Question
I have a strawberry terra cotta planter that I would rather plant a variety of colorful and varied plants in it. Do you have any suggestions ? I live in zone 9 and the planter would get about 8 hours of sun a day. They dont have to be edible but they would work as well. I already have the planter preped with a drilled out plasic tube.

Thank you,

Vic

Answer
I am not sure about the drilled out plastic tube. Plastic is light and is more prone to tipping over. The terra cotta pot will require more watering because it is porous and tends to dry quickly.
I like to use the pockets in the jar for small draping flowers that give a soft, romantic look. Summer favorites like Alyssum, Lobelia, and Bacopa are good for this. Heliotrope, Million bells, lemon verbena, and even miniature Roses create a nice garden pot.
Hens and chicks, Cacti, Sedums, Petunias, Impatiens, Geraniums, Begonias,  Ivy, Sweet potato vine, and my personal favorite. . .  Creeping Jenny. The choice is pretty much what you want it to look like and as you can see from the diverse list of plants, you can start with a theme, and decorate the jar as you like.
It is important that you use plants that have similar requirements. For example, you would not want to put a Cactus with Impatiens.
To plant, start filling the jar from the bottom to the first pocket. Place your first plants in the pockets and firm the soil around the roots, then move the the next row, plant the pockets and continue to fill to the top, then plant the top. If you are not reliable at keeping your plants watered, then try putting a small plastic water drinking bottle that has been frozen and holes punched into it into the center of the pot before you fill with dirt. As it thaws, it will water the soil of the new plants. Use the top opening of the bottle to replace water as needed. Make sure the lid is on it so that dirt doen't get in. It only works if there is plenty of room for the roots and the bottle to fit. This is a fun trick, but not necessary. Watering, and caring for your strawberry jar plants is easy.