What Do You Plant in a Trough?

Dwarf Plants

• Dwarf plants need a place all of their own. When they are grown in a mixed border, the larger plants steal the show. A trough situated among larger plants will draw the eye to it. The plants grown inside the trough will then get the attention they deserve. Dwarf conifers and miniature varieties of larger plants are ideal for troughs. Consider what the plants' mature root system will be like. Dwarf conifers, for example, will perform better in a deeper trough. Some good dwarf plants for troughs include hostas, daylilies, campanulas and roses.

Bog Plants

• Creating a bog using a hypertufa trough is easy. Simply line the inside of the trough with pond liner and fill it up with peat moss. It’s a good idea, at this point, to set the trough aside until the following year so the peat moss begins to break down and age. During this time, keep an eye on the trough to see if water or additional peat moss is needed. This is a great way to grow a variety of carnivorous plants, some native orchids and a variety of bog plants. Be aware, if you turn your hypertufa trough into a bog, frogs, toads and other moisture-loving insects will visit it.

Rock Garden Plants

• Rock garden plants require good drainage to thrive. Many of them are quite small, making them ideal for growing in troughs. A few good choices include draba, dianthus and arabis. When selecting plants to grow in a trough, make sure they are hardy at least two United States Department of Agriculture hardiness zones cooler than the one the trough will reside in. For example, if you live in USDA hardiness zone 5, select plants that are hardy to USDA hardiness zone 3. This will prevent the plants from dying over the winter. An alternative is to move the trough to an unheated garage or other protected area during the coldest part of the year.

Edible Plants

• Depending on the size of the trough, you can grow edibles in it. Herbs and vegetables, especially rosemary, basil, lettuce and radish, will do fine. Select plants that can tolerate dry soil, since the soil in these troughs will dry out quickly during the summer months. Plan to water the troughs early in the morning on a daily basis and check them again during the late afternoon to make sure the soil is moist enough to sustain the plants during the night.