You may not be an expert gardener or have the patience or space to become one, but using flower pots definitely makes one feel like a professional. You only need a container, good potting soil, and your favorite plants, and you’re set!
There are numerous outdoor flower pot ideas, from hanging flower pot gardens and winter-surviving plants to fall planters and incredible topiaries.
We’ve compiled several outdoor flower pot ideas that will inspire you to get your hands dirty and freshen up your porch, patio, or even garden with some colorful, lush planters.
Take a look!
1. Repurpose Wine Barrels
One of the most stimulating ways to create a flower pot garden is to make small changes to cultivars of the same plant. Here, two barrel planters are adorned with various varieties of primrose, plectranthus, kalanchoe, fittonia, begonia, and philodendron, each having unique foliage and flowers for an unexpected pop of color.
Since the wine barrel planters have been repurposed, this flower pot idea is a delightful way to approach rustic backyard ideas and add wow to your outdoor space.
2. Go for a Stylish Modern Low Bowl Planter
A flower pot that looks flawless doesn’t have to be an expensive purchase or an antique. Consider a low bowl planter for a simple flower pot garden that looks like it costs a pretty penny.
Lightweight molded fiberglass makes this lovely planter durable and low-maintenance and gives it a more decadent finish. The flower pot is filled with oncidium orchids, ferns, lobelias, and violets for an elegant, bold, affordable container garden that complements any aesthetic.
3. Take it Up
An outdoor entertainment space can be a welcoming place to use creeping plants, such as the beautiful Mandevilla pictured here. The plant’s willingness to be trained also makes it the perfect candidate for a classic trellis.
The vibrant red flowers and glossy green leaves of this Mandevilla create the feeling of a unified, hospitable space in which you can relax all afternoon long. The flower pot blends well with the hardscaping, and the plant softens and enhances both.
4. Vary the Height
Create an attention-grabbing flower pot with a creative combination of complementary colors.
Purple, blue, and pink snapdragons add height in the background, while purple petunias beneath add a vibrant color. Together, the range of complementary hues set off the textured gray planter.
5. Create a Smooth Transition
Create opportunities for outdoor flower pot ideas by matching your planters with the hardscaping.
Here, an innovative white flower pot seamlessly blends with the surroundings and becomes a feature in the space. Yellow and pink petunias fill the flower pot with bold, beautiful colors and lush fullness to act as the focal point.
6. Keep it Continuous
@McCullough’s Landscape Nursery
Group similar flower pots in one area for a high-impact look. Consider the collection as a whole set-up and plant it as a cohesive cluster with repeated and complementary colors. Here, gray flower pots align with the curvy wall and soften the hardscaping with colorful blooms.
Angelonia sits at the center of the plant arrangement, accented by Ipomoea batatas ‘Black Heart’ and Petunia ‘Supertunia Bordeaux,’ for a lovely composition of color and texture that makes you feel comfortable. A lavender garden bed mirrors the color scheme for a cohesive look.
7. Utilize a Big Flower Pot
Go for huge pots for a significant impact. Consider a simple planting scheme and repeat your favorite plants for a lush look.
Here, pink, purple, and red petunias create a beautiful and lively display in the natural landscape. Large flower pots not only accommodate more plants but also have added soil, so you won’t need to water as often!
8. Add Interest with Foliage
@Living Gardens Landscape Design
This container garden is a charmer on any outdoor patio. The caladiums, with their colorful, patterned foliage, add tons of drama, while begonias bring some variety and color into the mix.
Purple lobelias form a rich, verdant cascade of flowers that spills over the gleaming ceramic flower pot.
9. Take it Easy
Colorful flowers such as pansies are always lovely to use in flower pots accenting front porches.
Here, purple pansies surround other plants, including ranunculus (Persian buttercup), dracaena, and dianthus, subtly enhancing the container garden. The flower pot complements the pebble bed for a soft contrast.
10. Paint Your Pot
Sometimes, your flower pot can be a point of focus as much as the plants and flowers it holds. Furthermore, you can use a repurposed container and paint it a bright color for a cheerful flower pot.
The blue flower pot featured here stands out with its washed surface. Pink hydrangeas grab attention with their verdant blooms, while white petunias offer a softer counterpoint to the vivid colors. Willow branches in the background add some height while creeping plants fill up the gaps for a lush look.
11. Let it Spill
The beautiful Hedera helix (English ivy) works wonders as part of an outdoor flower pot. The plant’s pronounced creeping form and green and yellow foliage work in tandem to conceal this granite planter.
The blue flowers of Lobelia erinus prevent the dominant green arrangement from becoming dull, with pink Cosmos bipinnatus and white Bellis perennis flowers doing the same for the vertical plants. This flower pot is an excellent way to add visual structure to your outdoors, especially if you prefer softer, more natural forms.
12. Don’t Forget Some Evergreens
Adding evergreen plants to your flower pot provides a good-looking base that will serve you for years. You can place it as the centerpiece, then surround it with beautiful plants that may attract more attention, but that won’t be difficult.
