The Succulent Containers that Stole the Show (and My Heart)

It was probably a bit premature back in May when I declared my birdbath-turned-succulent container the best container garden of 2026. I’d just planted it up with succulents I’d been growing for years. Now it’s late October, and it’s still the best. Although, my other succulent containers were pretty fabulous, too.

So much went wrong this summer (and I’ll share that in another post), but the succulent containers were unequivocally “right.” Why? Because they were the easiest, most beautiful, most drought tolerant and pollinator-friendly containers I’ve ever designed. And that’s saying something. I’ve planted a lot of containers!

This year, several storms sacked much of the garden, so there never was a time when everything looked good at once. I felt like I was constantly fixing, staking, trimming back, picking up and stressing over things I couldn’t control. Except when it came to my succulent containers. Despite storms that packed 90 mph winds, hail and a nearly four-inch rainfall in a matter of hours, these containers sailed through. No fertilizing, no supplemental watering. Just pure joy and awe for containers that invited me in, slowed me down and made me look. They required little and gave so much. There’s something wonderful about that.

As a foliage first kind of gardener, succulent containers hit the sweet spot. They’re full of shape, texture and foliage colors without relying on flowers. And perhaps most importantly, don’t devour resources. They’re as waterwise as they come! The photo above was taken as I was writing this post so it’s my reminder to get out there and dig them up before frost hits.

An occasional flower stalk may shoot up out of nowhere, but that too is a bonus. Pollinators love succulent flowers. It’s October 28 and we have yet to get a light frost here in my Chicago area zone 6a climate. Typically the first one comes around mid October. But then this is another feather in the cap of the succulent container. They just keep looking good right up until frost.

The Succulent Container Thriller Award Goes To…

If such an award existed, it would go to Skyscraper senecio (Curio ficoides ‘Mount Everest’) from Southern Living Plant Collection. The growth was impressive and before long, it swallowed up the urn at the western edge of my front yard border. Both the senecio and sedum in the container were vigorous growers. The euphorbia was no match for them and was quickly choked out. It probably would have helped if I had been more diligent about cutting the sedum back to control its spread, but sometimes things get away from you and you’re content, or maybe it’s complacent. More likely, it’s a little of both.

The combination was an experiment and I originally had no intention of adding the euphorbia until I discovered them at Home Depot. The only thing I knew about Crown of Thorns was that it was a succulent. I wasn’t familiar with the growth habit. But that’s what experimenting is for!

You gotta grow it to know it.

At planting time, the euphorbia was fuller and loaded with hanging pink flowers. It didn’t take long for the senecio and sedum to catch up and out perform it. I really loved those flowers so maybe next year I’ll leave out the sedum. Hopefully the decreased root competition will encourage the euphorbia to thicken up and cover the edges with swaths of pink flowers.

The Hanging Basket That Finally Got It Right

Third time’s the charm, right? After two unsuccessful attempts to find plants that would thrive in this exceptionally dry hanging basket, I finally hit the jackpot with portulaca, aka moss rose or purslane. What a star it turned out to be! In full sun for the entire day, it’s no surprise that it’s predecessors (dahlias and ageratum) gave up the ghost long before summer ended. The exposure was no match for portulaca. It just kept growing and spilling over the edges. Honey bees, emerald green native bees and solitary wasps couldn’t get enough.

I planted two different portulacas from Proven Winners, Mojave Pink and Mojave Tangerine Improved. The pink was far more enthusiastic! The interesting thing about portulaca is its sensitivity to light. As the sun sets, the flowers begin to close and form beautiful, tightly wound little buds, opening only when the sun returns the next day. It’s a process called nyctinasty and occurs when it’s overcast too.

This Is the Best Trailing Succulent

Mezoo Trailing Red aptenia isn’t particularly showy, but its juicy, variegated leaves have a way of hugging a container’s edge and spilling over as though poured from a pitcher. The foliage is densely packed, with tiny, paintbrush-like fuchsia flowers sprinkled throughout. It’s lovely, and without it, my dracaena container would be missing something. It would be, well, just a dracaena in a blue pot.

Why Succulent Containers Have Earned a Permanent Place in My Garden

This year was challenging. From storms that relocated a neighbor’s trampoline into a certain garden to torrential rains that would have made Noah nervous, the succulent containers were steadfast. Beautiful. Resilient. And EASY! I needed easy this year. When something can make you stop, and the succulent containers made every visitor to my garden pause for a closer look, you know you’ve created something special.

Now it’s finally time to dig up all the succulents and put them under grow lights in the basement where they’ll stay until next spring.

I’m not sure I’ll ever look at container gardening quite the same way again. I’ve always loved experimenting with different plants, colors and combinations, but this year the succulents reminded me that sometimes the best gardens aren’t the ones that demand the most attention. They’re the ones that give you a reason to stop, look and enjoy what you’ve created.

What in your garden brought you the most joy this year?

Tell me in the comments.