Herbs- are great and you can never go wrong with the dual purpose of culinary use and lush looks.

Berries- lowbush blueberries or strawberries

Bergina- the leaves give color interest most of the year and it flowers- but it may look too small for the size container.

Colorful Huechera/coral bells- but they will eventually need dividing.

Bonsai/ Dwarf Japanese maples- many colors and leaves to choose from ( yes, they are a pricey investment)

Dwarf conifers for winter interest, year round color and shape... like Picea Gluaca 'Elf' ( Dwarf Alberta Elf), or Pin or Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Butter Ball' or 'Chirimen' ... there are many (some also require a bit of an investment.)

This link gives an overview of information from a place that sells dwarf specimen plants - not that I am promoting them- there are many places online to compare prices and selections : Conifer and Dwarf Japanese maples container gardens alternative for small spaces

By the way, those squirrels are portly - I could not stop looking at them! lol :)

my neighbor planted boxwoods in pots and they died..we get cold temps..the interior of these urns is narrow..don't think they could accommodate shrubs or trees..not enough soil..will read the link about conifers (evergreen - love that idea) but wanted to comment now..wonder if heuchera and hostas would survive?..or would herbs be tougher?..need to find something that's very hardy..we have "pet" squirrels..a pic I took yesterday..

Your Garden Security crew is funny and they do look like well cared for pets.

A big difference to the scraggly grey one that visits my yard to cause mischief. Better that your crew is well fed with peanuts rather than digging up bulbs. They do seem intent to earn their wages. :)

For the containers (and this excludes the hostas that I coddle in containers): Aim for plants that thrive at lower hardiness zones than where you are located.

For example, I am in Zone 4- so for things that I want to grow in containers I look for Zone 3 -even Zone 2 hardiness.

I mulch with leaves. Let the snow insulate... but the container must drain well at all times.

Also sometimes an antidessicant like Wilt-pruf or a burlap wrapping may be needed to protect from the harsh winter winds that dry out the plant through its leaves.

... but I don't have personal experience using Wilt-pruf.

Helpful detailed information: http://www.finegardening.com/10-plants-year-round-containers

I read both articles..thanks..I took screenshots of the conifer list..the pots do have drainage and are concrete which to me would be better than my neighbor's plastic ones..think I need to go shopping haha..I suffer from option overload when making plant decisions..I want them ALL..lol..1 more squirrel pic.."Nutty" gets excited and can't wait for us to pour them out..

gardengal..you're absolutely right..those urns are barely portable..so heavy..have minimal herb experience..have mint in a back corner where I don't care how far it spreads..am concerned about growing permanently in pots in my zone..annuals do offer color..but winter interest would be nice..it's the time of year to plant them and decided to get some feedback..

Hosta may be doable. I have a couple minis planted in a half barrel up T my folks place as an experiment. Have come back two years running this far.

Paul..I bought some annuals yesterday for the urns..I want to try a hosta in my square concrete pot..see it on the left across from the birdbath?..the squirrels bother it when I put annuals in it..hostas might discourage them more..that square pot would be easy to wrap around or pile debris by for added insulation..good to know that you were successful..did the pots stay outside?..don't want to move mine..

I'm probably way off, but is there some kind of ornamental grass or bushy annual that would leave dried vegetation to look at in the off season?

litterbuggy..a great thought but I love the fun colors in the summer..maybe I should get some fall clearance grasses and plant for winter interest?..would an obelisk without plants look stupid in the winter?..

That sounds nice. The grasses wouldn't get a chance to grow before winter, but it would still work if you could find the kinds of nice-looking left-over pots I saw around here in the early fall.

Grasses in particular have been on my mind because summer sunshine is brutal here, so I'm thinking of potting up grasses of varying heights that I can put on wheeled stands for shade, maybe even short varieties in planters to protect my houseplants' roots from the sun.

litterbuggy..I have shade..one part shade area..I grow one grass..Northern Sea Oats..I have a wild rustic yard so when it spreads I just let it go..could dig some and try it in my urns..

It's worth giving the sea oats a try. What do they look like in the winter? Frankly, they might get to look nice in an urn even during the growing season.

Dappled shade! I don't miss southern Connecticut much, but I loved the woods around my childhood home in the summer. Now my little porch is the closest thing I've got to a yard. ☹️ I'm very sensitive to the heat, so ever since I've been in this apartment it's been all about keeping the sun out all morning. This year it'll be nice to use the porch for something in the summer, because I hardly go out there during the day from May through October.

I love our wooded lot..when I'm at Target or whatever during the summer I can't wait to get home..the sea oats seed heads are pretty during winter..I want my urns to be spectacular..hard to decide..would a shade sail work for you?

I'm not sure about a shade sail, but heat radiating from the surfaces around it that are still in the sun might make it ineffective. That's why I was leaning toward shading the whole porch, which might keep the whole thing from getting hot enough to cook an egg.

We've had a wonderfully long spring but it looks like summer's a-comin', so I'll keep the sail in mind when it really heats up.

On second (or maybe third) thought I realized a shade sail would be the perfect thing for acclimating plants to the porch. I can easily screw anchors into the wooden pillars and railings to be able to adjust it to give the plants open shade between periods of full sun, and by the time the plants are all set I'll know whether it will provide enough shade to make the porch livable. It doesn't hurt that a good sized shade is less than $30 on Amazon.

So thanks for the great suggestion!

litterbuggy..you're welcome..hope it's a success..I've never had one but if I wanted quick shade I would try it..