6 Creative Ideas for Outdoor Plant Containers

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It’s fun to think outside the box—the flower box, that is—so we’re always looking for new, creative ideas for our outdoor plant containers. Container gardens can be custom designed to suit your home, whether you’ve got a sprawling yard or a shady balcony. When you aren’t restricted to planting in the ground and can place your containers anywhere, your options are virtually endless!

6 Creative Ideas for Plant Containers to Try in 2021

A well-planned layout that makes good use of space is so valuable. But if the design is as attractive as it is strategic, there’s just so much more to love! Here are some cutting edge, creative ideas for outdoor plant containers that tick all the necessary boxes.

Artfully Abstract: Obelisks for Plant Containers

Tomato cages and simple lattice trellises provide the structural support that vining plants and climbers need, but aesthetically, they can leave much to be desired. Trellises can be so beautiful, especially when they’re covered with lush greenery and vibrant blossoms, so why not go all out? Find something with an artistic, out-of-the-ordinary design that brings a little magic to your landscape.

Obelisk trellises have an architectural quality that’s modern and eye-catching, and there are some really distinctive styles available. If you’re a crafty type, sketch up your own creative design ideas and try building your own! Three-dimensional geometric obelisks have more of a cool, on-trend feel, and styles with distinctive abstract shapes seem more like modern art sculptures than gardening equipment. 

Go Cuckoo for Coleus!

Coleus are truly in a league of their own. These ultra-vivid foliage plants come in every shade imaginable, from electric neons to rich jewel tones. Some even have contrasting leaves, like lime green with a burst of watermelon pink bleeding in from the center or luxe burgundy trimmed with opulent gold. Now, they certainly aren’t new to the gardening scene, but the way we’re using them in container gardens is changing this year!

While coleus are usually a bold accent plant for filling out gaps in your plant containers, try making them the main act this year! Instead of picking just one vibrant variety, grab a whole bunch of contrasting or complementary colors and plant them all together. The results? An eye-popping color display that will rival your favorite floral arrangements!

Colorful Curb Appeal: Blue and Orange

You’ve got to love a creative idea with some solid science to back it up! Studies show that the most appealing color combination that’s likely to grab people’s attention is blue and orange. Strangely enough, we don’t see this combo pop up that frequently in the world of gardening. This is probably because blue is the rarest color in the flower world. However, one of the few true blue flowers is blue lobelia, and it’s perfect for your containers! It has a trailing habit that spills down the container edges like crystal blue water. 

Pair your blue lobelia with vibrant orange foliage plants like apricot-toned heuchera and coleus. Try your best to keep the leafy greenery to a minimum. By keeping your container mostly blue and orange, you’ll achieve a much higher-impact design! Dusty miller, with it’s silver foliage, makes a great neutral filler plant that doesn’t detract from the color palette’s intensity, so try adding a bit of that in as well for some texture and visual interest! 

Plant Ladders for Hanging Baskets

If you’re looking for a fun DIY project that isn’t too challenging, try making your own plant ladder out of reclaimed wood! They’re so gorgeous, and even if the finished result is a little uneven and wonky, it will only add to the rustic charm! Use carpenter’s glue, screws,  and a drill to secure several small planks in place across two long planks to form the rungs of your ladder. 

Make sure the ladder is stable enough to be leaned up against a wall or fence without tipping over. You also want to ensure the rungs are strong enough to hold your hanging baskets without snapping. Once you’re certain it’s solid and secure, you can hang tons of plant containers all along the rungs using metal hooks or thick twine. Because of the slant of the ladder, the tops of all the plants will be exposed to the sun! 

Minimalist Color, Maximum Texture

It’s often tempting to grab the boldest, brightest new annuals and exotic tropicals to fill our gardens each spring. But we have to admit; we love this new trend of minimalist color palettes! Opt for plants with the most subtle, muted tones possible. Think creamy whites, dusty greys or blues, and soft sage greens. 

What’s the trick to making your plant containers beautiful and eye-catching without all the neon colors? Play with texture! Fuzzy foliage plants like White Licorice, trailing succulents like Senecio, and the whimsical spirals of Corkscrew Rush all have muted colors with interesting textures that contrast perfectly.

Upcycled Furniture Gardens

Give new life to old furniture by turning it into a plant container! With a little creativity and maybe a tool kit on-hand, you can totally transform old furniture pieces, integrating them seamlessly into the landscape. If it’s got a reservoir that could reasonably hold some soil and plant roots but also drain water, then you can probably turn it into a plant container. 

What Can I Use for Container Gardening?

Here are some creative ideas for old furniture and other household items that can be upcycled into plant containers.

• Coffee Tables. Cut out the top to create a rectangular basin that’s perfect for growing leafy greens with shallow root systems, like lettuce and spinach.

• Chests of Drawers. Open the bottom drawer all the way, with each other drawer closed slightly more than the next, creating graduated levels that can be filled with plant containers. 

• Antique Wheelbarrows. Got an old one that’s too beat-up to use but too sentimental to throw away? Give it a new lease on life by filling it with soil and beautiful annuals!

• Claw Foot Tubs. You’d be amazed at how beautiful a vintage bathtub can look when it’s filled with trailing flowers! 

• Wood Chairs. A beautiful antique chair makes a perfectly good plant stand to place under a cozy spot shaded by a tree. 

• Bird Cages. Fill it up with succulents, and be sure to put some trailing varieties around the edges to spill down the sides. Hang it up by the patio for a stunningly creative display!

Need some help picking out flowers and greenery for your amazing plant containers? Visit Kaw Valley this spring to see all the incredible plant varieties and our colorful collection of plant containers for sale. We can’t wait to help you make all your creative ideas come to fruition in the garden.