The Secret to Perfectly Composed Container Gardens

How to get perfect flower pots - Pocketful of Posies

If you ever take a stroll through my Outdoor Living board on Pinterest you’ll find lots of beautiful inspiring images of kitchens, powder rooms, and different color schemes I’m in love with.   Another thing you’ll find are loads of pictures of beautiful container gardens on beautiful front porches.  I always love these pictures, there’s just something about them that is so inviting.  The beautiful flowers and the great furniture that I’m pretty sure I’ll never be able to afford even if I live to be 1000.

While I can’t help you or I afford these amazing houses I can help you make your very own amazing planters for your house.  The secret to beautiful container gardens is very simple and it is something that has taken me years to figure out.  It is the Combination of Three.

The Combination of Three

For truly amazing looking planters you will need to use a combination of three height variations and plants regardless of the size of the container.  You will want something that is tall and showy, a medium height filler that is full and luscious, and lastly something that likes to lazily hang over the side. If you are creating a grouping of planters, like I did, you only need to follow the combination of three for the outside planters. 

To add additional interest to your planters try to pick plants with different variations of foliage. This additional texture can be found in two different ways either by the color of the foliage, or by the shape of the leaf.  Mix and match a minimum of three to add the maximum amount of visual interest in your planters.

Picking out your Plants

When shopping for plants for a container garden the biggest thing to keep in mind is where the container will be and how much direct light it is going to get.  Light and the amount of water will have the biggest impact on your container garden.  This always seems like the simplest part, but for some reason this is where I went astray in the past.  It didn’t matter if I was shopping for full sun or full shade I always seem to find plants I liked better in the other section.  It must be that grass is always greener on the other side thing.

I love my new to me vintage planter I picked up a couple weeks ago at my new favorite antique/junk store, Old Town Depot in Helots.   I love my new to me vintage planter I picked up a couple weeks ago at my new favorite antique/junk store, Old Town Depot in Helots.

For my 5 full/part sun planters I used

Tall

Daylily
Cala Lily
Curly Whurly Corkscrew Rush

Medium/filler

Sweet William/Dianthus
Blanket Flower/Gaillardia
Salvia
Zinnia
Coleus – variety 6 pack

Hanging

Sweet Potato Vine – 6 pack
Training Lanta (3)
Lobelia
Abunda
Mini Petunia




Planning

Before I plant my flowers I always like to arrange them in the pots first.  This helps me to plan out my arrangements and mix them up before its too late.  Plus it’s a lot less wear and tear on the plants to move them around in their plastic pots then it is to dig them out and move them later.

Unsure where to put your plants?  Here’s a couple of fool proof arrangements.

These a basic arrangements and should be adjusted as necessary depending on the size of the plants and planters that you intend to use.   These a basic arrangements and should be adjusted as necessary depending on the size of the plants and planters that you intend to use. Note that each plant has a different shaped and colored leaves to add lots of visual interest. I recommend using at least three different plants in each container.  Note that each plant has a different shaped and colored leaves to add lots of visual interest. I recommend using at least three different plants in each container.

Planting

Thank goodness here is the easy part.  Fill your planters with some potting soil, I just use the cheap stuff, and add your plants.  For full beautiful planters right away you may need to add an extra plant.  If you’re a patient person, its okay to leave a little free space.  The plants will eventually fill in the gaps as they grow.

Finally water and enjoy your new beautiful planters!





By using the combination of three you will have amazing looking fool proof container gardens of your own in no time at all.  I’d love to see your projects so don’t forget to send us a message!  You never know we could feature your project on an upcoming post!

Shop my styleIf you enjoyed my perfectly composed flower pots then you’ll love these beautiful outdoor accessories!  Everything you need to make your patio look amazing!

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42 thoughts on “The Secret to Perfectly Composed Container Gardens”

  2. These are such awesome tips!! I definitely have no green thumb, but I do love flowers. I "try" to plant pretty colors around our yard and porch in the summer, but I never knew the combination of 3’s!!! Pinning so I can reference this soon. 🙂

    Reply

    1. That’s Great Amanda! I’m really trying to make a better effort at having a green thumb. Unfortunately it isn’t something that comes naturally to me either!

      Reply

  3. Love what you did with the little yellow stand! And yes, this is a wonderful depiction of how to make a small landscape area look fabulous. It is happy and would make me smile as I walked up. 🙂

    Reply

    1. Thank you Amy!! I love them! We’ve been sitting outside at night in the rocking chairs and its been so relaxing. I’m not sure the flowers have anything to do with it, but I love sitting there looking at them!

      Reply

    1. Thank you Dianne! I found it at HomeDepot! I thought it was really unusual and would make a great show piece. Thank you for stopping by!!

      Cat

      Reply

    1. Thank you Katherine! I’m sure your planters look brilliant as well. I love having flowers pots everywhere. They are so happy and cherry. Plus there is something so relaxing about them. Thank you for hosting!

      Cat

      Reply

    1. Thank you very much Tami! Trust me it takes a lot of effort to keep them alive at my place too. I’ve finally given up on the idea of planting them in the ground. Our dog won’t leave them alone no matter what I do. But I’ve found that if I plant them in pots and put them in a semi protected area I have a chance at keeping him away from them. Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by!

      Cat

      Reply

    1. Thank you so much Kendra! I actually do link up with you guys each week. I love checking out everything you all have been working on. You are a very talented group of girls!

      Cat

      Reply

  14. These are just really pretty! I thought of creating a flower garden this Spring, but you are correct…no way will it look like these!!!

    Reply

    1. No way! You can do it Zan! I promise if you follow the combination of three they can look like this! You should always plant flowers! They are so happy and cheerful. We could all use a little more of that!

      Cat

      Reply

  16. Thank you for this – I’ve got Spring fever and am dying to get out and plant. I just hope mine turn out half as well as yours!
    Found you through Burlap & Babies
    Shelly @100Things2Do.ca

    Reply

  18. These are all so pretty! Thanks so much for sharing it at Motivational Monday! Hope to see you again on Sunday. Happy Weekend! 🙂

    Reply

  19. This is SO helpful! Successfully putting together a planter that looks as beautiful as the ones you have (not to mention the dream-world examples!) has always evaded me. And thank you for listing specific plant names. I’m going to feature your post tomorrow for our link party. Thanks for sharing and linking up!!

    Reply

  20. Thanks for sharing your amazing ideas.These are really eye-catching arrangements of plants. The flowers and plants will surely add beauty into the garden.

    I can’t wait for another helpful ideas from you. Your blogs are really informative and inspiring. Keep on sharing your knowledge with others. 🙂

    Reply

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