Strawberry pots add instant artistry to any garden. They come in all shapes and sizes, from elegant, tall, skinny pots with a modern slant to classic, potbelly containers that are reminiscent of a classic french potager or vegetable garden.
These pots typically have pockets around the body of the container and a wide opening at the top. Traditionally they were planted with strawberries. The idea was to place the mother plants on top and have the daughter plants move down the pot on their runner and colonize the open pockets.
Today strawberry pots can be filled with of a variety of plants ranging from drought-tolerant, creeping sedums and hens & chicks (Sempervivum) to a multitude of herbs and colorful annuals. However, these containers don't always provide optimal conditions for plants. It can be a challenge to get water to all areas of the container. The good news is that garden centers abound with sun-loving annuals that adapt well to these challenging conditions. Popular are verbena, lantana, million bells (Calibrachoa), Joseph's coat (Alternanthera) and more. Of course strawberries will always do; they can handle being crammed in small spaces. Place individual plants in every pocket for an instant result.
As mentioned above, one of the challenges of these containers is the even distribution of water. Here are a few helpful suggestions to get you moving in the right direction.
The strawberry pots can survive without these watering channels, but the containers are easier to water and your yield (whether strawberries, annuals or herbs) will be much more productive with them.
BOTANICAL NAME | COMMON NAME |
Alternanthera | Joseph's coat |
Bidens | bidens |
Calibrachoa Million Bells Series or Superbells Series | calibrachoa |
Sedum 'Angelina', 'John Creech', 'Golden Carpet', Weihenstephaner Gold', 'Blue Spruce', 'Fuldaglut', 'Ruby Mantle' |
creeping sedums |
Sanvitalia | creeping zinnia |
Cuphea | Mexican heather |
Echeveria | echeveria |
Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost' | euphorbia |
Sempervivum | hens and chicks |
Thymus, Origanum, O. majorana, Salvia officinalis, Lavendula | herbs (thyme,oregano, marjoram, sage, lavender) |
Lantana 'Bandana', Lucky Series and Patriot Series are all good | lantana |