The Artful Garden: Painterly Pots
Brighten your porch, deck or border with a container that makes the most of the colors in your garden now
When it comes to designing a landscape, if plants are the star of the show, think of gorgeous pots and planters as the supporting players that pull it all together. The right vessel — whether rich and glossy, verdigris or moss-covered — will enhance your home’s architecture, draw the eye through the landscape, and make the hues of your favorite foliage and flowers shine. Here are nine ideas for adorning your garden with artful pots.
1. Verdigris. When determining what sort of containers to use in your garden, take a cue from architectural details on your home — including exterior lighting, hardware and the overall style of your house. Here, the faded green pots on the porch echo the verdigris patina of the porch lights and complement the rich brown trim.
2. Earthy green. The nature-inspired colors and materials of this Craftsman-style home carry through to the earthy green of a rainwater-collection vessel. Using a planter as a rain barrel is possible, but if you decide to do this, it’s important to get the fundamentals right: It should include a screen to keep out debris, plus a spigot and an overflow mechanism.
6 Reasons Why You Should Save Your Rainwater Now
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3. Deep, rusty red. Another way to choose a pot is to consider the hue of the plant you plan to put in it. In this case, the fall color of a Japanese maple looks right at home in a dark red pot.
4. Moss-covered. Moss loves shady, moist corners of the garden, and it can be encouraged to cover just about any surface — including pots. David Benner of Moss Acres, a specialty mail-order moss nursery, shares a recipe for moss slurries or “milkshakes”: Place dried moss, along with buttermilk or plain yogurt, in a blender and mix thoroughly. This slurry can be painted over a pot to encourage moss to grow. Keep your moss-covered pot in the shade, and mist it frequently to maintain moisture until moss fully develops.
Moss: Nature’s Carpet for the Garden
Moss: Nature’s Carpet for the Garden
5. Orange and blue. As complementary hues on the color wheel, orange and blue make a striking pair. And while the combination will turn heads year-round, it’s especially impressive in autumn, when the skies are blue and the leaves turn fiery shades of red and orange.
Read more stories about fall gardening
Read more stories about fall gardening
6. Cobalt. A trio of bold cobalt-blue pots enhances plantings of purple flowers in the corner of this garden.
When putting together a collection of pots, an odd number (one, three, five) in a variety of heights tends to look most natural.
Trailing plants soften the edges, helping plants and pots blend together into a cohesive unit.
Browse blue outdoor planters
When putting together a collection of pots, an odd number (one, three, five) in a variety of heights tends to look most natural.
Trailing plants soften the edges, helping plants and pots blend together into a cohesive unit.
Browse blue outdoor planters
7. Purple. Although it may not seem like a neutral in everyday life, purple is a surprisingly common hue in the garden, making it a good color choice for containers. Purple shows up in flowers, of course — but also in foliage, succulents and the purple undertones of some stones used in garden paths and hardscaping.
8. Ocher. Ranging from yellow to brown, this earthy hue blends easily with natural elements in the garden. To create a striking focal point in the landscape, consider including a single oversize pot like the one shown here. Just remember that if mosquitoes are a problem in your area, you’ll want to cover the top to prevent the vessel from filling with water during rainstorms.
9. Shades of green. Incorporating container plantings into the landscape is a wonderful way to vary height and shape and to add an artful touch. And if you’re having trouble choosing a hue for those pots, consider this: The easiest way to do it is to ensure that the pots blend in with the plants — and what simpler way to do that than with pots in shades of green?
Tell us: What color are the pots in your garden? Share a photo in the Comments.
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Tell us: What color are the pots in your garden? Share a photo in the Comments.
More
What to do in your garden now
The secret to combining plants in your pots
