How to create inspiring potscapes in your garden
What is potscaping?
Potscaping, quite simply, is landscaping with pots. This element is often used in garden design and is ideal for smaller gardens where a focal point or impact is needed. Potscaping also offers an easy way to add colour to a home’s exterior without digging or weeding in flower borders.
By grouping large containers together by different sizes, different colours, powerful and colourful displays can be achieved easily and effectively. Here at Gardenesque, we have a vast array of large terracotta plant pots and extra large garden pots that will create another dimension to your garden setting.
Our top tips
Clusters and sizing
As a general rule, in landscaping design quality is better than quantity, so it’s best to opt for a fewer number of large, well selected pots than acquire an assortment of mismatches. Always consider the size of the space and how pots can be arranged to structure or complement the space, rather than overcrowd it. Odd numbers tend to work better and look more natural than even numbers to create a big impact.
We recommend that you choose containers that are different sizes but complement each other in terms of shape, design and material. Our range of large terracotta pots are the ideal material to consider for a cottage garden. Why not plant in our Julius XXL Planter which is available in three sizes, evoking a romantic and traditional feel with its natural palette, filled with trees and blooms gently swaying in the breeze with bees and butterflies drifting delicately from planter to planter.
Plant theming
Great potscaping also means turning ordinary plantings into extraordinary ones. Always follow the Thriller, Filler and Spiller method for the wow factor in your potscape. Great plant displays include a “thriller,” a tall plant usually with a strong colour and structure, “filler,” plants that fill the space hiding the soil and “spiller” that cascades over the rim of the pot.
We love using focal shrubs in the Ancient Collection Extra Large Glazed Plant Pot like cordyline with its bright, spiky foliage. Dwarf conifers with their erect, evergreen sprays are ideal to add height, whilst ornamental grasses add movement and structure. The statuesque stems and pom pom blooms of the allium, under-planted with summer bedding, perennials and small shrubs will guarantee to illuminate any potscape.
Framing
Something very simple you can do for your front door, gate or path is to have large garden pots framing the walkway to create an enticing entrance.
By framing an area in your garden you can create a welcoming environment and lead the viewer's eye to a focal point. An aesthetically pleasing potscape can be created by the front door entrance by framing it with our Large Charcoal Grey Plant Pots Outdoor Faux-Lead Cylinders filled with potted plants.
Symmetry with shrubs is very popular in formal landscape designs. A pathway or gate can be complemented by symmetrically arranged planted box bushes lining the way. The Clayton Square Rust Effect Fibreclay Resin Planter is ideal for this, with its simple lattice shape and design allowing for the plants to do the talking.
Another great potscaping design is to arrange pots of the same size in a linear pattern, on ascending stairs, along a wall or on a balcony to create a barrier or a geometric focal point that will thrill your visiting guests.
Elevating
Take your potscape to the next level by elevating your planters on walls, stands, tables, balustrades or even on top of overturned pots. This is also a great way to decorate a tiny space with flower pots, especially where floor space is at a minimum.
To create a display with pzazz, raise your.plants to a statuesque height so they are towering over traditional planters. This will also ensure that any excess water can exit through the drainage holes in the bottom and not cause waterlogging.
A cluster of containers can also increase the mass and volume of insulation and protect the plants and containers from the cold, and harsh winds.
Create privacy
Tall plants in large planters can be used to add privacy to your garden, hide your outdoor space from the prying eyes of neighbours or mask unsightly areas. Plants such as conifers, bamboo or bushes with colourful foliage like photinia are ideal when planted in our Extra Large Plant Pots.
By using large plants in a potscape, they are perfect to compartmentalise different areas of the garden into rooms, add colour and depth to borders or add privacy to places such as patio areas, hot tubs, driveways, sheds, and stores.
Looking for more potscaping ideas?
1 comment
Thank you for these great ideas for Potscaping as it is exactly what I want to do in the small driveway of my 1930’s semi.
