My Grandma Vos—long-time owner of Vander Giessen’s and gardener par excellence—often advised her customers that “God’s colors don’t clash” when picking out flowers. Her point in offering such advice was to encourage customers to plant what looked good to them; after all, gardening is meant to be fun, so why stress over what plants “work”? Whether you like bold, saturated colors in your containers or prefer the muted elegance of all white mixes, it’s your garden, so plant what looks good to your eye. If you’re looking for some inspiration this planting season, here are a few of my favorites I’ve planted in my own containers and flowerbeds to enjoy this spring.

First, two workhorses in the flower world are petunias and their distant cousin, calibrachoa. These two species of annuals offer near-endless color throughout spring, summer, and into autumn and are available in a wide range of colors—so many, in fact, it can be hard to choose a few favorites.

Thanks to advancements in breeding over the last three decades, nearly all the trailing, spreading petunias on the market today are low-maintenance varieties that require no deadheading or trimming to keep them looking amazing all season. One of my favorite newer introductions is Bees Knees, a bright yellow variety with strong blooming power all season long. This spreading variety works great in hanging baskets or as a low-mounding groundcover annual in the garden.

For containers, calibrachoa are an easy, colorful option that mix well with other types of plants without taking over a container mix. Often referred to as Superbells, calibrachoa is a must-have for hanging baskets or patio pots. One of my newer favorites is Magic Pink Lemonade, with flowers that vary between pink and soft yellow throughout the growing season.

Second, two growing areas of interest for many gardeners are cut flowers and plants that attract pollinators. One plant that checks both of those boxes—and just looks great in containers or the garden—is Suncredible dwarf sunflower.

With a classic sunflower bloom on a plant that grows to just three feet tall, Suncredible sunflowers bloom continuously through summer with flowers measuring four inches across. For added flair, Suncredible Saturn’s blooms each show off a distinctive amber-colored ring in the middle of the bloom, lending Saturn its name. Because of its continual bloom habit and dwarf size, I’ve found Suncredible sunflowers to be a great option for cut flowers as well as a favorite for pollinators.

Third, I can’t recommend highly enough the color and interest that coleus provides to containers—and its versatility in everything from intense, hot sun to full shade. Recently, I heard coleus referred to as “the Hawaiian shirt of the plant world,” a fitting description of the many bold, in-your-face color patterns offered. With varieties such as Rediculous—a bold red variety—and El Brighto, with scalloped leaves in bright hues of purple, red, and bright yellow, coleus offers eye-catching foliage that looks great all season long. And unlike many of the older varieties grown from seed, today’s coleus are bred to hold off blooming until late summer or fall, putting their energy into continual growth and foliage color.

Finally, climbing vines are a can’t miss addition to any garden space, and black-eyed susan vines are one of my absolute favorites for continual blooms throughout the summer and all the way until the first frost. Available in many colors, one of the most vigorous varieties is Coconut-A-Peel, with bright white blooms. Grow in a pot up a trellis or post or over an arbor—black-eyed susan vines will put on up to ten feet of growth in just a couple of months.

Whatever you choose to plant this spring, remember to keep your plants well fed throughout the season with a high-quality water-soluble fertilizer like Jack’s Classic available year-round at Vander Giessen’s. With a little fertilizer and faithful watering, the small plants you carefully tuck into your pots this month can turn your deck into a tropical paradise this summer, rewarding you with colorful blooms, dramatic foliage accents, and vases of color throughout the season.

As you pore over tables of potted flower starts at local nurseries this month, enjoy the process of picking what looks good to you. It’s your garden, so don’t stress over what combinations might or might not be magazine- or Instagram-worthy. After all, God’s colors don’t clash, so fill your pots with what you like and enjoy the results!