Red, White & Bloom: Patriotic Flowerpots to Honor Memorial Day

Our flag does not fly because the wind moves it. It flies with the last breath of each soldier who died protecting it. -Unknown

Memorial Day is right around the corner! As we slow down to honor our fallen service members on this powerful and significant day, we can honor their memory in different ways. Placing American flags outside of our homes, doing a craft with our children or grandchildren that represents this special day (Easy Memorial Day Poppy Craft), or planting patriotic flowerpots that show off our red, white, and blue! They’re pretty simple to put together even if you aren’t a master gardener, and the best part is that you can choose any variety of red, white, and blue flowers. You’ll be able to enjoy them all summer long as they fill in and flow over your pots like fountain fireworks. They’ll fill your porch with some good ole American nostalgia and be a reminder of how blessed we are to live in the home of the BRAVE!

Here’s what you need:

Supplies:

Flowerpot
Potting soil
Assorted red, white, and blue flowers
Organic mulch (optional)
Extra patriotic flare such as artificial Poppy flower stems, mini-American flags, little red, white, and blue garlands, an American flag-printed bow, fairy lights to make them glow at night.

Building your Bouquet:

If you’re using a smaller pot (10-18 inches), you’ll probably be safe with a combo of three flowers. Larger than that, and you’ll want to mix five or more. I chose a 10-inch, barrel-style pot for my first combo and an 18-inch pot for my second. I filled them two thirds full of potting soil.

Maria Magee

The rule of thumb for container planting is to keep three things in mind:

Thrillers, Fillers, and Spillers

Thrillers are your taller, vertical-growing plants that will be the focal point of your pot.
Fillers fluff up the middle and fill it in nicely without covering up your thrillers.
Spillers are planted along the edges and usually have a trailing effect.

Next, place your plants in while still in containers to ensure they will fit, leaving a little room. For this 10-inch pot, I chose a Red Brilliant Geranium for my “thriller” and placed it toward the back of the pot. For the “filler” and my blue color, I went with a Pansy which will spread nicely. Last, was the White Bacopa to spill over the edge of the pot.

Maria Magee

Fill the pot around 2/3 of the way with soil. Loosen the roots of your plants and place them gently on top. Fill in the remainder of the pot with soil and gently press it down around the plants. Water thoroughly, and top with an inch or two of organic mulch if you’re using it. (It helps hold in moisture and protects the top layer of soil)

For my 18-inch pot, I chose a delicate, vintage looking Rift Blue Lobelia. This “spiller” will cascade gorgeously down the pot.

Maria Magee

For the focal point of this larger pot, I went with a classic, bright Red Carnation. The vertical stems and vibrant flowers are the perfect “thriller.”

To top off this patriotic planter, I added a simple white petunia that will mound beautifully in between the blue lobelia and red carnations. I added a little American flag and voila! In just a few weeks when Memorial Day arrives, these flowers will be filling out nicely and will be a beautiful reminder of the ultimate sacrifice that so many of our American service members made to protect our freedom. Have a blessed Memorial Day with your families and let us honor those who gave it all. For more on Memorial Day, check this out! How to Explain Memorial Day to Kids