Planting In Tall Pots 101: How To Plant, Fill, And Arrange

For centuries, planting in tall pots has been used for the functional purpose of growing seeds and aiding in plant arrangement. Now, the plant pots themselves have also been a source of decoration in a home or garden.

Over time, to serve the needs and tastes of consumers, the designs and materials of these decorative planters have become more and more diverse. They come in various styles, from broad-bodied rectangles to smooth, tapered shapes, etc., that complement any decor.

A popular choice among consumers, and for good reason, are tall pots. In fact, according to the perched water table theory, tall pots are the optimal choice for plant health, as they have the highest air-to-water ratio, which allows for better gas exchange. Not only that, tall planters have many other benefits too!

Already sold on tall planters? Browse our tall planters today and get a free quote!

What Makes A Tall Planter Stand Out?

1. Enlarge Small Spaces

Decorating a tiny space requires careful consideration of the scale and size of the objects you wish to fill it with. You can fool your brain into thinking the room appears taller by employing long, upright lines in a tiny space. You can use a large planter with tall plants to create more space vertically, essentially buying more square footage for the price of a plant pot.

2. Infusion Of A Contemporary Atmosphere

Small spaces with minimalist designs can benefit from a large tall planter by adding visual interest. Regardless of how small your area is, you can easily create a lush indoor or outdoor oasis with tall indoor flower pots and plants. Tall planters are also ideal for adding elegance and beauty to empty corners.

You can achieve a contemporary look by placing identical large planters with the same type of plants next to each other. This provides intrigue for passersby and can even increase the perceived value of your commercial property!

3. Tall Planters Are Easy to Arrange

Tall garden planters can be used to decorate space or as a focal point for several smaller plants. Furthermore, you can easily move these planters from one location to another due to their low weight and efficient use of space. Moving tall planters from outside to inside as the weather changes is a dream.

Lucky for our clients, our fiberglass planters are exceptionally lightweight and long-lasting due to our fiberglass materials.

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Best Jay Scotts Tall Planters

How To Fill A Tall Planter

There are so many ways to fill your planter without breaking the bank or straining your back. If you’re on a tight budget when it comes to landscaping, these methods are an excellent way to save money.

Step 1: Check For Drainage Holes 

Most plants need a healthy environment to thrive, which necessitates adequate drainage. While adding a good drainage hole to your planter isn’t the only factor to ensure plant growth, we recommend them, especially for outdoor planters.

Furthermore, it may come as a surprise to learn that overwatering is the most common mistake made by plant owners. Plant roots may die as a result of the bacteria and fungus that grow in the bottom of a planter with too much water. This is possible, even with pots that have good drainage, so be careful. A good way to check if a plant needs water is to put your finger in the soil, about 1 inch deep. If the soil is dry, it can be watered.

Step 2: Prepare Filler For The Pot

Instead of potting soil, use space savers in the bottom half of the planter. This will help use less soil and water and make the planter lighter. This can be crucial for settings where pots get moved around often.

The following are some items that are perfect filler materials and are likely to be found near you:

Lightweight Pot Fillers

1. Packing materials

Styrofoam peanuts (a.k.a packing peanuts) or styrofoam blocks (a.k.a foam blocks) are recommended for filler material. To keep the filler more secure and contained, place them in an empty potting soil bag.

2. Recycle materials

You can recycle empty plastic containers to use as space savers, such as plastic milk jugs, grocery plastic bags, soda bottles, water bottles, or aluminum cans as a starting point. Make sure to keep the lids on if you decide to use plastic bottles. You can either crush them or leave them whole, depending on the amount you have and how much space you need to fill. Small old plastic pots are another option as well. Simply turn the pots upside down and place them in your tall planter.

This kind of filler helps to decrease the amount of waste produced and dumped into the environment.

3. Short-term use of material

Look around you for plenty of natural goods like wood chips, pine cones, leaves, and sticks of any size. Recycled cardboard or newspaper works too. These materials will degrade over time and add nutrients to the soil.

Heavy Pot Fillers

Some options for heavy pot fillers are broken ceramic, broken pieces of crystal, brick, large rocks, or wood logs. Heavy materials work when we need to support a large tree in a lightweight container or do permanent installations.

Step 3: Protect The Fillers In The Pot

Separate the filler from the soil with a layer of newspaper, cheesecloth, or landscaping fabric. This step will prevent the contents in it from falling through the cracks.

