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Landscape in Sydney. Pots, the finishing touch to a garden

Pots, The finishing touch to a garden

LANDSCAPE IN SYDENY.DESIGN

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OE Project Paddington

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OE Project Mosman

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OE Project Mosman

Date 14 January 2018

Author Outdoor Establishments

Photography Outdoor Establishments

When it comes to a garden, the use of pots can be an intentional design decision or a finishing touch. So we thought we would share a few tips on selecting the right pots and plants for your garden project. 

Location – Use a cluster of pots to activate a dull corner in the garden, or to allow for the opportunity to soften a hard surface where planting might be restricted by concrete or tiles. This might actually allow you to turn an eyesore into a focal point within your garden. 

Sunlight – This is more a consideration when it comes to planting selection. The amount of sunlight will determine how fast the potting mix dries out and what plant is best suited based on available sunlight. 

Watering – Ask yourself, are you willing to water weekly, monthly, or do you want to plant and forget. This will determine if an irrigation system is needed. Also, keep in mind that if pot plants are placed on finished tiled surfaces, drainage water from the pots can stain and will require cleaning. This can be avoided by plumbing the pots into a stormwater system. 

Material – Look to the style of your garden or existing materials and finishes to inform the finish of the pots. Or, be bold and go for an eclectic mix of finishes and plant species. 

Size – Consider how much space you have available to play with. A small cluster of pots and plants might be great, but a single oversized planter can be equally effective.

Plant Species – There is no rule as to what will and will not work in a pot, some plant choices will just require much more love and attention to survive. Here is a cheat sheet of some proven survivers that a reasonably low in maintenance; Crassula spp, Cactus spp, Aloe spp, Buxus spp, Agave spp, Bromeliad spp, Cotyledon spp, Euphorbia spp, Ficus spp. 

Have a look through some of our images to see how we have used potted plants to enhance or garden designs.



Interested in designing and building a garden?

Give the Outdoor Establishments design team a call and let's have a chat!