10 Tips for Beautiful Potted Plants

Create beautiful potted plants like a pro, using these 10 tips.

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Are you ready to create your own beautiful potted plants to add to your yard, deck, porch, or patio? Have you struggled with finding the perfect potted plants, or combinations that you really fall in love with?

I like to compare potted plants with home décor. Everyone has different taste, and style, which means that one persons beautiful pot may not appeal, nearly as much, to the next person. This makes it very hard for greenhouses (and those wonderful people creating the combinations) to pick combinations that are really going to call out to everyone!

My solution… creating your own potted plants! Creating your own potted plants can offer a larger variety, beautiful combinations that appeal to you, and the satisfying feeling of creating your own happiness. If you have multiple pots and areas you will be planting, creating your own can also be much easier on your bank account too!

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Introduction to Potted Plants

Before I give you my 10 fantastic tips for creating beautiful potted plants, I want to talk about a couple items. First off… know your plants… and your plans! Determine what areas you want potted plants. Determine whether you are looking for railing planters, ground pots, large pots, small pots, table pots, hanging pots, colorful pots or neutral pots. I feel a little like Dr. Suess right now, one fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish.

Anyways, let’s stay on topic people! You will need to examine your yard and determine where you will place these, how many you will need, and how large your pots will be. If you go to the store just buying plants all willy nilly, you are going to spend a lot of extra money that you don’t need to spend, or you will end up with not enough plants to fulfill your needs/wants.

You will also want to make sure that you have the necessary supplies to start planting. Planting potted plants is a messy situation! The last thing you want is to get down and dirty, and realize that you need to run to the store.

Be prepared!

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Supplies Needed

‘Some links in this article may have commission linking. This does not affect your price, but does provide commission for purchases.’

• Gardening Gloves (optional, but recommended)
• Potting Soil
• Outdoor Planters
• Plant Food
• Garden Trowel/Hand Shovel (optional, you can use your hands)
• Garden Hose
• Bucket
• PLANTS!!!

Don’t forget plants… otherwise these tips are no good!

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10 Tips for Beautiful Potted Plants

Summary

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1. Choose a Good Potting Soil

You will need to choose a quality potting soil to grow your potted plants. Container plants cannot absorb nutrients from the ground that are necessary for healthy growth. Potting soil needs to be quality in order to provide the proper drainage and nutrition for your plants. If you get a cheap potting soil, you may find that it’s mainly filled with wood chip compost, or it may contain little to no fertilizer and nutrients for your plants. You don’t want to fill your pot with junk, you will need a soil that has fertilizer and a good mix of compost, peat moss and perlite.

Your potting soil should be light and airy. This light mixture will allow the roots ample room to grow, as well as allowing for proper drainage to avoid issues like “root rot” from too much moisture. I have had extremely good results from using Miracle-gro Potting Soil.

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2. Select a Good Plant Food/Fertilizer

Your plants will not get nutrition from the ground, therefore you need to feed them! Some potting soils already come with pre-measured fertilizers. Make sure you take this into consideration when determining the amount of fertilizer to add to your soil. My suggestion is to pour your soil into a bucket or large container, add your fertilizer (I suggest Miracle-Gro extended release Plant Food) and mix it together according to the directions. Miracle-Gro Garden Feeder is also a great option to give your plants lasting nutrition. The garden feeder in the link attaches to your hose, and mixes with the water to feed and water your plants simultaneously for beautiful growth. You can do this every 1-2 weeks for maximum results.

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3. Purchase High Quality Plants

Your created pots will never become as beautiful, full and healthy as you want them to be if you select poor quality plants. Purchasing plants from a box store is a really good way to bring home diseased plants containing fungi, or plants that were not well taken care of. Additionally, plants are not their specialty. This means they likely don’t have as hardy mixes, properly fertilized starter soils, and the proper care needed to produce healthy, happy plants.

My recommendation is to seek out a local greenhouse or garden center for your plants. Not all greenhouses are the same, some may produce much higher quality plants than others. Ask your friends or family for recommendations. Talk to people in your area that have been planting for a long time. Personally, for my area, I highly recommend Weesies Brothers Garden Center. This is a family owned business that has been producing quality plants for an extensive time. Almost every plant in my yard, and in the pictures in this post, were selected from Weesies.

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4. Choose Proper Plant Pairings

Whew, that’s a mouthful, try to say that 10 times fast! Plant pairings for potted plants doesn’t necessarily have to be related to which plants will grow nicely next to each other. Those types of worries are typically kept to the vegetable gardens, although if you are very knowledgeable in the plant department, you can absolutely take this into consideration.

What I mean when I say, choose proper plant pairings, is to take plant needs and care into consideration. You want to keep plants with the same care and maintenance instructions together. Keep plants that prefer full sunlight paired with others that prefer full sunlight. Same with plants that prefer shade. There are some plants that prefer medium sunlight which can be swayed either direction, but do best with an “in-between”.

