Tips for Outdoor Planters: Size, Placement, and More

Planters can really improve your outdoor space and improve the curb appeal of your home. They can make your entryway more inviting, bring an area for decking alive, and so much more.

Outdoor planters come in many sizes, shapes, and materials ranging from large Corten steel pots to small, light types. In this post, we offer our top tips for choosing the right outdoor planters to fit your house.

Size Matters

Picking the correct size planter is an atypical Goldilocks scenario -- it must be the right size. If a planter is small, it will clog the roots of the plant, causing an insufficient supply of oxygen, water, and the nutrients needed for your plants to thrive.

However, an oversized planter could cause problems. In this case, the soil may get too moist and submerge the roots of the plant. In addition, excess water can result in fungal growth and can cause roots to begin to decay.

You should look for a planter at least 2 inches greater than the plant's diameter. The height is important to take into consideration as well. Choose a planter tall enough to hold the roots of the plant, and an additional 1 or 2 inches on top to allow watering.

In terms of the dimensions of the planter in relation to the space you have, it is always recommended to measure the area first. Width is essential in most areas because you want spacious spaces around your planter that allow for the flow of pedestrians. Height is an especially crucial factor when placing planters close to doors. Make sure you choose a pot that's tall enough to be within the view of your guest. Remember that the plants you select to plant in your containers can affect the height they appear to be.

Perfect Placement

When it comes to the best location for your outdoor planters, the options are virtually endless. Planters can be placed on your walkway or driveway to draw attention to your home or surround your front door by placing large outdoor plants on each side as in the above. You could also put planters in a retaining wall close to an entrance to your house or place many of them within your yard. Planters in containers can add lushness and greenery to areas with lots of hardscaping or stone as well as be used to conceal objects you do not want to draw attention to.

When it comes to groupings of plants, three planters with varying heights are great together. However, we're not in any way hesitant to group groups of four or single plants with a larger size or have a focal plant. It is always possible to start with a single container plant and then add more to the grouping as time goes on.

Plant Height: Thrillers, Fillers, and Spillers

If you're planning on combining several planters and plants within the same space, using plants of different heights can provide visual interest. Opt to mix plants that are a bit tense (eye-catching plants), fillers (foliage that fills empty spaces) as well as spillers (something that spills out over the edge in the planter).

If you're mixing multiple plants in a pot, pick plants with similar requirements for light and water.