What plants should I put on my deck? (Difficulty level: Chicago)
January 30, 2022 11:45 AM Subscribe
We just got a new roof deck! Now we want to put lots and lots of plants on it … but I’m from the tropics and the deck is in Chicago, so I have no idea where to start. Help!
I’m ideally looking for plants that we could grow from seeds in 1-2 foot tall planters, and that would be sturdy enough to live outdoors on an exposed roof deck year-round without too much fuss. I’m willing to water them regularly, or prune as needed, but that’s about the extent of my gardening skill.
I really have no idea where to start with this so any ideas would be very helpful. We grew various kinds of milkweed in planters this year, and they were lovely, so we’ll be doing more of that. But we’d really like ideas for fairly big, hardy plants (flowers? small trees? bushes?) that will look good and stand up to the crazy Chicago winters without dying, or that will return to life again once the snow melts.
For added points: what’s the timeline for making this work? When should we buy the seeds, when should we plant them, etc? We almost ran out of time with our milkweed project because we bought the seeds without realizing they needed a month in the fridge to bring them to life, for instance. If you have any tips on how to make our deck look verdant, or pointers on where/when/how we should make this happen, we’d be ever so grateful.
I’m ideally looking for plants that we could grow from seeds in 1-2 foot tall planters, and that would be sturdy enough to live outdoors on an exposed roof deck year-round without too much fuss. I’m willing to water them regularly, or prune as needed, but that’s about the extent of my gardening skill.
I really have no idea where to start with this so any ideas would be very helpful. We grew various kinds of milkweed in planters this year, and they were lovely, so we’ll be doing more of that. But we’d really like ideas for fairly big, hardy plants (flowers? small trees? bushes?) that will look good and stand up to the crazy Chicago winters without dying, or that will return to life again once the snow melts.
For added points: what’s the timeline for making this work? When should we buy the seeds, when should we plant them, etc? We almost ran out of time with our milkweed project because we bought the seeds without realizing they needed a month in the fridge to bring them to life, for instance. If you have any tips on how to make our deck look verdant, or pointers on where/when/how we should make this happen, we’d be ever so grateful.
I would familiarize yourself with your USDA hardiness zone, which will give you at least some guidelines as to what can grow in your area. I would keep in mind that location and microclimate matter; I have an area of my yard that is so shaded, that it's functionally an old-growth forest floor. Only a few specific things grow in that type of environment, and we had miserable success growing anything in that part of the yard before we were able to really lean into that fact. The hardiness zone is a GREAT starting point, but not the be-all-end-all.
Most plants sold in the US will be easily indexable against their hardiness zone number. Chicago is zone 5a/5b. You can work backwards from there to find items that will grow well in that zone. I would reach out to your local agricultural university, which will often have what is called an 'extension office' to assist you with exactly what you're asking, and can provide really local expertise. They're usually quite happy to help with even super weird requests, which this is not. Local garden centers will be able to help you with the ins and outs of how/when/what to do to keep your plant friends thriving in your conditions. The extension office may have lots of published materials on this as well.
BUT, I would go with lots and lots of hostas. when they're well taken care of and healthy, they provide huuuuuge swaths of green foliage in the growing months. Their flowers are lovely, though short lived, but provide a real tropical vibe when planted with 'brighter' flowers and bulbs nearby.
Aucuba Japonica might get you kind of close to that tropical foliage vibe, but they're frost hardy and would work well in your zone.
Hibiscus moscheutos is also a common 'tropical looking but cold hardy' plant that should work in that zone as well.
You'll need to dig up the bulbs and store them each year, depending on your own microclimate, but most varieties of canna lilys will work too, and provide a very powerful colorful punch to any display.
Certain fig tree varieties can be grown in larger pots, and provide some of that same larger big leaf tropical vibe as well; though they may not fruit in your zone readily.
posted by furnace.heart at 12:13 PM on January 30, 2022 [1 favorite]
Most plants sold in the US will be easily indexable against their hardiness zone number. Chicago is zone 5a/5b. You can work backwards from there to find items that will grow well in that zone. I would reach out to your local agricultural university, which will often have what is called an 'extension office' to assist you with exactly what you're asking, and can provide really local expertise. They're usually quite happy to help with even super weird requests, which this is not. Local garden centers will be able to help you with the ins and outs of how/when/what to do to keep your plant friends thriving in your conditions. The extension office may have lots of published materials on this as well.
BUT, I would go with lots and lots of hostas. when they're well taken care of and healthy, they provide huuuuuge swaths of green foliage in the growing months. Their flowers are lovely, though short lived, but provide a real tropical vibe when planted with 'brighter' flowers and bulbs nearby.
