Since whatever you plant will have green foliage to set off the reds, you might plant something like million bells in a yellow to bring out the other color in the pot.(just an idea)

I would just GO with Strawberry plants the 1st year... They're very colorful and we ALL know that strawberry plants do very well here in our area. Just make sure (no matter what you grow in it) that you put some rocks/stone/clay pot shards down in the bottom to keep it well drained and it might help to also put in a section of 2-3 inch PCV pipe down the middle of the pot for watering... Bore/drill several holes in the side of the pipe so that water can get to all the 'levels' of the pot where you plant the plants... Moss Roses would also be a very good plant to really show off the pot. They are very easy to grow and do very well in the NC heat of summer...

bright lime/chartreuse coleus

My first thought was strawberries as well.

I would plant trailing herbs in the pockets and upright herbs in the top. I did one and it was wonderful. Also I have used begonias. They look really pretty also.

Ditto on the PVC pipe in the middle. If you fill the pipe with gravel or stones it keeps the soil for filling it over time. It really does help to deliver water to the entire pot. I have one with creeping fig planted in it. It looks great year around.

I agree million bells, and what about pentas? Golden thyme (Thymus aurea?) or lemon thyme would do well in there, too.

I think a variety of sedum or sempervivums like chicks and hens would compliment both the dramatic design and color. They come in all shades of green, silver and even burgundy. You could take them out toward the end of the season and put them in the ground.

A plant with a lot of color,shape and drape might look confusing in that pot...methinks. It's a gorgeous strawberry jar you've got there.

Thank you everyone! It's always so nice to get others' ideas and you had some great ones. I'll print this out and think it over...I liked the idea of actually planting strawberries in a strawberry jar! This is hard to admit, but I hadn't thought about them.

Pam

I would do something like Purple verbena trailing out the sides with Black Eyed Susan in the top. Would last along time.

Some of Singing Springs knock-out coleus, like "Fishnet Stockings", "Trailing Slamander", and "Little Twister."
And maybe a phormium at the top.

Ooh, I'm with the coleus lovers for this container. It SCREAMS to be matched with some jazzy specimens! I expect that I would plant it with some curly rush and coleus.

Here is a link that might be useful: Drool over these!

I think million bells mixed with bacopa would be great.

Well, Pam...this is obviously going to take plenty of research. I think you should send the container to me and I'll be happy to 'test drive' it for you!

Wow, so much fun! Thanks everyone.

rhizo 1...it was a gift. If you'd like, I'd be glad to ask where it came from. I'll see the *gifter* this weekend. :)

Pam

Whatever you elect to plant, know that what's on the bottom is going to have to tolerate wet feet and what's in the uppermost holes needs to be a plant that want's sharp drainage.
In the uppermost spots, try sprinkling some watersaver granules into the potting soil closest to the openings.
There's a small leafed duckfood coleus that really is colorful and drapes nicely as well as a variety that is dark burgundy small leaf that spreads well but wants bright light rather than full sun.
If you select coleus, consider they want even moisture and some don't tolerate full sun well.
Even million bells will dry out and die if they lack sufficient moisture so try some of those granules to hold the water near the plant roots, especially on the upper plants.

Thanks Dottie!
Great idea on using the polymer granules. I *do* love that duckfoot coleus you're talking about.

I bought a strawberry pot from lowes and realised that many different types of trailing plants looked too messy for the look I wanted to achieve. My local Lowes store had a couple of flats of dwarf mondo grass marked down to $0.25 per plant. Of course I bought them all, not knowing what I'd do with them. It turned out that they fit perfectly in the holes. They are very tolerant of drought, wet feet, and shade (when I forget to spin the pot). I leave mine outside all year, but if you are uncomfortable with that idea then I think the hen and chicks would be the best solution. Either way, mondo or hen, I am of the opinion that the tidy look is more asthetically pleasing.
---Keith
p.s. I left the top unplanted and the level of dirt about 3' from the top.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:559112}}

i've had a terra cotta strawberry jar for years. never used it for strawberries :) i didn't do any of the drainage tricks suggested above; it's filled with ordinary potting soil mixed with some leaf compost. what has been planted in it has always been an afterthought - whatever's leftover from flats of annuals, mostly. one year, the DH grew *wheat* in it - now that was an "interesting" look (kinda scarey at night!) i've grown impatiens, dwarf zinnias, bulbs, assorted succulents, coleus (short or trailing forms) ... no matter what found a home in the jar, it did well & looked great - uh, except for the wheat :) impatiens always creates a nice, symmetrical & full look - you wonder how all that foliage & flower can grow from those small pockets.

that's a beautiful jar - whatever you choose will enhance it. you'll have to post a pic of it next summer :)
marsha

What a jar!
Here's my drainage trick for a big strawberry jar I've planted with African violets and kept on the deck summer after summer.

Get thin plastic planting pots with little or no taper and cut holes about size of nickels-dimes in bottoms and sides. Choose diameter of pots to generously take up the center column of the jar. Fill the pots with pearlite and stack on top of each other in the center of the pot. This makes a watering column to retain moisture at the center of the jar. Then put in your planting medium and plants around the column. Keep it in a saucer or some kind of bottom lip. When you replant, you don't even have to dump out the whole business.

you are going to enjoy that planter.

Thanks so much everyone! BTW, I found out that this pot was purchased at Stein Mart.

Beautiful pot, love the colors!
Dichondra 'silver falls' - you can give it hair cuts and treat it as an annual or if you can store it somehwere cool over winter it'll sometimes come back.

Coleus 'Finger Paint - from rhizo's link above.

Some of the tender (has to come in over winter) succulents like Donkey Tail or Banana Plant. There's several types and you can usually find them pretty inexpensive at big box type stores on the cactus shelf. Easy to care for too with out a lot of fussing and if you miss watering them for a few days they won't notice. In fact that'll make them very happy!