Step 4: Prepare Soil For Potting

Fill the planter to the top with potting soil. You can use any soil you want, but pre-fertilized high-quality potting soil saves you the trouble of adding fertilizer later and it is lighter than garden soil. Using potting soil for indoor plants is a must to allow water to drain thoroughly and give the roots of your plant the best chance to spread and take root.

Step 5: Planting And Touching Up

Pop your plants right in! If additional potting soil is required, add it around the plants and water as directed.

For more tips, read about how to fill large planters.

How To Plant Tall And Large Planters With Plants

When planting in large pots, selecting the correct plants is the most crucial consideration. It can be challenging to pick the ones that complement each other, add interest, and balance the whole planter. For example, a big plant might overpower another small, compact one. Using the method “thriller, filler, and spiller” will make it easier.

Thrillers are tall plants that provide visual interest and vertical factors in the pot. They shine as “the stars of the show” and seek attention constantly. Place more than just one “star” into the container if it’s big enough.

Fillers are plants that provide the appearance of a filled pot while also adding mass to it. Geraniums, begonias, marigolds, and vinca are some of the well-known names in this category.

The trailing plants that dangle over the side of a container to soften its edges are known as Spillers. Various types of ivy, dichondra, or golden creeping jenny will be a decent choice.

 “Thriller, filler, and spiller” is the best formula to create multi-dimensional displays.

How To Plant A Tall Planter With Flowers

When you overflow tall planters with flowers, they can take on a colorful appearance. When planting, think of your arrangement as a cake. Add a central focal point, symmetry, and a couple of surrounding “excitement” features to the outer edges. Then add fillers if you have any empty spaces.

An excellent focal point is ornamental grass. If the planter is visible from all angles, place this plant in the middle. The rest of the decorations should be around it.

Once the center plant is in place, you can add symmetry using four plants (two on each side) in these large planters, which will make it look marvelous.

Use at least one trailing plant for the “excitement” part. While the tall grass draws it up and emphasizes the large planter, this will help draw your attention downward. A tailing plant like English Ivy has a great color and texture that will also add pop and nicely complement the other plants.

When selecting colors for your planters, consider brushing up on your color theory to ensure that everything complements one another.

How To Arrange A Tall Planter In Outdoor And Indoor Spaces

Large Planters At The Entrance

The porch is a great place to put a few tall pots. To wow your guests, this is where you need to start. Plants near the front door are a welcome message, which you can utilize to fit with the house architecture. Alternatively, retailers, hoteliers, and other places of business can use tall planters to mark their entrances and ensure customers and guests are fully aware of their presence – especially when we match your planter colors to your brand!

Whatever its purpose, a large outdoor planter can be a valuable asset in the allure of your garden or commercial space!

See our high-quality paints and finishes!

Layering Arrangement In Tall Pots

Layering arrangements can be both beneficial indoors and outdoors in terms of decorating. It is the art of placing plants or flowers above each other that taper off in size as they elevate in a pyramid shape. Each level can feature a different plant but could also be an analogous type of plant too, depending on your preferences. As long as you follow the usual plant arrangement rules, it will turn out well. The tallest should be at the bottom and the shortest at the top.

Learn how we helped our client with our range of tall pots to bring privacy and serenity to their residential project:

Large Planters As Hedges

Large tall planters can be used as hedges in your garden, whether it’s for privacy or to divide your yard with the neighbors. Pick a long tall planter if you want to grow traditional hedgerows. Give it a trim to achieve a dense and symmetrical hedgerow to line the perimeters of your garden. Splashing some colors on your planter’s body will help to level up your whole garden decor.

Define A Walkway With Tall Pots

By using tall pots, you can define a simple garden path or mark where the street ends and your property begins. Place the planters at regular intervals along the way, or line them up in a row to create an enclosed, formal atmosphere.

To define a path, two tall planters are all you need to use. Place two at the beginning and end of the path. For added definition, place another pair of planters next to each other at the halfway point.

Tall Round Planters

Tall Square Planters

Tall Rectangle Planters

Jay Scotts Helps Our Clients Supply The Best Planters For Their Customers

As a producer, designer, and wholesaler of the market’s best fiberglass planters, Jay Scotts’ landscaping solutions enhance the beauty of any environment by combining elegance, functionality, and eye-catching appeal. We work with landscapers, interior designers, and developers to bring the very best planter technology and aesthetic appeal to home and commercial spaces across the United States and Canada.

Find out why you should buy modern fiberglass planters, or contact us to get started on a quote that will change your business.