Aucuba Japonica might get you kind of close to that tropical foliage vibe, but they're frost hardy and would work well in your zone.
Hibiscus moscheutos is also a common 'tropical looking but cold hardy' plant that should work in that zone as well.
You'll need to dig up the bulbs and store them each year, depending on your own microclimate, but most varieties of canna lilys will work too, and provide a very powerful colorful punch to any display.
Certain fig tree varieties can be grown in larger pots, and provide some of that same larger big leaf tropical vibe as well; though they may not fruit in your zone readily.
posted by furnace.heart at 12:13 PM on January 30, 2022 [1 favorite]
Black-eyed susans and coneflowers are two perennials that are fairly easy to grow from seed and have a relatively long blooming period for perennials. I think for container gardening, though, your best visual appeal-to-effort approach is to have a few small evergreen structural shrubs such as boxwood, holly, false cypress, or dwarf spruce in large planters with room to mix in some perennials (such as the above, I also find hostas, ferns, and cranesbill geraniums to be good year-after-year performers) and fast-growing annuals that will bloom all summer like marigolds and zinnias (easy to grow from seed) and impatients (usually bought as small plants, but relatively inexpensive to replace every year).
posted by drlith at 12:21 PM on January 30, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by drlith at 12:21 PM on January 30, 2022 [3 favorites]
Grow easy flowers from seed. I love Nasturtiums, they're really easy, and can be trained on a structure, or will trail beautifully. Everyone will explain to you that they're edible, but I grow them because they're cheerful and colorful. Colors from yellows, oranges to deep reds. The leaves are also really pretty. you have to pick them for plant health; so get some old glass salt shakers as small vases.
Zinnias are colorful and beautiful, produce plenty of flowers for cutting.
Marigolds as well as zinnias come in different heights and combine well with plants of other heights.
Morning glories will climb a trellis.
Moonflowers are white, slow to bloom, but rather exotic climbers. I plant them and get just a few weeks before the Maine cold kills the plant.
Geraniums(technically pelargonium, for the pedantic) just keep flowering, and you can cut them back and overwinter them inside. Everybody starts with plants, but you can grow more from cuttings.
Herbs bring aroma and often flowers, and are pretty greens on their own. They are not diffiucult.
Sage is a perennial, easy, pretty, flowers nicely.
Plant cilantro every 2 weeks for consistent supply.
Basil, for pesto, loves sun.
Parsley is tasty and so nice to have around, also a mound of green.
Rosemary might have to come in for winter, but it a pretty plant.
Thyme grows low, nice addition to pots and soup.
Tomatoes, because fresh tomatoes are so delicious. Cherry tomatoes and smaller varieties do quite well in pots. If you don't cage cherry and patio tomatoes, they'll spill over, and are nice with taller plants. I buy tomato seedlings at the farmer's market because they're hardier, and I love variety. they have to be watered, but the rewards are so great.
You can add seeds for arugula, spinach and leaf lettuces to pots of flowers or posts of salad greens and have fresh salad. Again, successive plantings work well. Salad greens will go to seed in very hot weather; plant new seeds, though, for fall harvesting. Kale is really pretty and often grown as an ornamental. many greens will self-seed.
Garden season, what a nice thought; I have to go shovel a foot of snow, plow guy was a no-show.
posted by theora55 at 12:25 PM on January 30, 2022 [2 favorites]
Zinnias are colorful and beautiful, produce plenty of flowers for cutting.
Marigolds as well as zinnias come in different heights and combine well with plants of other heights.
Morning glories will climb a trellis.
Moonflowers are white, slow to bloom, but rather exotic climbers. I plant them and get just a few weeks before the Maine cold kills the plant.
Geraniums(technically pelargonium, for the pedantic) just keep flowering, and you can cut them back and overwinter them inside. Everybody starts with plants, but you can grow more from cuttings.
Herbs bring aroma and often flowers, and are pretty greens on their own. They are not diffiucult.
Sage is a perennial, easy, pretty, flowers nicely.
Plant cilantro every 2 weeks for consistent supply.
Basil, for pesto, loves sun.
Parsley is tasty and so nice to have around, also a mound of green.
Rosemary might have to come in for winter, but it a pretty plant.
Thyme grows low, nice addition to pots and soup.
Tomatoes, because fresh tomatoes are so delicious. Cherry tomatoes and smaller varieties do quite well in pots. If you don't cage cherry and patio tomatoes, they'll spill over, and are nice with taller plants. I buy tomato seedlings at the farmer's market because they're hardier, and I love variety. they have to be watered, but the rewards are so great.
