topezz Home Decor
Planters, flower boxes and hanging baskets add a pop of color to patios, poolside or throughout your landscape. No garden is complete without them! They’re ideal if your soil is poor or you need to protect plants from hungry garden visitors like rabbits and deer. Strategically placed planters can also block views or create boundaries between different outdoor spaces. As summer comes to an end and annuals begin to fade, it’s also easy to remove spent plants from containers to plant in a few seasonal favorites like chrysanthemums or ornamental kale.
But there are a few tricks to design containers so that they appear spacious and eye-catching. Frugal is never a good look, so space plants fairly close together. Also keep in mind that containers tend to dry out quicker than landscape beds, so you’ll need to check them often in hot weather. Pots made from porous materials such as terracotta also dry out more quickly because moisture evaporates more quickly than from non-porous materials such as metal. How to create exceptional planters by following these simple design tips:
Follow the “Spiller, Thriller, Filler” design concept.
Your focus should be on combining different plant shapes to add dimension, depth and interest to the pots. There are three main categories of plants when designing your container: Spillers are plants that cascade over the edges of pots; Thrillers are plants that provide height or dramatic effect; and fillers are plants that add bulk and fullness. By combining plants from each group, you create an attractive look that works in any season. It’s also okay to plant all of one species in one container if that’s more aesthetically pleasing.
Combine plants with similar needs.
Keep plants with similar needs in one pot. In other words, you shouldn’t plant a sun-lover like Calibrachoa with a shade-lover like Lobelia. Perennials such as hostas and lavender can also be incorporated, although they may not return next year if you live in a cold climate because the pot does not insulate the roots as much as the soil. However, there is a small exception to this rule: If you choose a perennial that is at least two USDA hardiness zones hardier than yours, it may survive and return the next year. For example, if you live in zone 5, choose a perennial that is zone 3 resistant. (Find your zone here). The same rule applies to shrubs that make excellent container plants.
Choose colors you love.
As with interior design, color combinations are a personal preference, but complementary colors on the color wheel, such as orange and blue, tend to look more striking together. Or go monochromatic with different shades of a similar shade in one pot. Don’t be afraid to mix plants grown solely for their colorful foliage, such as caladiums or heucheras.
Match plants to container style.
When choosing plants, consider the style of the container. A salvaged copper kettle looks great with cottage garden flowers draping over the edges, while showy upright grasses look great in metal containers with an industrial edge. You may also want to choose planters that match the style of your home.
