Plants in pots even work in garden especially when you give the pots and plants in them, enough room to become a nice focal point or a nice addition to plants that are in the garden. A focal point can be one plant in a pot against an otherwise barren wall, where the colours of the plant(s) contrast with the colour of the wall. Complementary pot plants can be like you extend or accentuate the colour scheme of that particular garden area by putting a tropical or unusually shaped plant in a complementary colour.

One of the most evident mistakes is to put plants of different groups in the same pot. You have to make sure, the plants you put in one pot, have to have same nutritional and watering needs.

Groups of plants that be put together, in the same pot are:

  1. Annuals
  2. Aquatics
  3. Bulbs
  4. Cacti and other succulents
  5. Climbers and trailers
  6. Perennials
  7. Tropicals
  8. Trees and shrubs
Each plant group has its own needs as far as type of soil, drainage, watering, location (sunny or shady,…) … are concerned. If you want to do more complicated of plants within the same group, it is important to realize that either you stick to similar colours of try to create a display with contrasting colours. The colour wheel shows contrasting colours on the opposite side.


Pots come in a variety of materials and size. Here are some basic rules to choose a pot. While you may not have a wall of pots to choose from, it's a good idea to keep a selection of various shapes, sizes, and materials on hand.
 
Know your plants. Some pot materials allow water and air to pass through them, promoting drainage in the mix but also accelerating water loss. Most plants benefit from the presence of a drainage hole; if lacking one, most containers can be drilled to make one.

  1. Avoid "waisted" pots (containers with constrictions somewhere below the top of the pot), except for annuals and other plants you intend to grow for only one season.
  2. Consider the relative permanence of the pot material. Choose more durable materials for longer-lived plants, especially topiaries and large plants that may stay in the same container for years.
  3. Consider cost. You could spend anywhere from a few cents to a few thousand dollars or more on a pot. Cost goes up with the value of a pot's basic constituents and the potential life span of its material, so decide if you want to make (and can afford) the investment in costlier materials. Over time, more expensive pots may save you some money you would otherwise spend on replacing cheaper ones. Some less expensive materials, including reconstituted stone and fi berglass, convincingly copy the look of materials to the elements during winter; bring them inside, or at least cover them in place with plastic or other nonporous material.
  4. Consider sturdiness. Although some pot materials are sturdier than others, try to avoid banging and otherwise knocking around any container.
  5. Consider what freezing weather will do to a pot. Anyone who gardens in areas that experience freezing temperatures needs to understand frost and cold resistance (and the lack of it). Very porous materials, including unglazed clay and wood, absorb and retain water, which expands when it freezes. That leads to cracking and flaking, both of which can destroy a container or, at the very least, spoil attractive surface features.
  6. Consider weight. Finally, an extremely practical matter to consider: how much weight can you manage without help?
Know your materials.

  1. Clay containers—ranging from everyday, inexpensive, machine-made pots to one-of-a-kind, pricey, handmade treasures—are probably the most popular choice for container gardeners.
  2. A terra-cotta pot is made from essentially the same material as a clay pot, but terra-cotta is fi red in the kiln at higher temperatures. Being stronger and far more waterproof than regular clay, terra-cotta provides much greater resistance to winter damage.
  3. All wood will rot over time in the presence of water and soil microorganisms (not to mention carpenter ants and termites), but some hardwoods and chemically treated softwoods can last a remarkably long time if properly maintained. Try to raise wooden containers off the soil or other surfaces on bricks, stones, or pot feet; line them with plastic or metal; protect them from the ravages of winter.
  4. Iron, steel, aluminum, copper, zinc, and lead vessels add a distinctive touch to any container planting.
  5. Don't let stereotypical notions of plastic prevent you from gardening with pots made from it. While most plastic pots are widely considered plain looking or maybe even vulgar, some plastics closely copy the look of clay, terra-cotta, wood, metal, and stone and cost far less than their counterparts.
  6. A catchall term for several plastic like materials, resins look and behave much like many plastics but often hold up better in sunlight and take more physical abuse than plastics.
  7. Nothing looks as solid and ageless as stone, whether roughly hewn or highly polished. A stone container presents a visually exciting contrast to its organic contents and surroundings.
  8. Grind stone up and bind it together with cement, epoxy, or similar glues and a dye. The resulting reconstituted stone can be cast into shapes, avoiding the effort, time, and expense of carving an intact block of stone.