Here's a page with a couple diagrams of different systems:
http://www.letsgogreen.com/greywater-recycling.html
The mulch pit in the soil system uses mulch, the system in the container uses gravel. A coarse gravel
should work in your containers. Cattails and Canna are two good choices for plants, both are very hard to kill. You also want to have a bed, probably in the soil, to which the treated water can overflow, this can be planted to just about any plants that grows well in the climate, or it could be a fruit tree.