My go to for shaded planters is impatiens. Although they are suppose to be a sun plant I have great success with sweet potato vines in shade planters. .

I second impatiens. Hostas make a great companion plant to impatiens or coleius as well. Calla lilies, fuschia, begonias.

Well these folks beat me to it. I was going to recommend some tall caladiums in the center and a geranium on each end. Also, here is a helpful link for shade plants from Clemson University.

https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/plants-for-shade/

Thanks to everyone. Any thoughts on a dwarf Japanese maple with some surrounding plants? Anyone have suggestions for what would be good as something that would grow out on the edge and cascade over the sides?

Unless you can easily move that container to a protected location for winter, you do not want to plant anything permanent....or even long term. Not much of anything will be able to survive zone 6 winter cold in that situation. The roots will freeze. I'd stick with annuals - between early season ones (like primulas or bulb starts) and late season ones (pansies or violas) you can have color for a good 8-9 months.

For cascading plants, you can use dichondra. It does well in the shade for me. Also there are some new varieties of coleus that cascade. Check out Proven Winners Chocolate Drop.

And I totally agree with gardengal48, you can't plant a JM in there unless you are only putting it there temporarily for the summer, then moving it elsewhere. Nothing wrong with using trees, shrubs and perennials in pots for the summer then moving them elsewhere. Just know that you will need to do so. I got some really cute dwarf trees this year that I am using in containers. They definitely won't make it through the winter in those containers and likely they won't make it elsewhere. But I'll try to give them a chance by planting them in a protected spot in the yard for the winter. But a JM is a big investment to lose.

If you don't want to go through the expense of replanting the container every year you could use spring bulbs and then dig them up in the fall to winter over inside. I love how elephant ears gives a tropical look to a large planter.

Popmama, I didn't know they have cascading coleus now. I like the purple and green sweet potato vines, but I bet the different colors of the coleus would look especially outstanding spilling out of a planter. I will have to look for them next year.

some ideas:

Wow @Dig Doug’s Designs. Awesome! Thanks.

I'm a big fan of hardy/species geraniums, many of which are commonly called "cranesbills." (To be clear, the annuals commonly known as "geraniums" are actually called "pelargoniums" in botanical Latin, and are not the plants that I'm talking about.)

The cranesbill geraniums do great in shade, even dry shade, and some of them are hardy down to well below 0 F. They go dormant in winter, but mine - which are all in containers, and in Zone 8 in Seattle - come bouncing back every spring. Johnson's Blue which has lovely lacy foliage and sweet blue flowers, is one of my favorites and is rated for Zones 4-8.

Korean Rock Fern (Zone 6-9) is another hearty stalwart for shade, and is evergreen to boot.

Thought of one more annual for you today. These are new to me but doing very well in morning/sun mostly shade. They are called browallia. The are like the calibrachoa of the shade! They have a blue/purple flower that is just lovely!

https://www.provenwinners.com/plants/browallia/endless-illumination-bush-violet-browallia-hybrid

Here they are with calla lily and impatiens.

It is a lot easier to grow plants permanently in containers in a zone 8 climate!! It never gets extremely cold here and soil doesn't freeze....even in containers. That is a BIG difference from attempting to do the same in a zone 6b climate. I grow almost exclusively in a containers - trees, shrubs, vines, mixed perennials, even edibles. And I never need to provide winter protection. But I would not recommend a similar practice for those growing in a colder zone...certainly not in a zone 6 or below. Containers are exposed to ambient air temperatures, which are often far colder than even frozen soil (which is seldom much below freezing/32F or 0C). And the plants roots are most vulnerable to cold and freeze damage, which they are exposed to in a container growing situation.

For best success, stick with annuals or temporary plants. Or just sink pots of other, more long term plants into the container and remove and store in a protected location over winter.

Any mixed container with a tall plant as a focal point, a few small plants to add fullness, and a plant or two that cascades satisfies the recipe for good looking mixed plantings - a thriller, fillers, and a spillers.

Examples:

A plant (or several) in a pot would work well, too - something you could pinch, deadhead, or otherwise fuss over while enjoying a coffee or barley pop.

Al

For shaded areas, I immediately think either shade-loving orchids or succulents. DigDoug's idea looks exactly like what the original poster was aiming for. I would add some potted begonias for color. Al, I love that bench with the birdhouse in the center ... Very cozy look.

- Maria Elena

Dont worry about it being bare in the winter. Thsts when you stick evergreen cuttings in,

Thank you to everyone. Does anyone know whether Lenten Roses or Ajuga would work in a planter?

Yes to both :-)

Hellebore is so expensive here I’d be afraid of losing it. You can put all kinds of regular ga4den plants in containers, sedge, bergenia, lamium, lysmachia, hakone grass, heuchera, rudbeckia etc.