I am looking for suggestions of what to plant in a rather large pot on my porch. I want it to be short, hardy, and bushy and if it includes blooms eventually all the better! (The pot is a mini wine barrel)
Purple Hot Thai peppers. If you don't like hot peppers, you could harvest, dry out, pulverize and make a nifty vegetable insect spray.
Also, add marigolds to the outside edges of the pots.
so far i can only come up with recommendations on what not to plant (no blueberries or other berry plants).
i was thinking thyme or rosemary, but those are more arid loving plants and may not do well where you are located. hmm... i've not had to think much about plants of this type in a long time.