Two weeks ago, I wrote about the basic needs of container plants.

In years past, I used containers primarily for color and filled them with annuals and some herbs. This season, I want beauty and bounty. Here’s a list of what I intend to plant and how I will combine them for good production and good looks.

Vegetables that will be grown are salad greens, tomatoes, Swiss chard, spinach, carrots.

Here is the plan.

In a very large clay container in full sun: one dwarf sunflower in the center, two cherry tomato plants, two flat leaf parsley plants and nasturtiums. The nasturtiums are foolproof and will fill in any spaces in the arrangement.

In two Earthbox containers: all the makings for salsa including cilantro, peppers, tomatoes and one tomatillo plant, which last year produced so prolifically that I don’t need another.

For pizzazz and to cover the plastic mulch on EarthBoxes, I will add a few red Calibrachoa plants. If you don’t know about EarthBoxes, visit the Web site: www.EarthBox.com. They are planters with a reservoir and are available with an attachable trellis.

In a tall blue cobalt glazed urn, one Swiss chard with red stem will be planted in the center, surrounded by red-leafed lettuce, purple-leaf basil and a few frilly petunias — not edible — for fun. These ornamentals will grow and fill in after the lettuce is harvested.

Some plants like kale and Swiss chard are stunning in structure and look dramatic alone in a pot. Beets and sorrell are other plants whose leaves are lovely and provide structure, texture and color. I can imagine a container of calendula surrounded by beets and golden marjoram.

In other pots, “Fairytale” eggplant, bush beans and tomato plants will sit solo center stage. In full sun, I plan to combine herbs such as thyme, oregano, sage and parsley, all of which grow at about the same pace.

I use herbs all season and preserve the leaves for the winter. For color in these pots, I am considering calendula — available with yellow, orange and pink petals — as I can use the petals in corn muffins and the flowers for decorating cakes and cupcakes. Calendula also makes a soothing skin salve.

In a pot of its own, I have had a “Kentucky Colonel” spearmint growing for the past two seasons. I keep it in the garage all winter and it comes back to life each spring. Mints are rampant growers and a container helps to keep it under control.

Also getting its own pot or two will be sweet basil, which simply needs space.

Window box

In a window box, strawberries will be grown along with borage, which has a floppy habit and will need to be trimmed to keep it tidy. Borage blossoms are edible and a blue color that looks lovely as garnish for iced drinks. I will probably add trailing pink petunias for continuous summer color.

I’m also growing Stevia, known for being sweeter than sugar with zero calories. I bought a transplant while I was in Virginia for Historic Garden Week and carefully carried it home on the airplane. Stevia can be used to sweeten lemonade and iced tea.

To use it, you snip off some leaves, crush them with the back of a spoon and add the leaves to the brew.

I hope that gives you some ideas for your own gardens.

Happy Gardening.