Welcome! Today we’ll be exploring the world of patio plants! For gardening enthusiasts looking to spruce up their outdoor space, a patio can be the perfect spot to create a vibrant and inviting oasis. Whether it’s a spacious backyard or a cozy balcony, adding plants to your patio can elevate its aesthetics and create a serene ambiance.
In this article, we’ll share our top 15 picks for the best patio plants perfect for every garden. From colorful flowers to lush foliage, these plants will surely add charm and beauty to your outdoor space. There’s something for everyone on our list. So, grab your gardening gloves, and let’s dive into the world of patio plants that will transform your outdoor space into a breathtaking sanctuary!
Best Patio Plants
There are countless options to choose from when selecting the perfect plants for your patio. From vibrant flowers that add a pop of color to lush foliage that brings a touch of serenity, the right patio plants can transform your outdoor space into a breathtaking oasis. In this section, we’ll explore our top picks for the best patio plants perfect for any garden.
Let’s dive into our list of the best patio plants to make your outdoor space bloom with life!
Kalanchoe – The Colorful Charmer of Patios
For a burst of color to your patio, look no further than Kalanchoe! This vibrant and cheerful plant will surely steal the spotlight with its eye-catching hues of red, orange, pink, yellow, and more. Its thick succulent leaves and clusters of small flowers make it a perfect addition to any patio garden.
Kalanchoe is a low-maintenance plant that thrives in warm climates, making it a great choice for sunny patios. It’s drought-tolerant and requires minimal care, making it ideal for busy gardeners or those with a less-than-green thumb. With its playful and charming personality, Kalanchoe will brighten up your patio and make it a show-stopping display of colors!
Croton – The Dramatic Diva of Patio Plants
Are you looking to add some drama to your patio? Look no further than Croton! With its bold and vibrant foliage in shades of red, orange, yellow, and green, Croton is a true diva of the patio plant world. Its unique and eye-catching leaves come in various shapes and sizes, making it a statement piece for any garden.
Croton is known for its show-stopping presence and can instantly elevate the aesthetics of your patio. It’s a tropical plant that loves warm and humid environments, perfect for patios with ample sunlight. However, it does require some attention and care, but the effort is well worth it for the striking beauty it brings to your outdoor space.
Dracaena – The Elegant Guardian of Patio Gardens
If you’re seeking a plant that exudes elegance and grace, look no further than Dracaena! With its tall, slender stalks and lush foliage, Dracaena adds a touch of sophistication to any patio garden. Its long, sword-shaped leaves come in various colors, including shades of green, yellow, and even red, making it a versatile choice for any outdoor space.
Dracaena is not only a visual delight but also a great air purifier, helping to improve the air quality on your patio. It’s a low-maintenance plant that can tolerate various lighting conditions, from bright sun to partial shade, making it suitable for various patio setups. Dracaena is also known for its resilience, making it a great choice for those looking for a durable and hardy plant.
Majesty Palm – The Majestic Tropical Oasis for Patios
Dreaming of a tropical getaway right in your backyard? Here’s the Majesty Palm! Its iconic feathery fronds resemble a palm tree from a postcard-worthy destination. The Majesty Palm will bring the beauty and serenity of the tropics to any patio.
Majesty Palm is a large, majestic plant that makes a bold statement in any patio garden. Its lush green foliage and tall, slender trunk create a stunning focal point that instantly transports you to a tropical paradise. It thrives in warm and humid environments, making it ideal for patios with a tropical or exotic theme.
Million Bells – The Cascading Beauty for Patio Hanging Baskets
Also known as Calibrachoa, Million Bells is a compact and trailing plant that produces many trumpet-shaped flowers in various vibrant hues, including pink, purple, yellow, and more.
Million Bells is a favorite for patio hanging baskets, where its cascading flowers create a stunning visual display. Its profuse blooming and trailing habit make it perfect for adding color and charm to your patio garden. It’s a sun-loving plant that thrives in bright, well-draining spots, making it ideal for hanging baskets on sunny patios.
Mandevilla – The Exotic Beauty for Patio Trellises and Pergolas
For that view of a tropical retreat on your patio, then you should look no further than the Mandevilla. Its stunning trumpet-shaped flowers and glossy foliage add a touch of exotic beauty to any patio trellis or pergola.
Mandevilla is a vining plant that produces large, showy flowers in shades of pink, red, or white, depending on the variety. Its twining habit makes it perfect for climbing and covering trellises or pergolas, creating a lush and tropical canopy overhead. Its flowers are not only visually stunning but also emit a delightful fragrance, adding to the sensory appeal of your patio.
