QUESTION : What are the best industrial plant and blossom to use in a dish garden ? I ’m making my first one and need to ensure it ’s a success . — Bobbie J.

ANSWER : take what you ’ll rise in your dish garden is one of the most fun parts of growing one . You ’ll want to choose varieties with colour and textures that complement one another . Keep in brain the normal often used for flowerbeds and admit some low - growing or train flora near the edge of the plantation owner , some of medium height as the master attraction , and some taller dramatic plants for the back of the display . You just demand to make certain that the plants you choose all portion out similar growth requirements .

When your industrial plant all have like precaution druthers for sun , soil , and pee , you have sex they ’ll be successful growing in the same dish . Here are some of our favorite plants for a dish garden so you could start choosing your favorites .

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African Violet

African violets will do best in a small knockout garden , as their mature summit is a tiny two to six inches tall . They ’re a bit heavy to cultivate than the other dish garden options we ’ve curated here . But if you indue the time and energy to give African violets the territory , humidity , and light they need to thrive , you ’ll be honor with their delicate garden pink , purple , and white blossoms .

African violets are dauntless in zone 11 and 12 , but they can be grown in indoor dish garden in other zone . They flourish between 65 and 75 degree and should be protected from vivid unmediated sun , or the leafage will get sunscald .

Find out more about grow African violets in our articleHow to Grow and give care for African Violets .

african violet

Aloe

Aloe ’s familiar puffed , blade - shape leaves will be conversant to most of you because they ’re so commonplace in gardens . Use aloe in a dish garden to furnish textural interest with a plant so low sustentation it ’s much hand off .

Pair aloe with other succulent in beauty gardens for a setup that ’s laughably easy to like for . As a incentive , aloe ’s leaves contain a natural medicine for burns and scraping .

Find out more about growing aloe in our articleGrowing Aloe Vera Successfully : A Comprehensive Guide .

aloe

Begonia

Begonia ’s well-favoured glossy parting and minor pollyannaish blossoms look great tucked into a dish garden . The industrial plant fills out for a bushy growth habit and contact around 12 to 18 inches tall . Begonia blooms come in shade of orange , pink , ruby-red , white , and yellow .

Begonias are notoriously well-situated to grow . Just render the industrial plant with a sunny touch or partial shade , and they ’ll stretch up to about two feet tall . They do n’t call for a lot of piddle and will even stomach drought or a hot climate . pee when the soil has dry out . you may prove it by sticking a fingerbreadth into the territory near where begonias are growing . If the territory clings to your hand or feels moist , it ’s not yet time to water your begonia .

Find out more about grow begonias in our articleHow to produce Begonia Flowers .

begonia for dish garden

Bromeliad

Bromeliads are tropical plant that look like grasses until they blossom forth to uncover their dramatic fluorescent gloss . They can be grow outside in tropic clime and indoors for other nurseryman . Because they ’re tropical plants , you ’ll necessitate to cautiously match bromeliads with other plants that have similar maintenance requirements in your dish garden .

Give indoor bromeliads medium to bright luminance . They do well in shallow dish antenna gardens because the plant get a heap of weewee by collect it in their cup - work center . Bromeliads thrive in low-down stain mixture like blending made for orchids . They ’re stout in zones 10 and 11 , and they do well as an annual or indoor plant in other zones .

get out more about growing bromeliads in our articleHow to Grow Bromeliads .

bromeliad and croton for dish garden

Cactus

From ball - shaped Earth to pillar - determine cacti covered in downy bloodless hairsbreadth , there are gobs of cactus varieties to choose from for your dish garden . Just make certain to raise cacti with other plant that divvy up their care needs . You wo n’t want to plant cacti with fern or tropical plant , for model , that postulate a moist dirt to do well . The lowly - upkeep nature of a cactus dish garden makes it a not bad choice for gardeners who do n’t need to invest a lot of time and vigor but still require an attractive dish garden in their collection .

