Decorating Small Spaces with Planters

A small space doesn’t mean you can’t have a glorious garden. And it doesn’t need to be in the ground either for it to be special. Whether you have a matchbox-sized balcony or small patio, you can liven it up using one simple technique: container gardening.

One of the benefits of a small container garden is that the footprint is small, yet there are limitless possibilities to explore. It’s also easy to care for, and it gives you full control over many things, like soil quality, sun exposure, and protection from the weather, diseases, and pests.

Container Gardening Ideas for Small Spaces

Here are some ideas to make a big impact with a small container garden:

Use Containers as Part of the Landscape

The best part about container gardening is that the planters themselves can serve as decorative elements. Pots with a mix of shapes, colors, and textures make for an attractive container garden. Personalize your space with unique planters, like galvanized metal, industrial materials, clay, pellet wood boxes, and old baskets – anything that reflects your personality. There’s an endless list of objects that you can upcycle into unique garden pots. Scour your house or a flea market and let your imagination run wild.

Play with Color Palettes and Textures

Containers and plants come in a variety of colors and textures that can transform a small space.  Before you even start potting, make sure you know which plant goes into which pot. Contrast pots with plantings so that both features equally stand out. For instance, plant perennials with vibrant blooms in neutral-toned, round pots, or tall shrubs in long and narrow planters. Go a little bold with a few hanging plants or hang box planters over the railings to save floor space, but don’t overdo it.

Save Space with Raised Beds

Raised beds make for a space-efficient and low-maintenance garden. With raised beds, you can plant a variety of herbs, salad greens, and even nightshades. With a few pieces of rot-resistant wood like cedar or composite lumber and some hand tools, you can customize your own raised bed to fit your space. Fill it with well-drained, compost-rich soil and place it away from trees so the plants can soak up the sun. To enjoy a successful harvest, keep the soil healthy and pick plants wisely and according to the season.

Consider Tiered Planting

Adding different levels of planting to a small balcony or patio garden can make the space appear bigger and more interesting. If you have a long and narrow porch, for instance, line one wall with a vertical pellet fence, install an overhead shelf, a potting table right in the middle, and leave some floor space below. Decorate the three levels with container plants and climbing vines along the edges. Throw in a couple of stools, cushions, mood lighting, and a table, and you’ll have yourself a cozy and green outdoor space.

A container garden can add tons of character to even the smallest of spaces. Browse our wide selection of planters and create the outdoor space of your dreams.