Container Garden for 1st Time Homeowner? I'm a 1st time homeowner with a small backyard and need serve....

I'm a 1st time homeowner with a small backyard and need serve. I would like to plant a few plants in the backyard and be thinking about using containers rather consequently planting directly in the ground to avoid having to business with the weeds (have alot weed on the other side of my fence). I like purple flowers, roses, and maybe a green plant near nice pretty green foliage would be nice also. Can someone suggest a few easy to care for plants that work resourcefully in large containers? I call for something that is fairly low keeping and prefer mostly plants that will come back every year. I'm in Virginia.

Also, on a side memo. I have a peach lilly that was I given as a housewarming bequest 1 1/2 years ago. It's still alive but it has not flowered since I had it. It have one flower on it when I received it but that died and it has not flowered since. I've tried buying plant food for it but i'm not sure if that's working becuase now some of the leaves are turning brown.

Thanks
Is it apposite to use fish for fertilizer...
Answers:    blue lover flower,scaevola, with mini-rose...mexican petunia with ivy...dwarf alberta spruce next to petunia