Find a soil blend particularly made for growing cacti , or make your own by mixing sand or gravel into your common filth mixture . Cacti can be produce out of doors where the atmospheric condition is hot and dry , or keep them indoors in other arena . Cactus plants do bloom , often in vibrant tropic colors .

discover out more about produce cacti in our articleHow to develop Cactus Plants .

cactus dish garden

Chinese Evergreen(Aglaonema)

Chinese evergreen plant stretch its blade - form leaves to heights of up to three foot . There are more than 20 species to choose between , from plants with gently vary green on immature leaves to more dramatic red - venose leaves of jungle green .

Taiwanese evergreen plant is dauntless in zones 10 through 12 and can be rise indoors or as an yearly in other function of the U.S. It necessitate temperature between 60 and 72 to thrive . Chinese Evergreen is not a sun - make love plant and will take some spectre to perform well . Indirect sunlight is plenty for these handsome plants .

happen out more about growing Chinese Evergreen in our articleHow to Grow Chinese Evergreen .

jade in dish garden

Chives(Allium schoenoprasum)

Chives provide ticklish vertical sake to your dish garden and perform doubled obligation as an edible herb . apply the leafage , which taste similar to green Allium cepa , clip into shin eggs , sprinkled on top of baked potatoes , folded into glum cream and pick cheese dips , or tucked them into the volute of shove chicken breast .

Allium schoenoprasum are hardy in USDA growing zones 3 through 10 . They can reach between three and 10 inches tall . They bloom at the beginning of summer with clover - corresponding bloom in lavender and bloodless . Give them full sun to light shade , and keep plants evenly moist for them to thrive .

Find out more about growing chives in our articleHow to Grow Chives .

philodendron in container garden

Croton(Codiaeum variegatum)

The bright colors of croton number from a tropic industrial plant that ’s fearless in growing zone 9 through 11 and can be grow indoors or as an annual in other zona . The mature height differ wide depend on the variety you ’re grow . Some types can eventually attain up to 10 substructure tall , while others are designed to stay pocket-sized and compact .

Croton works involve sunshine that ’s lustrous but indirect . unmediated sunshine can cause croton ’s vibrant foliage to slice or can even combust plants with sunscald . Give plant fertile soil that drains well and has a neutral pH level . ( Not sure how to determine your soil ’s pH ? you may learn all about it in our articleHow to try out pH in Your Soil ) .

Find out more about growing croton in our articleHow to Grow Croton Plants .

pothos in containers

Ferns

Ferns give a dish garden a clearly tropical expressive style . There are so many different varieties to choose between , from the paddle of staghorn ferns to delicatemaidenhair fern .

fern do good where the flat coat is moist , soil is informal and fertile , and the clime is shady . They partner well with other specter - loving plants . Their tropic flavor makes them a staring pick if you ’ll be add pliant brute or dinosaur to your dish garden .

Find out more about growing fern in our articleHow to mature Ferns .

herb rosemary dish garden

Jade(Crassula ovata)

Jade plants can be bantam at first , but when their care preferences are met , these plants can grow into minor tree up to five feet grandiloquent . Jade plants are hardy in zone 10 through 12 but do well as an indoor plant or annual in other zones . Just fetch them indoors if the temperature drops below 50 degree .

Jade is a common alternative for indoor gardens or succulent appeal because it ’s so easy to take guardianship of . Give it a soil mix designed for succulents and cacti , or make your own by mixing gravel or Amandine Aurore Lucie Dupin into your received potting grime mix . notice loose woman a blot where it will get at least four hours of sun each twenty-four hour period . Protect immature plant from direct sun , though build plants can allow it .

Find out more about growing jade in our articleHow to Grow Jade .

zebra plant dish garden

Peace Lily(Spathiphyllum)

Peace lily is often given as a gift and is quite common in indoor plant collections . Gardeners should get laid it is toxic to mankind as well as animal , so keep it far from where nestling and pets free rein . The prime of the peace lily is a individual lily-white leaf that Robert F. Curl around a bombastic key stamen , its wanness contrasting with the lustrous immature leaves .

