What to plant in 3 small pots?

[pinksand]

I recently purchased a small tricycle plant stand. It has a wire basket on the handle bars, one on the seat, and one on the back, each can hold a pot with a base diameter of about 4". Unfortunately I bought the thing online and it didn't list the dimensions. The photos were very deceiving and I thought it would be about 2x the size and planned to put my potted herbs on it. Well those pots just aren't going to fit, so I bought 3 basic terracotta pots of the appropriate size.

Now for the fun part... what should I plant?! It's going to be sitting beside a bench on my small front porch. It will be getting direct sun in the morning. Because the planter is so compact, I should be able to bring it in for winter... or maybe I could plant it seasonally?

My mother-in-law suggested Irish Moss, and I maybe wouldn't mind it in one of the three pots, but I don't think it has quite the impact I'm going for. My front porch is a pretty boring block of concrete and the bench beside it is also concrete. I need to add some interest!

[rainbowgardener]

I would think about colorful foliage plants to have more impact. Blooms come and go, but the foliage is always there. Polkadot plant (hypoestes) is a nice one that would be the right size for small containers. There are dwarf coleus that would be nice. Coleus 'Telltale Heart' is one that stays small and has a somewhat trailing habit, which would be nice, hanging down from the handlebars. Both are suitable for part sun.

You could get more ideas by googling plants for terrarium. The terrarium folks are working with the kind of thing you are looking for -- plants that stay small, yet have some visual impact, and don't need full sun.

All of these would have to come in for the winter.

[applestar]

You could certainly interchange the containers so something worthy is on display all the time. You could grow them where they are most suited, too, or even just buy bedding plants and pop them in the matching pots.

Or do you want a more-or-less permanent residents of the tricycle stand?

Random list of plants I thought of in no particular order of required growing conditions: African violets, orchids, pansies/violas, ... Seasonal interest -- put smallish pumpkins or gourds in each holder and carve them for Halloween... put a little witch with ruby slippers on the tricycle... Spring time -- miniature jonquils or tulips... Crocus, grape hyacinths... Impatiens, etc until too big... Starter herbs, chives, lobelia, sweet alyssum....

Look around for miniature plants and plants for fairy gardens....

[pinksand]

Hm, I guess the big decision I have to make is whether I'd like to keep it outside and plant it seasonally or plant some pretty tropical foliage and bring it in for the winter. I'm tempted by the winter pansies... maybe I'll start there and then consider some fun colorful miniatures when it warms up again.

Thanks for the ideas!