Large flower pots not only serve their primary purpose of holding plants, but they also provide many more decorative and functional uses in garden design than a raised bed or a hanging basket. For example, they can be used as a centerpiece in landscape decor, make useful space dividers, and can also be used for large plants in container gardening.
This makes them very important, not only to homeowners, but to interior designers, landscapers, and business owners as their uses can be applied in various circumstances beyond the simple container garden.
At home, you can use large pots to grow a variety of plants, from food to flowers. In the commercial context, you can use them to optimize the spaces and create guides that invigorate the guests, gently bringing them into the office or retail space. Their versatility is endless.
In this post, we will provide you with 3 great ideas for large flower pots in the home and 3 for your commercial properties. We will also tell you exactly why large plant pots are so important for all your planting projects.
If you are on a budget and looking for ways to get more for your money, read our previous article 4 Inexpensive Large Planter Ideas.
3 Container garden ideas to use large flower pots at home
1. Use these garden ideas to grow edible plants in your container garden
If you are a person who loves growing plants that are edible, instead of buying several small pots for your container garden, consider opting for a large pot instead.
Large pots are excellent for growing many different plants, from fruits and vegetables to herbs. Round planters, as pictured above, are the traditional choice for growing edibles, however, they aren’t the best in terms of space-saving.
We recommend opting for a big rectangular-shaped pot, such as the Antwerp Wide Rectangular Planter or the Selenge Extra Wide Rectangular Planter. This shape will enable you to plant your edibles in neat rows from the back to the front of the container.
The benefits of this method are that not only do you save money on your container purchases, but you save time on plant maintenance too. This layout allows you to water all of your delicious plants in one easy motion.
As all of our planters are made from the highest quality fiberglass, even our largest planter is lightweight. This means you can move the planter around your garden easily and much quicker than it would take to move many small pots. This can be particularly useful if your plants need to be sheltered over winter or during extreme weather conditions.
If you have never planted a container garden before, or need a refresher, don’t worry, read our previous article about Container Gardening for Beginners.
2. Container garden ideas to enhance your front door
Just like an interesting book cover is important, the front of someone’s house is also. This is the first thing you see when you get in and the first impression your guests have when they visit.
If you get home to an entranceway filled with colorful flowers and beautiful plants, chances are it will make your home feel like a private haven away from the stresses of life.
Plant without flowers
If you live in a particularly hot climate, you may not be able to grow your favorite flowers or other annuals. Instead, opt for drought-tolerant plants that will stay healthy for longer, even when the potting soil has ran dry!
If the warm weather restricts you from growing overflowing blooms of colorful flowers, the great news is that all of the plant pots sold at Planters Etc are available in 20 stunning paint finishes, from bright yellow (GSF), lime green (SGR), to matte black (MBK). This allows you to choose from a variety of colorful flower pots to suit your home’s aesthetic and add visual interest to your front porch without having to plant flowers!
Frame your front door
A simple yet effective design is to frame your front door with two tall identical planters.
For residential and commercial properties looking to catch the attention of passersby, we recommended using tall square planters with a bright color such as Cobalt Blue (MCB), as seen to the right.
This arrangement is sure to make you stand out while providing the perfect place for plants in hardscapes such as the street!
Plant in a large planter instead of hanging baskets
Some other classic looks for your front porch are hanging baskets, hanging containers, and window boxes. These look beautiful when filled with a mix of colorful annuals and trailing plants. If you don’t have the means to support a window box or hanging planter, large planters are the next best thing. For example, sweet potato vine works perfectly in large planter arrangements as it flows over the edges of the planter with lush greenery.
Read our article on 15 Beautiful Front Porch Planters Ideas To Kick Off Summer for more inspiration on how to enhance this outdoor space.
3. Container garden ideas for attention-grabbing plant displays inside your home
We’ve talked a lot about using planters for container gardens in outside spaces, but what about the inside of your house?
Plant decor ideas
A good way to use larger planters is to put them on the center stage so to speak, in your living room or entranceway. This creates an instant eye-catching decoration and also balances out the decor of manmade furniture with nature.
You should always assess the color scheme of the room and match that with beautiful planters and your favorite plants. For example, if your interior design is fairly neutral, your home may benefit from some vibrant colors like red geraniums or french marigolds.
However, if your home already features bright colors, you could opt for some tropical plants, whose leafy greens will suit any color scheme. You should choose a tropical plant that thrives indoors, such as Golden Pothos or Elephant Ear. An added bonus of these plants is that they are super low maintenance, as long as you water them occasionally they will be healthy.
