Pots for Patio Deck Designs

You can grow almost anything in a pot provided it’s big enough. Choosing the right plants is very important but the pots you select will also have an effect on the overall picture.

One of the advantages of growing in containers is flexibility. Using pot liners allows you to mix and match seasonal colour and you can move displays around if you feel like a change.

Dressing your deck is always more successful when you go with one particular style. Consider the scale of the decked area and buy pots accordingly. Small pots scattered over a wide expanse of boarding will seem lost and insignificant. The structure should be strong enough to take the weight of one or two large containers and these will help to ‘anchor’ collections of smaller pots and planters.

Make use of seasonal flowers including annuals, tender perennials and bulbs and when going for a bold display or a more contemporary look, use just one variety per pot rather than a mixture. Pots can be heavy to move around so use a plastic pot as a ‘liner’ and replace these inner sleeves with a fresh display when the original begins to look a bit tired. Wicker baskets painted with yacht varnish to prolong their life make attractive outer covers.

A backdrop of potted evergreens, flowering and foliage shrubs and well-behaved perennials will give continuity of display and give the deck a ‘garden’ feel. For long-term planting use a well-drained potting mix based on loam and containing a slow-release fertiliser.

For height use small ornamental trees or for a more formal look, shrubs trained as ball-headed standards. Alternatively grow climbers over cane wigwams, metal spirals or obelisks.

Choosing Your Pots

Terracotta

Ranging from classical to contemporary, even rustic. Weathers over time and can be painted with specialist products. Avoid pots with cracks or flaking and buy guaranteed frost-proof. In cold climates wrap planted pots that can’t be moved under cover with layers of insulating material.

Glazed ceramic

These come in all shades. Enhance the oriental flavour of pots glazed blue or jade green by surrounding with ‘streams’ of differently graded cobbles and pebbles. Or for urban chic, try coloured glass beads.

Plastic

More expensive examples make quite convincing stone or terracotta look-alikes. Applying artist’s acrylic paints can help to ‘age’ the pots. Perfect where weight is an issue.

Metallic

Lightweight containers. Try a row of identical containers planted with grasses or soft-coloured herbs for a more muted display.

Wood

Leave natural and treat with preservative (plastic inner liners help lengthen their life further) or paint an appropriate colour.