Melissa,
You can grow just about anything in a container. I've even heard of potatoes grown in a container. The advantage is that the soil gets warmer faster than growing in the ground. The disadvantage is that it will dry out quicker.
The trick that I have found is to get things to grow vertically. Using a trellis, stake, or cage does the trick. Landscaping tape or twine holds them in place.
I did have a lot of success growing a plum variety of tomatoes last season rather than the regular sized ones. They were $1 / four pack castoffs from Home Depot. Almost too many. One trick with them is to prune the sucker stem that grows between the main stalk and branch. The other trick is to add a can of beer (cheap) when watering.
I guess my biggest suggestion is to just try what looks good and buy stuff that has already been started. If it doesn't do well, don't repeat next year. Good luck.