Peace lily is intrepid in growing zone 11 and 12 but can be grown indoors or as an annual in other zones . They ’ll attain between 18 inches and three feet marvelous . Keep them moist but not oversaturated , and provide filtered sunshine .

Find out more about growing peace lily in our articleHow to Grow Peace Lily Plants .

cactus dish garden with text overlay what plants and flowers are in a dish garden

Philodendron

Philodendron is a favored in indoor garden and has a unspecific range of varieties for you to choose from . It ’s hardy in zone 9 to 11 but does well as an one-year or indoor plant in other growing zone . With proper care , some varieties can gain heights of up to 20 foot tall .

Philodendron is a tropic plant life that does well when given fond sunniness . Keep their soil consistently moist but not waterlogged .

Find out more about spring up philodendron in our articleHow to develop Philodendron .

Poinsettia(Euphorbia pulcherrima)

Poinsettia is n’t just for Christmas . With the right care , you may savour the striking carmine , yellow , or apricot blooms yr round as a houseplant . They ’re hardy in zones 9 through 11 but can be grown elsewhere as an annual or in an indoor garden . ripe plant can gain up to 13 feet magniloquent . Poinsettia is toxic to pets and children but is not fateful .

Give poinsettia a spot that get full or partial sun . Its soil should be slenderly acid .

notice out more about growing poinsettia in our articleHow to Grow and Care for Poinsettia Flowers .

Pothos

Pothos is one of the easiest plants there is to get , and for that reason you ’ll see it in a lot of flora compendium . It is stalwart only in zone 10 through 12 , so you ’ll most often encounter pothos as part of an indoor works collection . It ’s a common sight growing in territory or only in water as part of a flower arrangement in an federal agency or store . The twining strands of Epipremnum aureum can progress to up to 20 foot long .

Pothos really is n’t finicky — the plants do n’t even need soil to thrive , which is why you ’ll see them growing in containers filled with stones or marble and water system . It can be grow in lowly light as long as it gets 12 to 14 hours of contrived light . Just about any soil will do , even if it ’s rocky or poor . Just ensure the grime gets some wet but does not get waterlogged .

Find out more about growing Scindapsus aureus in our articleHow to get Pothos ( Devil ’s Ivy ) .

Purple Waffle Plant(Hemigraphis alternata)

Gardeners love empurpled waffle plant for its brightly dark foliation . There are lots of varieties to choose from , with lots of different vividness of leaves . You ’ll find the original , deep red - green leaf with a purple undersurface , or shades of grey , emollient , or magenta . Some multifariousness even have metal folio .

over-embellished waffle plant is hardy in zones 10 and 11 , while gardeners in other zones can turn it as an annual or indoors . These plant can grow in bright collateral illumination or fond shade , but too much verbatim cheer can burn them with sunscald . Indoors , your regular potting soil is staring , while if you grow purple waffle plant outdoors , you ’ll want to mingle in some compost . plant do best in an environment that is tender and humid . Bring purple waffle plant life inside if the temperature cut down below 40 degrees .

encounter out more about growing regal waffle plants in our articleHow to farm Purple Waffle Plant ( Hemigraphis alternata ) .

Rosemary(Salvia rosmarinus)

Rosemarymakes an excellent addition to lulu garden and can look like a tiny tree if trimmed aright . you may develop rosemary for its culinary use or just to enjoy its fragrance . Rosemary ’s needle - alike foliage on woody stem is unlike from most other plants , so it provide textural interest as part of a dish garden . Hedge varieties of rosemary pruned to look like a tree diagram make for well in mantrap gardens that control figurine like fauna or dinosaurs . Other trailing varieties of rosemary creep along the basis .

In most grow zone , rosemary tops out at around three feet tall , but where it is ardent enough , rosemary industrial plant can reach eight feet . Rosemary is wintertime hardy in growing geographical zone 6 through 10 and is produce indoors or as an annual in other part of the country . Provide rosemary with soil that drain well and has a pH level between 6.5 and 8.0 . Rosemary wish six to eight hours of direct sunshine .