This tropical beauty thrives in warm and sunny environments, perfect for patios with ample sunlight. It requires regular watering and well-draining soil to thrive, but the effort is worth the breathtaking display it brings to your outdoor space.
Marigolds – The Cheerful Burst of Color for Patio Borders and Containers
For our happy-go-lucky ones wanting a splash of cheerful color in their patio garden, Marigolds are a perfect choice! With their vibrant hues of yellow, orange, and red, Marigolds bring a sense of joy and warmth to any outdoor space, making them a popular choice for patio borders and containers.
Marigolds are known for their bright, daisy-like flowers that bloom profusely throughout the growing season. They are easy to grow and low-maintenance, ideal for experienced and novice gardeners. Marigolds are also known for their pest-repelling properties, making them a natural and eco-friendly choice for keeping unwanted insects at bay in your patio garden.
They can be planted in containers, window boxes, or along patio borders to add a burst of color and create a welcoming atmosphere. Their vibrant blooms make them a favorite among pollinators, attracting bees and butterflies to your patio garden.
Lavender – The Fragrant Beauty for a Relaxing Patio Oasis
Known for its delightful fragrance and stunning flowers, Lavender adds a touch of elegance and tranquility to any outdoor space.
Lavender is a versatile plant with various species and cultivars, each with unique characteristics. Its flowers typically bloom in shades of purple, blue, or pink and are held on long stalks above the foliage, creating a striking visual display. Apart from its visual appeal, Lavender is prized for its calming fragrance, which can help create a serene and peaceful ambiance on your patio.
Lavender thrives in well-draining soil and prefers full sun, making it ideal for sunny patios. It’s a drought-tolerant plant that requires minimal watering once established, making it low-maintenance and suitable for busy patio gardeners. Lavender can be planted in containers, raised beds, or directly in the ground, making it a versatile choice for various patio setups.
Fuchsia – The Elegant and Graceful Hanging Basket Beauty
Fuchsia is a classic choice for patio gardens, known for its elegant and graceful appearance. With its drooping flowers in shades of pink, purple, or white, Fuchsia adds a touch of charm and beauty to any patio space, especially when planted in hanging baskets.
Fuchsia flowers are unique with their distinctive shape, resembling a bell or a teardrop, and often feature contrasting colors on the petals and sepals. These stunning blooms dangle gracefully from the branches, creating a mesmerizing display that can be enjoyed from below or at eye level in hanging baskets.
Ornamental Grasses – The Graceful and Textural Accent for a Striking Patio Landscape
Ornamental grasses are a popular choice for adding texture, movement, and drama to a patio landscape. These graceful and versatile plants come in various heights, colors, and forms, making them a stunning accent in any outdoor space.
One of the main appeals of ornamental grasses is their unique foliage and striking seed heads. They add a sense of movement and rhythm to the patio garden, swaying gracefully in the breeze and creating a dynamic visual display. Ornamental grasses also come in various colors, from vibrant greens to stunning reds, oranges, and purples, adding drama and contrast to the landscape.
Hydrangea – The Timeless and Showy Patio Shrub
Hydrangea is a timeless and showy shrub that can add a touch of elegance and charm to any patio garden. Known for its stunning and abundant blooms, Hydrangea comes in various colors, including pink, blue, white, and even multi-colored varieties, making it a versatile choice for patio landscapes.
Hydrangea blooms are large and impressive, resembling clusters of flowers in rounded or conical shapes. They create a focal point in the patio garden, drawing attention with their striking colors and voluminous blooms. The color of the blooms can be influenced by the soil pH, with acidic soil producing blue flowers and alkaline soil producing pink flowers, allowing for some creative control over the plant’s appearance.
Lobelia – The Vibrant and Cascading Beauty for Patio Hanging Baskets
Lobelia is a vibrant and cascading plant that adds a burst of color to patio hanging baskets. With its profusion of dainty flowers in shades of blue, violet, pink, or white, Lobelia creates a stunning display that will surely catch the eye.
The trailing habit of Lobelia makes it perfect for hanging baskets, window boxes, or containers placed on elevated surfaces, such as railings or pergolas. The trailing stems of Lobelia are covered with lush foliage and adorned with abundant flowers, creating a cascade of color that adds drama and visual interest to the patio garden.
