small for it will become rootbound and this restricts its overall growth and health. Therefore, choose a container that a plant can grow into. Plug plants and seed packs will come with guidance about their eventual height and spread.
Water pot plants more frequently than plants that are in the ground, especially in the summer. This is because pots and containers have limited soil volume and less natural water retention, so they dry out faster.
What's the best way to display my plant pots?
To get maximum visual punch out of your display of plant pots there are a few design principles you can apply.
Arrange plant pots creatively by varying heights and sizes. In addition, use decorative stands, shelves, or hanging baskets for added dimension. Apply the rule of three by placing identical plants in three large pots. “Odd numbers look less forced than even-numbered groupings,” says garden designer David Chanell. “Opt for strong, architectural plants such as three Phormiums, with their long, sword-like leaves, and you are making a real statement, because repetition creates more impact,” advises David. “In larger gardens, where three pots might get lost, stick to odd numbers, and group them in fives, sevens or nines instead. It’s the same principle and will create rhythm through your space.”
Alternatively, for a less rigid format, take three plant pots and arrange them into a triangle. For multiple flower varieties, create additional triangles of pots until space is filled. As the plants grow, foliage and flowers will naturally intertwine. “I make sure that I don’t have more than three main colours in my planting schemes,” advises David. " It is about achieving visual symmetry and balance.”
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Natalie Knowles is a Homes & Garden Product Writer for Modern Gardens, specialising in garden trends. When she's not flexing her mow-how, Natalie is a successful artist and illustrator.