Well, we really can't give you advice unless you tell us your zone and geographical location :)

If I can assume you are in New Jersey somewhere, then you will need to protect the pots over winter somehow. Temperatures lower than the mid 20s or so are risky for the roots of many hardy shrubs (because the roots cannot adapt to cold as well as the above ground portions of the plant, and in containers the roots are not insulated the way they would be if they were planted in the ground).

Attached, unheated garages are great for this, if you have one.

Is there a reason you need to plant in containers? In the ground all your choices would be problem free as far as cold is concerned.

Excuse me for not being more thorough in my desciption, first time on a forum. Yes, New Jersey(northern part).

A few reasons to plant in a container : we have a dog that likes to chase balls or birds at top speed, so the yard is his playground.

Im a bit wary of the chemicals in the soil as I think roundup may have been used to clear up a lot of ivy.

One side of the yard has some rose bushes growing along the fence, I could clear up the rest of it and plant some things in there, but then the family wont eat anything they think the dog might have peed on. I suppose I could try to place some raised beds here to grow vegetables in.

We have 4 growing trees spread through the yard. I do have the idea of planting some flowers/foliage around one of them, a drooping cherry. The other trees are magnolia, dogwood, and a copper beach. All of them had plastic edging to keep mulch and soil in, but got broken by a running dog and the soil has drained out. so Im looking for a cheap solution to this, hopefully.

I also really like the idea of containers just to make the entry way(north facing) prettier as well as the patio, for the summer. Im hoping we will spend more time as a family there. Along the house(foundation) we have the patio with gravel between the patio and the foundation wall.

Hi illstep, Thanks for the advice! Yes, we do have a garage(unheated) against the house, it shares a wall with the house, although there is no door into the house. Would the strawberries be okay if I put the containers there?

I used to overwinter my container blueberries in the garage. They might survive outside if the container is large, and they are cold hardy varieties, but why take the chance. They do fine while dormant in the garage. You just need to give them a "little" water over the winter, so they don't dry out.

Thanks so much! Blueberries! That's the other fruit plant I was thinking of growing. Any recommendation on which variety of blueberry for zone 6/7 ?

In a pot I strongly suggest one of the dwarf varieties! :) This time of year you should be able to find different varieties for sale in the big box hardware stores as well as at more reputable nurseries. I wouldn't over think it - anything that has a size listed of 3' to 4' tall and that is being sold in your area should be fine (might want to verify the size online before you buy though!)

That’s wonderful! And really heartening to hear. Thanks so much :)

I have 16 different blueberry plants in 1/2 wine barrels. Look up plants for zones 6/7 in your area. Your local nursery should have plants/ vegetables etc..... that will grow in your region and not have to bring inside for the winter . I only have 1 out of 16 blueberry plants not doing well and that’s because I assumed if the nursery carried it that it would go well but this type requires 400 more chill hours than my region can produce. Do it would do much better in an area with colder winters .

hope this helps !