Some great large planters for inside the home are the Globe Planter or the Toulan Modern Tall Tapered Square Planter. Both are real statement pieces that will make the perfect addition to any home.
For some guidance on color combinations and how to match flower colors and pots with your home decor, read our article Best Color Combinations for Flower Pots: Theory & Mistakes
3 Ideas to use large planter arrangements in commercial properties
1. Landscaping your outdoor areas with a large planter
With most commercial properties there is some kind of outside area. Whether they are street-facing or inside an office block, it’s still important to design this area in a way that presents your company as professional and sophisticated, and potentially protects your customers from hot weather and full sun by providing shade.
In fact, people tend to spend more money and time in businesses that look attractive and well-maintained, so landscaping will not only boost the aesthetics of your building but is also beneficial to your bottom line.
Plant at intervals to direct your customers
An easy and effective way to do this is to landscape the area with some bigger plants that add bold foliage and natural decoration.
Try installing some big round planters at regular intervals along the sidewalk or line the building entranceway with smooth rectangular-shaped containers.
There is a wide range of commercial planters at Planters Etc, but our favorites are the Darwin Tall Corner Planter for curb-side appeal and the Camoux Narrow Rectangular Planter for running along walkways.
You could also consider filling outside areas with garden beds containing smaller plants and delicate flowers such as sweet potato vines with petunias. These arrangements can look elegant when arranged in a logical and tidy way and add instant eye-catching beauty.
You can read more about the benefits of commercial landscaping in our post 7 Commercial Landscape Designs To Grow Your Business.
2. Diving Spaces with a large planter
Sometimes it feels like large containers were made for this. They are such a perfect solution for diving space and creating privacy in a commercial setting.
For example, the company may have a pool, dining patio area, or even just another business next to it. Instead of building an unsightly wall, installing big pots is a much quicker, cheaper, and more attractive solution.
A perfect example of this is our installation at The Gates, South Beach. This pool area made great use of planters to hide unsightly equipment from the guests and give a more relaxing and peaceful vibe to the pool area.
Another use of large planters is to divide areas where there are a lot of guests, for example at a restaurant or outside patio. Planters can create privacy between guests and maximize the space.
The ideal shape for diving spaces is to use large rectangular planters. Our favorites are the Hollywood Rectangular Planter and the Miami Rectangular Planter!
If your home or commercial area has a patio and you want some advice on edging, read our Guide To Edging A Patio | 3 Tips For Deck Paradise.
3. Enhance indoor areas with a large planter
A container garden creates such a nice atmosphere inside an entrance, waiting room, or even in office spaces. The plants add natural beauty and fresh air to places that may otherwise come across as sparse or cold.
If you have ever worked in an office, you will know that all the desks, paper, and walls can become monotonous and sometimes claustrophobic. an ideal way to counteract this feeling is to add a beautiful pot filled with colorful foliage or tropical plants. You could even fill pots with snake plants like this office install!
Before deciding on plants for commercial spaces, consider researching plants that are suited to growing with inside conditions, are low maintenance, and don’t need water regularly. After all, there’s nothing worse than wilting plants.
For some great advice in this department, read 15 Best Plants For A Windowless Office | Get Health & Wellbeing At Work.
Large planter FAQs
What material should my large flower pot be?
Pots come in many different materials, however, some are more suitable than others. You should veer away from cheap plastic pots as they won’t last very long. Concrete planters are an okay option as their weight can act as an anchor, preventing the whole thing from tipping over or getting damaged in the wind.
At Planters Etc, all the pots are made using high-quality fiberglass. This material is ideal for large flower pots as it can withstand lots of different types of weather and isn’t easily damaged, making it the perfect material.
Are large pots heavy and difficult to move around?
While it’s true that some large plant containers are very heavy, and once you install them they are difficult to move, this is not the case with the range at Planters Etc.
The fiberglass used in all our planter products is surprisingly light weight and yet also extremely sturdy. This material makes it easy to move the pots around as you please.
How do I plant in large pots?
If you are fairly new to gardening, or just need a refresher course, you can read our Planting Guide to find all the information you are looking for.
Begin your large planter project today!
After reading this article we hope that you are excited to begin your new project with a large planter.
There are so many things you can do with a big planter that can enhance your home or improve your commercial area. First, think about the purpose and then choose from our various shapes and styles that will achieve your goals.
At Planters Etc we sell over 70 different styles of containers and a huge range of color finishes. This means you are sure to find a product to suit your needs, whatever they may be!
All our planters are produced with the highest quality fiberglass. We are so confident in our products that each and every one comes with an industry-leading warranty. This is our way of emphasizing the commitment and value of our planters.
If you’re ready to shop, simply visit our online store!
