Choosing the right pot.

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Getting Potted
Choosing the Right Pot
There are a couple things you might want to consider before you buy any plant container.

What Comes First? Chicken or the Egg?
Works either way when it comes to gardening. Maybe you have the perfect pot waiting for a plant or maybe you couldn't resist some 4-inch annuals at your favorite nursery and all of sudden need the ideal clay pot near your home's entrance way to show them off. Anything goes but some things might work a bit better than others. Most plants will go with neutral color pots like terra cotta, from rich green foliage plants to single themed color or a mix of flower and foliage color. On the other hand some of the colorful glazed pots whether they're a dark blue or multicolored may need a bit more planning before choosing the pot's content. Maybe contrasting color with the dark colored pots or maybe a single color to highlight one of the colors in the multicolored pot.

Red hibiscus and purple leaf of sweet potato vine, 'blackie' fill this red painted Mexican clay pot.
Medium sized Chinese terra cotta pot and saucer planted with bright red geraniums.

Someone who makes their living designing landscapes or home interiors might be more specific in what should and shouldn't be done in your pot selection and planting choice. And if you're really concerned about doing the right thing to enhance your entrance way or a spot somewhere in the home then hire a designer and find out what color palate is best for you. If not, then you can experiment with what you grow.

If you choose pottery more for the gardening then you're interested in growing the plant as best you can. There's nothing wrong with that, either. What's nice about growing in a wisely chosen container ̶ if you don't like what you planted in one season, you can always try a different plant the next.

What's Going in the Pot?
Do you grow bedding plants for instant color? Are you looking for an interesting succulent or cactus to add texture and form? Maybe you want to add a clump of tall grass? Or perhaps you are looking to add a flowering shrub of some type? Or maybe a Bearss lime or dwarf banana that you'll judiciously protect from frost and freezing temperatures in the winter.

The plant or plants will help you decide the size of the container needed. You'll want to allow for root growth. Mexican and terra cotta clay pots are porous and allow moisture and air to get to and from the roots. The porous nature also helps keep the summer heat away as well where a small, dark ceramic pot might cause the soil to heat up to intolerable levels if left exposed to the harsh summer sun.

Succulents and low water use cactus might be the perfect choice for unglazed clay pots because the plant's drought tolerance means it needs less water preserving the life span of the porous clay pot. The size of the plant or plants helps decide the size of the pot. Keep in mind smaller pots will dry out much quicker than larger pots during our summer heat.

Shape & Color
What shape or color for your garden? Pots come in a wide variety of shapes from square, round, bowl, vase like and even in the shape of animals. In my garden I use mainly clay or terra cotta colored because my home is constructed of burnt adobe and I have flagstone patios. The natural colors seem to blend better than say a bright blue container or some other brightly glazed pot. That doesn't mean I don't have colorful pots in my collection for specific garden locations and certainly specific colors are used in my home as accents to the furnishings.

Colorful Mexican Talavera pots.
Blue glazed Thailand pot holds a geranium grown in a shady spot.

Harvest gold, and avocado kitchen refrigerators and stoves were once popular but I don't think too many homeowners would want those colors in their kitchens today. Neutral colors have staying power.

Dark blue and a light blue have been popular in the glazed solid color pots. The colors stand out in the garden. Talavera, the brightly colored Mexican pottery, whether a plant container or ceramic lizard makes a unique statement in the home and garden. If you're looking to draw attention use the bright colors.

Mix and Match
Small containers can get lost sitting on the edge of a patio or atop a large table. Large pots can stand on their own but a bolder statement can be made by combining the two. Combining pots of different size and height can add interest to the patio or garden.

An assortment of terra cotta and Mexican pottery of various sizes add seasonal color to this small flagstone patio and entrance walk.

Mix of clay pots and saucers adds seasonal color.

Larger pots allow for plants that drape over the edge like petunias, emerald or silver falls dichondra, or vinca major or minor. Smaller pots positioned around the larger pot can hide the sides of the larger pot while their content of flowering annual or foliage whether lush green or colorful can add interest.

Return to Getting Potted

Where to Find the Right Pot

How to Plant Your Container

(2008)