You can add seeds for arugula, spinach and leaf lettuces to pots of flowers or posts of salad greens and have fresh salad. Again, successive plantings work well. Salad greens will go to seed in very hot weather; plant new seeds, though, for fall harvesting. Kale is really pretty and often grown as an ornamental. many greens will self-seed.
Garden season, what a nice thought; I have to go shovel a foot of snow, plow guy was a no-show.
posted by theora55 at 12:25 PM on January 30, 2022 [2 favorites]
I live on a similar latitude to Chicago. I don't think anything in a planter will come back the next year- the whole planter will freeze. But you can easily add a bit of new soil every year, aerate it into the old soil, fertilize a bit, and plant new stuff.
Some tips:
Buy little seedlings rather than seeds, and start them inside in March so they have a good start by May when you want to plant. Blow a fan on your indoor seedlings so they grow strong enough to withstand wind.
Always plant things in the largest-possible containers, to help with water retention. Tiny pots look cute but the plant will often wilt and die in a single day.
Use plastic - either a plastic liner inside of a wood planter, or use plastic pots. Or shiny glazed ceramic rather than unglazed terracotta. The reason is that plants on decks dry out FAST, and if you use a terracotta pot, the water is also lost THROUGH the clay, as well as on the surface. The watering requirements are a huge hassle with terracotta.
Because deck plants are in small boxes and in a lot of sun and heat, think of them as more of a drought environment even if your zone isn't droughty overall.
As a general rule of thumb, the chunkier and shinier a plant's leaves are, the better it will tolerate drought.
Plants with soft thin delicate leaves (like basil) are hard to grow on a deck - they lose water quickly and can wilt and die in a single day. If you grow them, use a HUGE waterproof pot, and consider covering the soil with pebbles or plastic to keep more moisture in the soil.
Plants with thick waxy leaves (like rosemary and thyme) are easier - they hold their water longer.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 12:49 PM on January 30, 2022 [5 favorites]
Some tips:
Buy little seedlings rather than seeds, and start them inside in March so they have a good start by May when you want to plant. Blow a fan on your indoor seedlings so they grow strong enough to withstand wind.
Always plant things in the largest-possible containers, to help with water retention. Tiny pots look cute but the plant will often wilt and die in a single day.
Use plastic - either a plastic liner inside of a wood planter, or use plastic pots. Or shiny glazed ceramic rather than unglazed terracotta. The reason is that plants on decks dry out FAST, and if you use a terracotta pot, the water is also lost THROUGH the clay, as well as on the surface. The watering requirements are a huge hassle with terracotta.
Because deck plants are in small boxes and in a lot of sun and heat, think of them as more of a drought environment even if your zone isn't droughty overall.
As a general rule of thumb, the chunkier and shinier a plant's leaves are, the better it will tolerate drought.
Plants with soft thin delicate leaves (like basil) are hard to grow on a deck - they lose water quickly and can wilt and die in a single day. If you grow them, use a HUGE waterproof pot, and consider covering the soil with pebbles or plastic to keep more moisture in the soil.
Plants with thick waxy leaves (like rosemary and thyme) are easier - they hold their water longer.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 12:49 PM on January 30, 2022 [5 favorites]
Growing up, my household had multiple gardening reference books that included elaborate planting charts. I think even in this post-internet world those types of reference books are still helpful.
Other resources (besides books) would be your local extension agent, a local plant nursery, the Morton Arboretum, and the Chicago Botanic Gardens, since a lot of info you need is hyper local.
As a heads up, overwintering (container) plants is a thing. So you might want to consider annuals instead, if that kind of preparation is not your cup of tea.
posted by oceano at 1:43 PM on January 30, 2022 [1 favorite]
Other resources (besides books) would be your local extension agent, a local plant nursery, the Morton Arboretum, and the Chicago Botanic Gardens, since a lot of info you need is hyper local.
As a heads up, overwintering (container) plants is a thing. So you might want to consider annuals instead, if that kind of preparation is not your cup of tea.
posted by oceano at 1:43 PM on January 30, 2022 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks everyone! Learning a ton from your collective insight— this is incredibly helpful. Keep it coming!
posted by Yo Soy La Morsa at 2:23 PM on January 30, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Yo Soy La Morsa at 2:23 PM on January 30, 2022 [1 favorite]
As a Chicago gardener I will warn you that most of the plants that are cold tolerant might not do well over winter in a pot because the soil will be too cold. A lot of people bring their potted plants inside for the winter. Think about why you want the plant — do You want to see it from inside the house or just when you’re outside in the spring/summer? The easiest thing to do for some plants and color would be throwing down a packet of flower seeds that work well I this climate (easiest would be mixed wildflower seeds, coneflowers, zinnias…). If you want height you could also do sunflowers. You can basically just leave them as long as they get enough water.
