More often than not if you’re in the city, a container garden is all you have. And, if you’re in the suburbs, using containers is also the way to go so you can move things about. In other words, containers are not just there for show. They are as practical as they are pretty. You can make each container it’s own mini landscape, or you can just make it part of the bigger scene.
First things first, though. You need to choose a container.
Containers themselves can be works of art. You can choose tall and thin, short and squat. Square. Round. Plain. Glazed. Fancy. You get the point. There are so many different options out there, it can be hard to choose just one — and who says you have to? When it comes to choosing a container, though, there are a few things to keep in mind.
Materials are a primary concern.
Plastic is affordable and paintable, ceramic is pretty and delicate, terracotta is refined and rustic all at the same time. So, what’s the difference? The difference comes down to not looks and price, but durability. Cement pottery is expensive, but if you take care of it, it will last for decades. In fact, they are something you’ll likely be able to pass on down the generation line. (They also raise the value of your house if you sell them with the property.) On the other end of the spectrum is pretty, delicate ceramic that will shatter with the freeze thaw. Everything else, well, those fall in between and depend on the manufacture.
A good rule of them to follow is “the thicker the pot, the tougher it is.” And the exception to this rule?
Wood.
Wood has a tendency to be flexible, durable, light, rustic and elegant all at once. Treated wood resists the elements quite well so they last for years — even the thin stuff. (For more on winterizing and durability, see this post.)
In other words, don’t sweat it when it comes to choosing a container by material. As long as you do what’s necessary to take care of your pot, it’ll serve you well for years. Instead, give it a chance to focus on the design and how the pot can serve a role in your story.
Now, onto the fun stuff. We can talk about how to choose a container by function and design.
Form and function
When it comes to picking out a container that you love for both form and function, think about your personal style and the theme to the room you’re creating. So, think of the area and then ask yourself the following questions:
- Classical or modern style?
- Shiny glaze or matt finish?
- Colour?
- Shape?
- Rustic or mid-century?
This is just to get the webbing in your brain activated so you can describe what you’re after to enhance your story. Think of this as the theme to this particular room. If it’s a classic, you might want things more like the oak leaf themed pot above. Shabby chic with country charm? Now you’re thinking more like that wood one above.
The next step is to imagine it where you want to put it. Think about the space you want to put it in. Will it be a riot of colour that needs a little something subdued or is a mass of green that could use a very definite pop? Are you putting the pots against a plain wall or fence? What is around it that you want to show off or compliment? These questions help you define what you’re looking for in the way of shape, size, and colour. The aim is to find something that will fit the space, dimensionally speaking, while giving it that oompf you’ve been looking for.
Now that you have it in your mind where the container is going to go and what basic theme you want to use for the whole section of your story, let’s talk about colour. In the realm of colour theory, there are two great sites you can turn to for inspiration. One is called ColourLovers, which is a site dedicated to setting fashion trends. It’s great to find inspiration for what’s really modern and new in the way of colours, even if you’re going with a more classic scheme. The other indespensible tool in design with colours is Paletton – a great interactive colour wheel that helps you find a perfect palette, not based on trends.
Let’s try out some ideas with the picture below.
For this story I’m going to say that I want to create a simple, easy, relaxing atmosphere around the bench. After all, this is a place I want to go to read and just get away from it all. I want a shabby chic finish to go with the rustic look of the bench, but to shake things up a bit I want it to be shiny. I want it to be tall enough to shade my eyes from the sun when it gets around to the other side of the bench.
This tells me I’m looking for something tall, glazed in a way that looks relatively rustic, and probably more or less modern. Because there is a lot of green, I want to give it a colour pop with a light, relaxing blue.
A quick search in Google for “tall, light blue pot” brings up these beauties f
rom Scenario Home. That is precisely what I had in mind. They are a calming blue, and the drips of darker blue give it a “rustic” feeling. The shape is more modern, and it’s a contrasting shine to the old wooden bench. It’s also tall enough that even shorter plants will help shade the sun from my eyes while I lounge and read. And, it’s a heavy glazed ceramic pot that will likely not blow over easily in the wind. My one disagreement? The price point of $618. I may need heavy pots that won’t blow over in the wind in this area, but I might have to go looking for something a little more sensible to the budget. Perhaps a smaller pot?
Nevertheless, I have an idea of what I’m looking for when I go out potter shopping, and I can browse similar styles and colours. You never know, inspiration might strike when I stumble upon a completely different pot! That’s half the fun of designing with pots — you can literally fall in love with one, then use it in a completely different space than what you originally planned it for. It’s like a whole room change with very little effort.
There are limitless ways you could decorate this area. So, let’s brainstorm. How would you decorate this space? What story would you tell? What perfect pot can you find? Shout it out in the comments!
Now, I know you’re itching to know about the plants that go in it, but that’s another post. Actually, a whole lot of different posts since there are so many ideas. However, look for the basics in part two coming up in a week.
