When it comes to outdoor pottery, the options in color, texture, shape, and size are almost limitless. With so many choices, finding just the right container to complement your home, your style, and your plants can be an exciting but difficult choice to make. Here, we offer a few tips to help make it a lot easier.
Decide Between Bright or Neutral Colors
Outdoor pottery comes in a wide array of colors. You might choose a favorite color as an accent for your doorstep or patio. Or instead, you might consider choosing neutral colors, especially for large pottery that’s a prominent part of your outdoor space. For one, neutral colors like slate gray, black, white, and shades of brown are timeless. They blend seamlessly with their surroundings and continue to complement the overall look of your home and landscape even as seasons change and design trends come and go.
And rather than drawing attention to itself, neutral pottery allows the rich textures and colors of the plants and flowers to take center stage and be the stars of the show. Plus, a brightly colored pot – like a vivid red or blue container – may leave you feeling limited in your choices as you select the plants for it during each season. Neutral pottery gives you much more freedom in the design – trying all kinds of interesting combinations whether it’s spring, summer, fall, or the holidays.
Consider the Exterior of Your Home
If you decide to go with a neutral color, be sure to take into consideration the exterior colors of your home. While it’s not necessary to exactly match the brick or paint color of your home, it’s usually best to stay within the same color family. If your home is gray, you might like the look of pottery in shades of slate, black, or white. If your home features shades of warm brown or red, then a brown or deep burgundy pot might be a better choice. Like a dark page in a photo album – darker pottery showcases the plant material nicely. Our collection of matte black pottery is a favorite – its slate color has a way of letting the pot fall into the shadows. And it provides a subtle contrast to any outdoor flooring.
Find Your Style
After selecting your color, the next step is to decide on an overall style. Our outdoor pottery collection features a wide array of shapes, forms, and decorative detailing. Typically, round pots have a more traditional feel, whereas square and rectangular shapes look best in more contemporary settings. Within these two main categories, you’ll find pots that are narrow or wide, short or tall, glossy or matte, smooth or textured. If you’re concerned that sticking with one color or shape is too boring, try mixing in a couple of containers with different textures or silhouettes for an easy way to make the pottery assortment feel more thoughtful. You might start with a base style that has a smooth finish, then add a pot or two with ribbed detailing or an exaggerated lip
Choose a Material That Works for You
The material the pottery is made of – whether it’s glazed ceramic, fiber clay, terra cotta, concrete, or plastic – factors into your design choice as well. Each material has its own look and feel within your landscape, but there are practical considerations too. Our glazed ceramic and concrete planters are durable and frost-resistant which means they can withstand the winter outdoors. They’re also heavy – a bonus in windy locations. But, if you anticipate moving the container often, a lighter-weight (but also frost-resistant) fiber clay or plastic pot might be what you’re looking for. Plastic allows for more modern styling too. And although terra cotta pots should come inside for the winter to avoid cracking, their warm and natural color is classic and a great choice for warmer seasons outside. The clay’s porous nature is also the best choice for dry-loving plants like cacti and succulents.
Err on a Larger Size
When selecting a container – especially one featured in the front of your home – we recommend choosing larger rather than smaller. As with all elements of your landscape design, a proper sense of scale in relation to your house is important, and your finished container arrangements are a part of that unity of design. Small containers tend to disappear into their surroundings, whereas a large pot – along with the larger plants that fill it – makes a prominent and dramatic statement as neighbors pass by and guests approach your home. For most homes, that means pottery at least 24-36 inches in diameter – and sometimes larger, based on the space.
Taking care of your plants is easier with large containers too. Big pots allow for more soil volume and lots of room to grow big, healthy root systems. And they don’t dry out as quickly as small pots, so you won’t need to water as often. Having that consistent soil moisture through the summer leads to healthier, more beautiful plants too.
Welcome the Season with Blooms
To neighbors passing by, nothing is more appealing than a big front step planter, overflowing with gorgeous blooms and plant textures. If you’re thinking of adding a beautiful new container combination to your outdoor space, spring is the perfect season to start. Stop by the Courtyard and take a look – you’ll find lots of inspiration.