If you do want a tree consider if your roof can handle the weight and if it might blow away/tip over if it’s tall. What about a smaller one like a Meyer lemon tree, which you could bring inside in winter? I suggest that you buy any perennials (plants that come back each year) as a plant, not seed. It can take years for one grown from seed to mature and be strong enough to exist in a planter in 7° weather. If you’re growing annual flowers (last only one season) go for it with seed but look on the package to see how long they take to grow (listed in days). Remember, chicago has a relatively short growing season. I started some of my flowers inside under lamps in March and they didn’t bloom until July. Have you considered decorative grasses? You don’t mention sun, which is a big deal. If your deck is unobstructed and gets sun all day you need to buy a plant that can take burning sun in August as well as winter.
I buy my seeds in January because so much sells out lately, but if you’re buying annual flower seeds you can get them in April. Home Depot always has a lot of seeds in the spring, or you can find a specialist online source for more exotic varieties. If you want expert advice I suggest going to a local independent nursery. Here’s a few I like, but there’s plenty more: Gethsemane ( go to gardening basics > resource guide for advice about planting trees in containers under “trees” and “container planting”), Christy Webber, City Grange. I also suggest checking out the Chicago Botanical Garden for inspiration. It’s website has a lot of local advice but you have to do around a bit. Feel free to DM me with more questions.
posted by Bunglegirl at 2:23 PM on January 30, 2022 [1 favorite]
If you do want a tree consider if your roof can handle the weight and if it might blow away/tip over if it’s tall. What about a smaller one like a Meyer lemon tree, which you could bring inside in winter? I suggest that you buy any perennials (plants that come back each year) as a plant, not seed. It can take years for one grown from seed to mature and be strong enough to exist in a planter in 7° weather. If you’re growing annual flowers (last only one season) go for it with seed but look on the package to see how long they take to grow (listed in days). Remember, chicago has a relatively short growing season. I started some of my flowers inside under lamps in March and they didn’t bloom until July. Have you considered decorative grasses? You don’t mention sun, which is a big deal. If your deck is unobstructed and gets sun all day you need to buy a plant that can take burning sun in August as well as winter.
I buy my seeds in January because so much sells out lately, but if you’re buying annual flower seeds you can get them in April. Home Depot always has a lot of seeds in the spring, or you can find a specialist online source for more exotic varieties. If you want expert advice I suggest going to a local independent nursery. Here’s a few I like, but there’s plenty more: Gethsemane ( go to gardening basics > resource guide for advice about planting trees in containers under “trees” and “container planting”), Christy Webber, City Grange. I also suggest checking out the Chicago Botanical Garden for inspiration. It’s website has a lot of local advice but you have to do around a bit. Feel free to DM me with more questions.
posted by Bunglegirl at 2:23 PM on January 30, 2022 [1 favorite]
I grow herbs in pots. There are various cases. Basil and Cilantro are east to grow but they die after a short season, Actually, the Cilantro doesn't die; it moves on to grow differently. But in either case, you start anew each spring. Parsley is mostly a one season plant, but if you bring it inside and give it a little sun, it may survive for quite awhile. Sage and rosemary are not killed by a little frost, but they will need protection from the Chicago winter. I get 3 or four years out of a rosemary plant.
posted by SemiSalt at 3:58 PM on January 30, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by SemiSalt at 3:58 PM on January 30, 2022 [1 favorite]
I’m a container gardener in NYC, so slightly milder but still pretty harsh, and I concur that your best results will probably come from annuals, self-seeding perennials, or plants/bulbs you bring indoors in the winter. However I also want to point out that you can totally grow some tropical plants in the summer in Chicago! For example I’ve had great success with growing ginger plants from grocery-store-bought rhizomes here in New York - they thrive in the late-summer heat and humidity that many of my other plants can’t tolerate. I plant them out once it gets warm, let them do their own thing until fall, and then harvest them. Definitely look into some cold-hardy plants as well, but you don’t have to limit yourself to those!
posted by showbiz_liz at 3:26 PM on January 31, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by showbiz_liz at 3:26 PM on January 31, 2022 [1 favorite]
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posted by stormyteal at 11:56 AM on January 30, 2022 [2 favorites]