Here, Asparagus densiflorus (foxtail fern) provides height among a colorful bed of white Sutera cordata flowers. A similar flower pot, albeit smaller, brings structure and balance while using the silvery foliage of Dusty miller and red dianthus flowers to add more color to the container garden.
13. Make it Stand Out
A tree is always a classic for a flower pot, with its proper form offering order among rambling plants.
Here, Phoenix roebelenii (Pygmy Date Palm) pairs with pink, purple, red, white, and green flowers and foliage of petunias, impatiens, begonias, and English ivy. The colorful blooms make the palm feel at home during the changing seasons.
14. Go for a Simple Palette
Work with a simple color palette to achieve maximum curb appeal. The brown pot used here provides the perfect backdrop for the flowers to pop.
The purple petunias and verbena create a vibrant display, with variegated ivy offering a subtle contrast.
15. Play with Texture
Ornamental grasses and annuals have excellent textural contrast in a flower pot garden. Here, miscanthus combines wonderfully with canna lilies, petunias, geraniums, and lobelia.
The flowers bring in tones of red, purple, and green, all of which play off the miscanthus light and wavy texture.
16. Pair them Up
You’ll witness the power of white when you pair the beauty of these two flower pots in your outdoor garden.
The symmetrical look creates visual interest, while the beautiful, bright white hydrangea blooms tie everything together and make the white flower pots glow.
17. Go for Green Pots
Green flower pots are always lovely accent pieces for plants.
The red begonias in the first flower pot are a show-stopper on their own, but pairing them with the showy caladiums, trailing ivy, and vibrant petunias makes the flower pot garden even more exciting!
18. Uplift the Façade
Consider easy-care plants in your flower pots to limit the time you spend gardening.
Choose a big bowl planter, like the one featured here, to create a sense of scale and drama. Then, fill it with colorful flowers like petunias for a beautiful sight.
19. Go All Out
You don’t need a bunch of flower pots to turn your outdoor space from dreary to divine. Here, a flower pot filled with verbena, gaura, salvia, Mandevilla, and petunias provides the ideal space filler or focal point for an outdoor porch.
The plants pair nicely together, with the arrangement focusing on shape, texture, and color for an outstanding outdoor flower pot.
20. Contrast with Pots
This charming flower pot garden gets even more character when two different-colored and different-sized pots are used.
Using white roses as neutrals, the homeowner proceeds to accent with bright and bold pops of blue lobelias and red roses.
21. Step into Seasonal Glory
Place your flower pots on the porch steps to give them a sense of elevation or increased height. Don’t be afraid to go big, bold, and colorful, and use more than one flower pot—group them to create even more interest.
Here, petunias, hyacinths, marigolds, pansies, and daisies brighten the space, as well as the rustic flower pots, through bold colors and soft blossoms.
22. Light it Up
This beautiful flower pot arrangement will make every step up your stairs a magical experience. Consider similarly colored flower pots to let your plants do the talking. Here, terracotta pots were used for the lovely arrangement.
The white Angelonia angustifolia, Supertunia Giant Pink petunias, blue lobelias, purple Nepeta faassenii ‘Cat’s Pajamas,’ and white Water hyssop create a soft and feminine palette. The candle lanterns take the design to the next level!
23. Impress with a Trio of Pots
Here, the Hydrangea macrophylla in the larger pot provide beautiful leaf shapes that make the flower pot even more enticing.
Paired with the textural deep purple Buddleja davidii (butterfly bush) and white Angelonia angustifolia, the flower pots create an incredibly fascinating arrangement in soft hues.
24. Hang a Wreath
Hanging flower pots on your front porch is one of the best ways to create a delightful composition. Here, two hanging planters with Nephrolepis exaltata ‘Bostoniensis’ create a unique array of texture.
Two classic urns flank the door, and they feature a stunning combination of bright pink peonies and white petunias that work wonderfully together. A wreath of hydrangeas on the door completes the setup in style.
25. Mix it Up
Different types of green foliage give this front porch a modern look.
The Bird of paradise, Monstera deliciosa, and boxwood combine with the terracotta pots for a cabin look with contemporary influence. The trailing pink bougainvillea anchors the porch steps and adds depth to the corner garden.
26. Raise it Up
Consider architectural details on your flower pots, such as the slatted design of this galvanized steel trough planter, for more of an impact.
Daisies, huechera, primula, and ferns get lots of attention and create a whimsical sense of movement.
27. Upcycle a Water Fountain
This flower pot sits in a natural environment on a garden bed full of black mulch, the perfect way to frame vibrant plants.
The colorful red impatiens offer a pop of color among the textural evergreens.
28. Go Wild with Your Design
Here, a natural wood porch deck provides a charming contrast to the wild excitement of blooms and foliage.
The lush garden features petunias, geraniums, salvia, marigolds, verbena, sweet alyssum, sweet potato vine, and dahlias, all of which work together to provide an enjoyable visual variation.
