Container flower pot displays: the best for your garden

Here's a selection of our best container display designs, created lovingly by our gardening experts. Why not make your own?

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Published: April 6, 2022 at 2:57 pm

Gardens Illustrated's container planting series is a definitive way of creating impressive, beautiful flower displays using pots. We ask garden designers and gardeners to give us all the tips on how to create the best-looking pots. Here's a selection of some of the best.

Here's our page for pots of style

Gardens Illustrated

Wild-style spring plant display for the container garden

Make the most of early spring plants to create a container display with the appeal of the wild woodland edge. Perfect for the container gardener or a sunny terrace

planting-combination

Gardens Illustrated

Plant container display using pastel shades and eucalyptus

Ben Preston, head gardener at York Gate in Leeds, lays out a flower container display using pastel shades

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Create a plant display with fritillaries for early summer

Ben Preston, head gardener at York Gate in Leeds, creates a container combination to add a freshness to early spring. Words Ben Preston, photographs Eva Nemeth

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Gypsophila: a gorgeous display with gypsophilia

Head gardener Matthew Reese creates an easy display for a pot that will take your breath away using the pink form of the dainty flowered Gypsophila. Photos Andrew Montgomery

Gardens Illustrated

Wildlife-friendly container display

If you want your garden to benefit pollinating insects like bees and butterflies this container display has been planted with plants that attract wildlife and suit a garden of any size. Designs by gardener Julia Wylie, who specialises in naturalistic planting schemes. Photographs by Andrew Montgomery

Gardens Illustrated

How to create stylish summer container displays

Head gardener Thomas Unterdorfer shows how to create a stunning container display with a gently wild style for early summer. Photographs Andrew Montgomery

Gardens Illustrated

Planting ideas for summer containers

Designer Jinny Blom created a series of easy-to-achieve planting schemes for containers, so that you can freshen up your garden with instant displays of vibrant plants. Here's her idea for a simple yet effective tabletop collection of pots, Photography Andrew Montgomery

Gardens Illustrated

Late summer planting combination for pots

Designer Kristy Ramage brings pizzazz to a late summer container combination using plants in lilac tones and a splash of orange. Here's how she did it. Photographs Andrew Montgomery

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Gardens Illustrated

Planting ideas for late-summer container display

Planting combination for a stylish late-summer container display using Dahlias and Panicum grass by designer Sarah Price.

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Flower container display for summer with Gaura

Designer Kristy Ramage plants up a stunning urn with a splash of gorgeous summer flowers. Here's how to recreate the look yourself. Photographs by Andrew Montgomery

Gardens Illustrated

Making an entrance with container displays

Head gardener Thomas Unterdorfer regularly changes the mix of pots that greet him each morning in the garden. Here he gives his plant advice and growing tips for a container display that makes a statement of an entrance

planting-combination

Gardens Illustrated

Tropical planting display in a Victorian bird cage

Benjamin William Pope creates a stylish display from an old Victorian bird cage. Photographs by Andrew Montgomery

Gardens Illustrated

Pot planting display with colour until autumn

Head gardener Benjamin William Pope brings summer to  a close with two sophisticated displays that add a touch of easy  charm and subtle colour until early autumn. Photographs Andrew Montgomery

Gardens Illustrated

Succulent houseplant pot display

Find out how to create this stylish houseplant display using unusual succulents. Created by head gardener Benjamin William Pope. Photographs Andrew Montgomery