As I look around my yard and garden, there are flowers growing in numerous pots and containers. Most have a consistent look to them…terracotta is one of my favorite style containers. I also have a lot of vintage containers in my garden. Usually, when I need a new container I can head to the local garden center or hit the yard sales and thrift stores. But this year, that’s not a good option.
To limit trips to the store, we’ve been planting in whatever we have available, which boils down to a mishmash of different styles and colors. Awkward sizes and pot materials are spread throughout the garden with no rhyme or reason. I’m on a mission this week to bring a cohesive look to my garden with a little creativity.
You know what I’m talking about because you have a mess of pots as well. Plastic pots that you bought at the nursery or were given as gifts. Some are those black planting pots that you purchased your flowers in. And some are colored decorative pots that you’ve purchased over the years.
How can you turn a disorganized mess into something lovely that you can be proud of? Start with some design principles to create a cohesive look in your garden.
5 Ways to Style Your Garden Containers
Choose 2-3 Main Colors for Containers
Not all of your flower pots have to be identical in color but to bring some harmony, it’s best to choose only two to three main colors. Pick neutral colors that will coordinate together. The pots should not be the star of the show. It’s your flowers and plants that will take center stage with your pots being the supporting actors.
The style of your pots isn’t as important here as the matching colors. For example, you can use multiple sizes and styles of terracotta because they look similar. And you could use a variety of styles if you were using galvanized metal containers.
Choose two to three colors that can blend together such as terracotta and black. Or galvanized metal with white and green. Choose colors that are timeless and you will be able to use them for many years. I’ve been using my 24-inch terracotta pots for over 30 years. They can easily provide a backdrop for any color of flower that I want to grow.
Choose Similar Flower Colors for Your Pots
To bring a consistent look to your garden choose plants that provide similar colors. The types of flowers you choose can be different, but they should be in the same color family. Choose colors you like such as a variety of pink shades or maybe you enjoy hot colors such as orange or red.
Pick 2 to 4 complimentary colors to grow in your containers. Then just fill all of your flower pots with a variety of those same colors. By selecting the from the same color family you bring a sense of balance to your garden.
Here are some color combination examples:
- Pink, white and green
- Red and white
- Purple with yellow
- Fushia and white
- Orange with blue
Choosing the colors of your flowers can sometimes be frustrating for many of us. But the nice thing about container plants is that they’re usually annual flowers. So if you end up with a color combination you don’t like you can always change it out next year. Just be sure to make a note of what you didn’t like in your garden journal, so you don’t “repeat” the same mistake again.
If you need a little more detail about color choices, here’s a good article that explains the color wheel and how to choose your colors.
Group Your Pots Together
For a coordinated look, organize your plants together in groups for greater impact. Large-sized pots can be spaced singly throughout your garden. However, smaller sized plants get lost when they are being displayed individually.
Instead, group smaller plants together to let the flowers shine. Think of your pots as an arrangement. Just like a bouquet, it’s best for the flowers to be at different heights. Place different sized pots together to add height to your display. If your pots are all the same size then find ways to elevate some of the pots.
Use these ideas to elevate your pots.
- Bricks or flat rocks
- Small wooden boxes or crates
- A small wagon
- Vintage containers
- A rustic chair
- Upside down planters
- Old drawers
- Cinder blocks
Also, keep the rule of three in mind when grouping. Use an odd number of pots together…3, 5, or 7 pots rather than an even number.
Grouped plants should not look cluttered, instead, they should feel like they’re growing together. Add some height, some width, and trailers to help everything look blended together.
Related: 3 Steps to Planting Flowers in Pots
Optional Container Ideas
Your containers don’t all have to match. You can use a variety of optional containers to give your garden that magical spark. There are so many container possibilities to choose from. And when most of your containers are neutral in color then these optional containers can really stand out.
This is where your vintage containers can shine. Using old enamel pots, galvanized containers, crocks, and baskets are a great way to display your flowers. The nice thing about using these types of containers is that you will have a one-of-a-kind garden.
Use creativity to discover your style and what you would like to grow your flowers in. To maintain continuity in your garden try to stick with one style or theme when using creative containers. These little gems will stand out in your garden so don’t use too many different styles together.
What to Do When Buying New is Not an Option
So what do you do when you have a mishmash of planters that have no rhyme or reason. This is not the year to purchase a massive amount of new containers from your local garden center so your pots can be coordinated.
Here are some alternatives you can try to bring a more cohesive and less chaotic look to your garden planters.
Hide the Container
Set your potted plant inside a decorative container that blends with your other containers. If the container is already damaged you could plant in it directly, but for those containers that you prefer not to drill holes in, just use them as a plant cover.
Here are a few examples:
- Vintage enamel containers such as bowls, pots and bread boxes
- Galvanized containers like buckets, watering cans and feed troughs
- Wooden boxes with slat-sides or solid sides
- Decorated tin containers such as cookie tins or sugar/flour tins
- Pottery either vintage or new
- Baskets such as picnic baskets, storage baskets or wire baskets
- Colanders can be used free-standing or hanging
Keep these three tips in mind when you’re placing your plants into another container:
- Tip #1…To limit damage to your container be sure that you have a plate, tray, or plant base under the potted plant you are setting inside. This will help to collect water that drains from your plant.
- Tip #2…Match the plant size to the container. You don’t want to put an extra small potted plant into a massive container. Choose outer covers that are just slightly larger than the pot you want to hide. Or put several smaller pots in a larger container to fill it in.
- Tip #3…Cover the top of the plant with moss or some other natural element to hide the inside container until the plant starts to fill in.
Paint Your Containers to Match
When you have a variety of containers another option could be to paint them all in the same color to give them a similar look. You could use spray paint or hand paint the container. Choose a color that blends with your other planters and flower colors.
Keep in mind that this is not a permanent solution for most of your pots. If you’re painting terracotta, the paint might last for a number of seasons before it starts to chip off. With plastic, the paint might only last for a season or two. But when you need a quick fix for your pots this might be a good choice.
Choose an outdoor paint to be most water-resistant. Also, you might need to give your pots several coats to cover them completely. Finish the pots with a coating of varathane to add another protective layer.
Craft Your Pots to Match
There are a number of ways to decorate ugly plastic pots to give them a little bit of bling. Again, try to maintain some consistency and only choose one of these ideas and then treat a few pots to the same technique.
Be aware that these ideas will not be water-resistant so I would recommend that you save these for protected areas such as a covered porch, patio or sun room where you can control the watering process.
Here are a few ideas to try:
- Decoupage the pot using decorative paper
- Wrap the pot in twine or rope, the thicker the better
- Glue on buttons or decorative pebbles
- Glue on craft moss
- Cover with fabric such as burlap
- Paint with chalk paint and then share your favorite garden sayings
Related: How to Make a Potted Plant Cover
When walking through your garden, take a look at the placement and style of your garden containers. Do they bring beauty to your garden or are they a cluttered mess? Is there a consistent look in your garden or just a mishmash of potted plants everywhere?
Take some time to organize your potted plants into a coordinated and attractive look. Group them together for a greater impact. And consider the pots you’re growing them in. Could you find alternative containers or alter the containers you have to bring some continuity to your garden.
This year you can’t run down to your favorite store to grab a new pot or two. So get a little creative and see what you can do with what you have to bring beauty to your outdoor areas.
