What should I grow in my new well-shaped planter?

[BusyBee]

I bought a planter yesterday and now I need to figure out what to put in it. The inside of it is 9" wide, 12" long, and about 15" tall.

I'm planning on moving it next to my garden fence, so want to plant things that don't grow very tall and that might potentially like shade. I was thinking of some kind of trailing plants or a climbing plants? Any advice would be appreciated!

Here are two pictures: one the seller sent me (with the plants they had in it) and one of it in my garden.

 

[Marck]

So the area next to the fence is shaded all day or only part of the day? What direction does it face? If the container is in a shady spot, the container itself will be especially shaded due to the built-on roof. This might not be problem, but plant selection is important.

I agree that trailing plants would be ideal for such a container. Branches would spill out, with one or two trained up to twine about the roofwork. Golden Moneywort (Lysimachia nummularia) or Yellow archangel (Lamium galeobdolon) are two low trailers to consider.

For contrast, plant a fancy-leaved Heuchera in the center of the container. There are so many rich colors and patterns to choose from with Heuchera that it can be hard to pick a favourite.