Our Check list:
Where are your pots being placed? Two to match either side a door or steps, in a cluster, a stand alone statement to be seen from a vista ore even possibly raised on a plinth.
If the pot is to hide something such as a manhole cover do not plant something white in it as it will draw your attention choose a dark foliage that will recede into the shadows.
Is this a planting opportunity. Will you be growing plants that you can not grow in your garden such as ericaceous plants.
Will you be creating a statement pot for an architectural plant such as a large palm, tall rocket, small tree weeping or standard or a mighty big evergreen. This will need to have impact.
Or are you planning a tasteful mix of shrubs possibly three that harmonise or contrast.
Is this to be a mixed seasonal pot with evergreens and bedding, all bedding planted formally(3 and 3 round a center feature) or randomly but with balance.
Could you be planting an alpine or herb bowl.
Or is this a seasonal container of annual bedding for colour.
What shape pot are you planting? A tall tom pot, a square box shaped pot a bell shaped pot, a cattle trough, a zinc wash tub a barrel. Different plants lend them selves to different shapes. The tom pots lends themselves to single or 3 shrub combinations. Often one that sticks up, one that fluffs out and one that drapes over the edge works in the right complimenting colours.
Grey square lead like pots look great with topiary.
Bell pots look great with a single prostrate rosemary or a large purple sage or a simple Acer palmatum.
Cattle troughs can suit mixed grasses.
Zinc wash tub barrel can look fabulous in summer filled with all red geraniums.
A large round pot that requires planting with height may plant well with a tall standard lollipop tree such as a flamingo salix underplanted with dark red heuchera and silver euonymus.
Is it a Christmas pot with deep red and silver foliage mixed with berries and ivy.
Are you lasagne planting bulbs in successional layers.
A well-being pot of mixed shades of green and textures such as ferns and grasses.
Is there a colour theme?
Pale colour general work best in darker shader spots that do not get lots of light. Bright Caribbean colours naturally work well in full sun.
I can be fun to be influenced by the cour wheel when choosing plants to go together. You may harmonise and feel calm or contrast and it may feel dramatic.
Note:
Repeating the same pot or set of planted pots in a garden will added a rhythm or continuity.
Often pots look better if they match such as all terracotta.
