Create a scenery with pots

A pot, isn't solely a container in which you grow plants in, it is also a very efficient and easy mean of creating an ambience or renew the scenery. Find below a few ideas and advice to try for yourself!

A refined effect: Play with rhythm
To get a refined effect, count on a reduce number of elements that you are going to stage. The effect cannot go wrong: the same pot, aligned repeatedly on a short or longer distance. You need at least three pots to start seeing the wanted effect, six being better. Do not place them too close together: leave between each pot a space at least equal to its height. And as for the plants, prefer uniformity rather than diversity: Grow the same plant in each pot. Or else, alternate but in that case keep in mind that you require If you choose to alternate two plants, choose them different not only in shape but also in colour.

Create a scenery with pots
Identical pots give a contemporary look to this scene.
Create a scenery with pots
A repetitive effect of colour with these similarly shaped pots.
Create a scenery with pots
Diversity of shapes using a single material (Terracotta): it works!

Multi-coloured effect play on diversity
If on the contrary you wish to give an impression of life and swarming, do not use a single type of pot, but several. Vary the shapes, colours and sizes. But be careful: Do not mix anything and everything! The success of an arrangement with several pots consists in associating containers of a same type: coloured plastic with coloured plastic, Terracotta with Terracotta, etc… Choose your universe first and keep to it or you are at risk to end with a jumble of pots, where nothing stands out. On the plants side, make sure that each pot contains a suitable plant. Avoid particularly growing small plants in large pots: This emphasises the pot's material and squashes the plant (visually!). If you cannot place a pot prefer this solution: the profusion effect is stronger with disparate.

Create a scenery with pots
An alternation of colours but not shape creates diversity while keeping unity.
Create a scenery with pots
Multi-coloured pots, of varied shapes and sizes: A jumble effect, wanted... or not!
Create a scenery with pots
Pebbles or any other element placed in front of a pot make it appear bigger and occupy the space.

A large one = several small ones
In a pots' scene, size is important. A big pot can appear bigger if at its base, you place very small items (or other pots in the same material). Play with materials to ‘stage' your pots. For example, at the base of a potted Pine, place a few Pine cones which will fill in the space that is often created at the base of a big pot. A potted plant is just like a plant grown in the ground. It often needs to be associated to get an even greater effect.

Create a scenery with pots
Place your spring-flowering plants grown in pots at the front of the display in season, and then hide them behind afterwards.

Rotate!
Do not hesitate to remodel your scenery. Depending on the season, show off the plant which is at its height at this particular time, by its colour or its blossom for example. A good trick consists in keeping a few pots empty to house ‘the' plant which will be just perfect in your arrangement. You can, in this way, match permanent arrangements (made of perennials, shrubs, bulbs) with seasonal plants' arrangements which you can change regularly. It is even greatly advised to do so!

(Photo credit: Staged gardens, Terrabotanica's Park, International gardens' Festival international in Chaumont sur Loire).

M. Jean-Michel GROULT
 
Pépinières PLANFOR
1950 Route de Cère
40090 UCHACQ - FRANCE
Tel : (020).7660.0178