Don’t pair plants together if one likes dry, well drained soil, and the other prefers moist soil. For best results, keep similar maintenance plants in the same pots. I created my own “tropical” pot with plants that prefer moist soils together! It turned out beautiful!

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5. Monitor Your Yard for Sunlight

The areas where you plan to place your potted plants may be receiving much more (or less) light than you thought. Before choosing your plants, make sure you monitor your yard for the actual hours of sunlight each area receives. Determine what time sun hits the area, and what time the sunshine leaves the area.

Determining the actual amount of sunshine received in each area is key in selecting plants that will thrive. If you place full sun plants in an area that is actually getting only 4-5 hours of sun, they likely won’t die, but they also won’t thrive. My deck is a great example. The far side of my deck receives 6+ hours of sunlight. The parts of my deck closer to my house receive about 4 hours of sunlight. The slight difference of about 6 feet makes a huge difference in the plants that will grow best.

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6. Thriller, Filler, Spiller!

This is the rule of thumb (green thumb…) to use for creating beautiful combinations. You need to have a variety in your potted plants, and this variety is created by using this rule. By incorporating this rule, you will add variation in heights, textures, and a very pleasing aesthetic for every pot you plant! So what do these words mean???

Thriller

Thriller plants are plants that have height. Most commonly, you will want to use a plant that is at least 24″ – 36″ tall for a thriller. These plants will be your pots “focal point”, adding height and texture to your creation. Because these will be your focal point, you really want to make your thriller plant(s) something you absolutely love! Depending on your pot, you can have more than one thriller if you’d like, but you still want to incorporate the others.

Some Examples

Shade: canna lilies, fuchsia, ferns, ornamental grasses

Sun: cordyline, osteospermum, ornamental grasses, king tut, crocosmia, hibiscus, mandevilla, some herbs

Filler

Filler plants are plants that spread wide and take up space to fill in the gaps. These plants are typically leafy, wide, or contain large amounts of flowers or stems. Filler plants are what will make your pots look beautiful and full, adding color, depth and coverage. Try to choose colors that pair well with each other, and different leaf colors to add depth. Personally, I always tend to lean towards yellows, oranges, pinks and purples. There are many different colors that pair well, but these are my personal “go-to” choices.

Some Examples

Shade: begonias, lobelia, impatiens, new guinea impatiens, sedum, coleus, coral bells

Sun: lantana, zinnia, nemesia, petunias, cosmos, baby’s breath, pansy, silver ragwort, lambs ear, gerbera daisy, dahlia

Spiller

Spiller plants are plants that hang, creep, or trail over the sides of the pots. These plants are typically vines, ground covers, and creeper plants. Spiller plants add depth to your pot as well, while also creating a more natural appearance rather than an abrupt stop at the edge of the pot. These plants typically have somewhat faster growth rates, and can make your pot look even more full. They give the appearance that your planted creation is spilling out of all sides, making it look happier and healthier!

Some Examples

Shade: some sedum, lobelia, wandering jew, tahitian bridal veil, sweet potato vine

Sun: petunia, nemesia, lantana, black eyed susan vine, nasturtium, parrot’s beak, creeping jenny, alyssum

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7. Choose Planters That Compliment Your Yard

There are so many different kinds, colors, shapes and sizes of pots available. Make sure to choose pots that compliment your yard and your taste. If your yard/patio/deck has a color theme, choose pots that coordinate with the colors you have already chosen. You want to choose sizes that fit your space nicely. If you have a very large space you would like to fill, you need to choose a large sized pot. When looking for something to add to your deck, you could consider deck railing planters like any of these: Deck Planters.

Spray Paint Your Planters

If you can’t seem to find the color you were desperately looking for, SPRAY PAINT THEM! I know, this might sound odd. I desperately wanted bright pink/fuchsia planters for my deck railing that would bring some color to space. Do you know how hard these are to find?!?!?!? I took the deck railing planters that were left when our house was purchased and spray painted them the color that I wanted.

Most spray paints will just chip off of plastic pots, so be sure to use a quality spray paint that will adhere to the type of pot you choose. I use Rust-oleum 2X Ultra Cover Painters Touch spray paint. Use light coats and repeat coats as needed until a smooth full cover finish is achieved. Give them a full 24-48 hours to dry before planting.

2X Ultra Cover® spray paint offers:
• Superior coverage • Ease of use • Smooth, durable finishes • Fast dry time • Indoor/outdoor durability • On-trend paint colors and sheens 

Ideal Uses: Wood, Wicker, Metal, Plastic, Shelves, Furniture, Picture Frames, Tables, Chairs & Home Décor.

Lastly, choose planters that make you happy! Fuel your soul, and pick the items that call out to you. If your space is created by all the things you love, you are bound to love your space!

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8. Don’t Overfill Your Containers

Now that you have determined which supplies you will use (soil, nutrients, plants), have monitored your sunlight, and have researched plants you like, it’s time to make a plan! Making a plan is the best way to not over or under buy your plants. Determine how many plants will happily fit in each container. You need to consider how fully grown your plants are, and how much space they require.

