Well, as 'delicious' as that potting soil sounds, it's not something that will perform well in a container. At least, not for very long. If you could use just the composted fir bark fines, and heave the rest of it into the garden, perFECTo! ;-) The other ingredients would result in a firmly packed, fine textured, slow-to-drain, clogged up system. In my humble opinion. Even a good quality (soil-less) potting medium with lots of added perlite and hopefully some bark fines would be a much, much better mix than your Gardener's Gold. I use a mix that is mostly bark, perlite, Turface MVP, and maybe some granite grit (turkey grit). But I strongly believe that most folks can do just fine with an amended potting medium, as long as it's peat based (soil-less). Regarding the pot size, you have some leeway with regards to the potting up. I'd say something around around the 7 gallon size, which should be about 14 inches in diameter at the top. Please know that gardeners have been experimenting with container mixes for generations. Each may find something that is deemed the ideal medium. If you learn a little about how root systems and soil systems must function together at all times, then it becomes a bit easier to pick the ingredients. Aim for porosity! Your potting medium must have plenty of permanent, large pore spaces or that root system won't thrive. I've grown citrus in containers for years. Go for it!

If cost is a big factor, you could just spray paint the pots black and then tie a satin ribbon/bow around it. You could also buy fabric and just gather it up around the pots as well. If cost is not prohibitive, I love the idea of using the square clear glass flower vases with a few clear marbles in the bottom to support the stem of one elegant orchid. Luvs

Just because a website says a plant should do well in a given area doesn't mean that is necessarily will. All information must be taken with a grain of salt and then verified before one invests too much. I'm sure the original design intent is that the junipers grow together and be the "groundcover." Using mass shrubs as groundcover has the disadvantage that it's difficult to limit their height without mucho maintenance. What inevitably ends up happening is that they become too large and unwieldy, make somebody unhappy and then get ripped out and replaced. Adding another groundcover in between them would look weedy. Though I would do this if you intended to replace them with that other groundcover, and remove the juniper as the other groundcover took hold. Another disadvantage to the sea of junipers is that you really can't add trees (though it looks like some might be useful for screening) because of the shade they produce. Plants that demand full sun It would help on the weeds if you used Preen, a pre-emergent herbicide that attacks germinating seeds, and mulch heavily. Many people give up on Preen because it usually doesn't do a great job until after its second application. And also, because they don't adhere to the schedule, putting the second app. on way too late so that it becomes just another "first" application. I have found it to be effective and basically a life-saver. It can cost a fair amount to cover a large area, but in my opinion it still beats the total cost of hand weeding once the time and PITA factor is added up.

In Florida I would never have a rose in the front yard because I'm only interested in scented tea ones and I don't use chemicals on mine so you do the math, they look horrible almost always. Aside from Belinda's Dream or a drift or knockout (of which sunny actually looks nice t me) I would expect them to look ratty in our hot+humid climate. If it were me planting something in a pot I would probably plant Senna didymobotrya (I have seen them in person and they really do smell like buttered popcorn! not suitable around children though because it is poisonous and the smell might entice people to nibble it) but I don't think this suits your style lol or Salvia greggii, a Texas sage species that has nice smelling leaves and comes in a variety of colors. They rot in-ground here but the ones in containers do well. I have 'Rose Pink' and I love its fresh almost spring green color and late March through autumn sporadic bloom period. For you I think if the area is partial sun to partial shade a grafted Gardenia (can you tree train them?) or maybe Plumeria (bring indoors in winter) would be cool.