• Choose containers of varying sizes and shapes to give visual interest to your plants.potted geraniums image by mefanti from Fotolia.com
  
  There are advantage to container planting. You can use sterile potting soil and amendment, keeping bacteria and insects at bay and avoiding the intensive labor clay soil requires. With container gardening, you can move plants around--both to create a variety of displays and to make sure plants receive the sunlight they need. Many plants that grow in the ground also thrive in containers.
  
  

Geraniums

• Plant geraniums (Pelargonium hortorum) in containers for easy-to-grow flowers from spring until the first frost. Geraniums belong to the genus Pelargonium, which includes about 200 species. Your grandmother's geraniums were probably the old-fashioned cultivars from which many cultivars descended. Now you can purchase ivy geraniums, zonal geraniums, fancy-leaf geraniums and more in bright colors of red, pink, salmon, white, fuchsia, lavender and bi-colors. Plant geraniums in soil with good drainage and fertilize with a time-release fertilizer about every three to four months. In humid areas such as the Southern states, geraniums thrive in the hottest weather in direct sun. In extreme heat, water every day, but make sure this plant never sits in a soggy pot. The container must have good drainage. In the Western states such as California, the intense desert sun burns the leaves. Under these conditions, keep the containers in partial shade, preferably sun in the morning and shade in the afternoon. Water everyday during the summer.
  
  

Agave

• Agave (Agavaceae), a succulent with large fleshy leaves, grows in full sun or partial shade and requires little to moderate water. Agave develops flower clusters, but they may not appear for 10 years. Often grown in containers, agave can tolerate neglect. If the leaves shrivel from lack of water, they plump back up again with watering. Pot in well-draining soil and let it dry out completely before watering again. Give it a good soaking, but make sure the pot has good drainage and let it drain in the sink. This desert plant is poisonous, so keep it out of the reach of small children and pets.
  
  

Gerbera Daisy

• Plant gerbera daisies (Gerbera jamesonii) for containers full of bright color. Make sure the pot has good drainage and give these flowers a lot of sunshine. Gerberas grow in red, yellow, orange and cream-colored. In humid climates, set pots in full sun and water daily during summer heat. In dry, hot climates, set pots where they receive partial shade. Clip off faded flowers and stems to encourage more growth. Gerberas can grow in the house in front of a window receiving full sun for at least half of the day. They also make nice cut flowers.