Succulents – The Hardy and Stylish Patio Plants
Succulents are hardy and stylish plants that are gaining popularity in patio gardens for their unique appearance and low-maintenance nature. With their thick, fleshy leaves and stems, succulents store water, allowing them to thrive in arid conditions, and are ideal for patio gardens with limited watering options.
Succulents come in a wide range of shapes, colors, and textures, from rosette forms to trailing varieties, and can be easily mixed and matched to create interesting and visually appealing arrangements. They can be planted in containers or directly in the ground, and their compact size makes them suitable for small spaces, such as on tabletops, shelves, or window sills.
Torenia – The Charming and Shade-Loving Gem for Patio Gardens
Torenia, also known as wishbone flower or clown flower, is a charming and shade-loving gem that adds a burst of color to patio gardens. With its dainty flowers in shades of blue, purple, pink, or white, Torenia creates a whimsical and enchanting display that adds a touch of magic to any patio garden.
Torenia is well-suited for shaded or partially shaded areas, making it a perfect choice for patios with limited sunlight. It thrives in well-drained soil and requires regular water to moisten the soil. Torenia’s compact growth habit makes it suitable for containers, hanging baskets, or window boxes, where its colorful flowers can be enjoyed up close.
One of the unique features of Torenia is its wishbone-shaped stamens, which give it its common name, “wishbone flower.” The flowers of Torenia have a trumpet-like shape and are often adorned with colorful markings and patterns, adding to their charm and appeal.
Roses – The Classic and Timeless Beauty for Patio Gardens
Roses are the epitome of classic and timeless beauty, making them a popular choice for patio gardens. With their exquisite blooms in a wide range of colors, shapes, and fragrances, roses are a true symbol of love, elegance, and romance that can elevate any patio garden to new heights of beauty.
Roses are versatile plants that can be grown in containers, raised beds, or directly in the ground, depending on the space and style of your patio garden. They require well-drained soil and ample sunlight, usually, at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day, to thrive and produce abundant blooms. With proper care, roses can grace your patio garden with stunning flowers from spring to fall.
How Often Should Patio Plants Be Watered?
When watering patio plants, finding the right rhythm is crucial. Overwatering or underwatering can harm your plants, so here are some quick guidelines to keep in mind:
- Check the soil moisture: Stick your finger about an inch into the soil. If it feels dry, it’s time to water. If it’s still moist, wait a little longer.
- Consider plant type: Different plants have different water requirements. Succulents prefer to dry out between watering, while other plants may need more consistent moisture.
- Pot size matters: Smaller pots or pots without drainage holes may need more frequent watering, while larger pots with drainage holes allow excess water to escape. You can find the best outdoor pot here.
- Time it right: Water in the morning or late afternoon when it’s cooler to reduce evaporation and help plants absorb water effectively.
- Avoid wetting foliage: Water the soil, not the leaves, to prevent diseases from spreading.
As a general guideline, most patio plants typically need to be watered when the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch. This could be once or twice a week in hot and dry weather or less frequently in cooler and more humid conditions.
How Dо I Choose The Best Plants For A Patio?
Choosing the best plants for a patio requires considering various factors, such as the amount of sunlight the patio receives, the available space, and the desired aesthetic. Here are some tips to help you select the perfect plants for your patio:
- Assess sunlight exposure: Observe the amount of sunlight your patio receives throughout the day. Some plants thrive in full sun, while others prefer partial or full shade. Choose plants that are suitable for the light conditions of your patio.
- Consider space limitations: Determine the available space on your patio and choose plants that fit well within that space. Consider the height, width, and growth habits of the plants, and plan accordingly to avoid overcrowding.
- Determine plant type: Decide what plants you want for your patio. This could be flowering plants for a burst of color, foliage plants for greenery, or a mix of both. Consider the maintenance requirements, lifespan, and overall look of the plant to ensure it fits your preferences and lifestyle.
- Check hardiness zone: Consider the hardiness zone of your area and choose plants that are suitable for your climate. Plants adapted to your local climate are more likely to thrive and require less maintenance.
- Think about pot/container gardening: Since patios often have limited space for in-ground planting, consider container gardening. Choose plants well-suited for container growth, with appropriate pot size, good drainage, and a suitable potting mix.
- Consider your lifestyle: Consider your level of gardening experience, time availability, and commitment to plant care. Choose plants that match your gardening skill level and the amount of time you can dedicate to their care.
- Seek advice: If you’re unsure, don’t hesitate to seek advice from local garden centers, nurseries, or experienced gardeners. They can provide recommendations based on your specific patio conditions and preferences.
Happy planting!