This information is easily found on the tags of purchased plants, or can be looked up online. I suggest taking the information from the tags, as the tags will ultimately be specific to the variation you purchased. Determine their growth height or width to help specify if they will still continue to grow further once planted. Determine how much space is required for planting. You can plant them closer together, but for best results your plants needs pace to grow!

If you pack your container super tightly with plants, they will start to suffer. Your plants will become “root bound” in their pot. This means the roots have filled the container and have nowhere left to go. The soil won’t be able to retain water, and your plants will slowly die off. LEAVE THEM SPACE. With proper care, they will fill the space quite quickly!

Additionally, leave room between your soil line and the top of the pot. You don’t want to overfill the soil in your pot because you won’t be able to water it properly. Leave about 1″ – 2″, at minimum, from the top of the pot to the soil line if at all possible.

The best way to achieve this is by placing your potting soil in the bottom of the pot, placing your plants in your desired positioning, and adding or removing soil as needed. Once you have the correct positioning and height, you can fill soil around the containers to make pre-placement markers when actually planting.

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9. Provide Adequate Drainage

Drainage is very important for potted plants, which is why high quality potting soil is so important. Even if you have a high quality potting soil, if the water has no where to go, you have defeated the purpose. Most planters have drainage holes at the bottom to allow for proper drainage. Sometimes, with new planters, these drainage holes will have a rubber stopper in the bottom. Make sure to remove the rubber stopper and allow this hole to be open to allow water drainage.

If your planter doesn’t have any drainage, unused water will sit in the bottom of the planter causing excess moisture. This excess moisture and water can create “root rot” in your plants, essentially drowning them and causing them to die. So… unless you are a watering guru, and know the exact amount to give, HAVE DRAINAGE HOLES!

If your planter did not come with drainage holes, you can create your own by drilling 1/4″ holes in the bottom of the planter. Don’t purchase clay or ceramic pots that do not have drainage holes. Trying to drill holes in these will likely cause cracking or breaking.

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10. Provide Proper Care and Maintenance

READ. THE. TAG. I cannot say this enough! It’s so important to read the tag of the plants that you are planting. The tag will tell you sunlight needs, soil needs, watering needs, care and maintenance tips. The tag will provide the information you need to properly take care of your specific plant. I highly recommend keeping these tags for reference. You can either place them near the plant, inside your potted plant, or you can hold onto them in a space you will remember.

Watering

Make sure to water your plants. If you don’t do ANYTHING else, at least water your potted plants! If you do not provide water, they will surely die! Most people are not watering guru’s, and do not know the precise amount of water needed for each plant.

For the best rule of thumb, water your potted plants until you start to see dripping from your drainage holes. You don’t want to drown them, but if you see drips starting to come out of your drainage holes, you know the water has saturated the soil throughout the pot. You want to water your plants at least once a day (unless your tag states otherwise). Some plants have specific preferred watering times, which would be indicated by the tag.

Feeding

For the best results on growth and blooms, you will want to feed your plants regularly. As I stated before, your potted plants cannot get the necessary nutrients from the ground. Due to this, you will need to feed your plants for the best results. I highly recommend Miracle-Gro Garden Feeder, this specific kind of plant food can attach right to your hose, and provide food while watering. Follow the directions on the plant food you have decided to use. Miracle-Gro Garden Feeder recommends use every 1-2 weeks.

Maintaining

Read your plant tags to determine what kind of maintenance is needed for the specific plants you have chosen. For example, some flowering plants require “dead-heading”. This is the process of removing fading flower heads that are past their prime. Dead-heading will allow for your plant to stop wasting energy on blooms that are dying off, and place that energy on creating new blooms

Pro tip: use pruners to remove stems or leaves that are dying off on your plants. This process will allow your plants to conserve energy for new growth.

Following the proper maintenance tips for your specific plants will allow for the healthy and sustained growth.

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What’s In My Potted Plants?

Pro tip: Many vine like plants or ground covers (such as wandering jews and golden mount sedum) are very hardy. If you have breakage from these plants during the planting process, take the breakage and replant it. With proper water and care, it is likely that these broken pieces may sprout new roots.

Pro tip: Plant Citronella plants by themselves in a pot. They grow very quickly under the right conditions, and can result in large beautiful plants on their own.

Pro tip: Zinnia and Lantana are great butterfly and hummingbird attracting flowers. Plant bright colored potted plants to attract hummingbirds and butterflies.

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I hope you found this information useful, and I wish you happy planting! Please let me know what you think in the comments, or if you tried these tips and how they worked! Additionally, if you have any questions, place them in the comments and I would be happy to respond!

For more ideas on specific plant choices, take a look at my post 5 Plants You Need to Get Rid of Mosquitoes Now.

Check out my post on Revamping Your Garden Bed!

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