Find out more about growing rosemary in our articleHow to Grow Rosemary Herbs at Home .

Sedum

With so many different varieties of sedum to choose from , there ’s sure to be one that complements the other plant in your dish garden . Sedum varies widely in the looking and semblance of its foliage . There are literally hundreds of coinage of sedum to pick out between , from broken - slung varieties of groundcover to tall upright style .

As a succulent , sedum is a depressed maintenance plant that does n’t need a lot of fuss or attention . Succulents do well when give to their own devices . As some gardeners say , these plants flourish on neglect . However , you may give them a good start by planting them in soil made for succulent and cacti , or you may mix up your own succulent filth by add together sand or rile to your common potting mix . These Lord’s Day - loving plants involve full sun ( mean at least six hour of direct sunshine per day ) , unless you choose one of the sedum species that can tolerate partial shade . Sedum is stout in zones 3 through 9 , and some sort can reach up to two feet tall .

detect out more about growing sedum in our articleHow to Grow Sedum .

Snake Plant(Dracaena trifasciata)

You may already have snake plant as part of your collection . It ’s one of the most vulgar houseplants you ’ll see . multitude love its spectacular leaf blade - work leaves that can stretch along up to 8 foot tall . You ’ll find lots of options when it comes to variety , with variegated foliage in white-livered , white , or green and leaves of different shapes and sizes .

Gardeners should know that snake works is very toxic to animals , so if you last with dogs or guy , plants must be keep in a billet where pets can not reach them . And another monition — when you grow snake plant outdoors , it can be so prolific as to be considered incursive .

Snake plant is hardy in zones 9 through 11 but can be grown as an annual or houseplant in other growing zones . industrial plant are incredibly small care and only need a spot of piddle every once in a while , soil that drains well , and some indirect Christ Within . serpent plant does well in dish garden alongside plants that acquire in low light stipulation or specter .

Find out more about growing snake plant in our articleHow to Grow Snake Plant .

Wandering Jew(Tradescantia)

Wandering Jew is a favourite for lots of nurseryman because it ’s so incredibly easy to wish for . works also circularize easily . you could plainly break off a stem from an give industrial plant , stick it in a hollow elsewhere , and provide a bit of piss , and the cutting will take root and grow into its own found plant life .

There are several varieties of Wandering Jew to select between , some with over-embellished leaves and some that are striped with immature or ash grey . Wandering Jew breaks into bloom easily , dotting the leafage with pocket-sized lavender efflorescence .

Find out more about growing wandering Jew in our articleHow to farm Wandering Jew Houseplant ( Tradescantia zebrina ) .

Zebra Plant(Haworthia)

Haworthia is a succulent that is determine something like an aloe . It ’s call zebra plant because many varieties have striped foliage . These strickle little plants impart a unique physique to your dish garden and do well planted with other succulent .

Give Haworthia grunge that is informal and drain well . Succulents mature best in mixes specially designed for succulents and cacti . you may make your own succulent land at home by mixing crushed rock or Baroness Dudevant into your common potting soil mix . Haworthia plants also bonk sunshine and should be plant where they get full Dominicus , which translates to at least six hours of sunshine each day . Succulents also do n’t need as much water as other houseplants .

notice out more about originate Haworthia in our articleHow to turn and Care for Succulent Houseplants .

you’re able to mix and match the plant on this list to create a dish garden and be positive you ’re pick out varieties that will do well in the shallow space . Just check that to observe the guideline of aggroup plants together that share like concern requirements . You do n’t want to institute a dish garden with one plant that thrives in shade and another that call for sun . likewise , you do n’t desire to pair up thirsty plant with those that like to let the soil dry out between watering . With an eye for diverse colors , plant height , and foliage shape , you could design a dish garden that ’s easy to wish for and beautiful to look at .

Learn More About Plants and Flowers That Are In a Dish Garden

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