I do lots of mixed perennial containers. Just remember to combine like with like. In other words, don't mix perennials that demand frequent watering with perennials that demand xeric conditions. Otherwise, the sky is the limit. Most of my containers last several years before I become bored with them and tear them apart. I use a soil mix of leaf compost, soil, composted bark and vermiculite or pearlite with a handful or so of bone meal.
For planting on a deck, I would use sun loving plants with long flowering periods and/or attractive foliage. I would mix gaillardia, coreopsis, sedum, fescue, hardy geraniums, etc.
Unfortunately, there are not many perennials hardy here - or at least I can't think of any - that provide that lovely cascading effect that annuals give.
I leave the containers outside over winter. Some years, there are a few deaths, but in general, I think that's from overcrowding in the container rather than straight winter kill.

I fairly regularly plant perennials in containers in spring - but then plant them in the ground in mid-fall (or overwinter them in the unheated garage for the winter). Essentially the perennial does its 'first year it sleeps', and sometimes the 'second year it creeps' periods in the container so when it goes in the ground, it's ready to perform well the next year! Heucheras make nice ornamental containers. Hosta + one of the golden forest grasses make a nice combination. The not-so-hardy fall mums often winter over easily in the garage, making nice big, bushy plants (with appropriate cutting back in spring/early summer) when grown in containers.

Nina and Woody your pots sound great. I appreciate the combo suggestions!

I'm thinking a mix of an evergreen shrub and/or dwarf conifer, perennials and maybe some hardy annuals.

All of my home garden consists of pots and a couple of raised beds so yers, I grow many perennials in permanent pots. Essential to get the potting medium right - I like to use a loam based mix with added compost and grit (to keep the mix open and free draining). Compaction can also be a problem and I do scrape the top few inches off and add new soil each year and fully repot every 3rd or 4th year. Fertility can also be an issue - salt build-up or deficiencies and imbalances - I tend to use a slow-release Osmacote feed which lasts over a 6month season, but I also do a liquid feed, very dilute, every watering. There are a few perennials which really resent being in pots - aconitum, paeonia, rudbeckias for example, but I use smaller ones such as callirhoe, toadflax, hardy geraniums, nemesia, tree flax, rehmannia, incarvilleas, salvias. poppies, dahlias, sanguisorba and many bulbs... I also avoid the moisture loving plants such as primulas as I find it quite demanding to maintain the moisture levels (although this could be done with drip irrigation but I have too many containers).

catkin - Isn't it funny that it is the "cold crowd" that is responding. I think the warmer zone folks are too busy gardening. lol!

Coreopsis gets used a lot around here. Particularly C. g. 'Sunray', 'Rising Sun'.

They grow so quickly and bloom all summer, important attributes for anyone but especially those of us with a short season.

Lysimachia n. and mostly L. n. 'Aurea' are used pretty extensively as well.

Hope you will show us what you do!

mmm, I agree Marloreana - I grow Rozanne in terracotta pithoi - looks really good scrambling up a willow cloche and tumbling down over the sides of the urn...
I had uncinia rubra growing with 'Tanna,' one of the shorter sanguisorbas and the little orange geum, 'Cooky' - a cheerful and long lasting combo.

I have never grown perennials in containers on the deck but you have given me the idea of using "Rozanne" this season, (mixed in with some annuals in a large container).

camp, thanks for the vision!
peren, I love the Coreopsis--especially being able to snap off the old growth to the ground--done and done! I think I like Moonbeam the best for its pale yellow bloom. And come to think of it Marlorena, Rozanne would look great with Moonbeam--thanks for that picture, it's very pretty. I'll make an attempt to share if anything is *post worthy* (Elaine reference...)
rouge, you do a beautiful job of plant combining I look forward to seeing your efforts!
Thanks everyone, for your replies.

I have grown oriental/asiactic lilies and dahlias in pots, and keep them in those pots for 2-3 years before repotting. I also do amaryllis bulbs. However, these particular plants will end up with a lot of leaves and no blooms at some point, so you will need to mix it with some blooming types if you want a pot that has blooms throughout the season. My zone seems to handle them OK for being in pots year-round, and I didn't need to bring them in or unearth them for storage.

Last year, I tried a mix of dianthus and rain lilies also in a pot. In my zone, several varieties of dianthus and snapdragons seem to be able to handle the cold, meaning that they didn't even die back with frost or snow, so I have taken to having them and snapdragons as my favorite flowers to put in pots and garden, though of course the blooms come in during the blooming seasons only. In winter, the dianthus, snaps, and rain lilies are about the only green garden plants I have that also provide much flowery shows during the blooming season.

Thanks for sharing purslane! I just bought 2 six packs of orange snaps! Love them!

Marloreana, I love the idea of Rozanne in a pot, and scrambling up. I've never heard of that, but now I must try it! Your photo is charming.

..thanks Kirstin, glad you liked the idea.... it's a fun thing to do as this plant just wants to grow....and grow... I must get a couple more for this season...

If anyone's interested, there's a website (and a book) called *Fine Foliage* that specializes in photos of plant combinations. Most vignettes are drop-dead gorgeous, IMO! For those that venture ont Facebook, they also have a page. As you more than likely know if you do FB, just click on the *Photos* button at the top of the page and click through the images to your heart's content! Many are stunning.
Thanks everyone for your contributions on this subject!