Indoor plants can brighten up any room and add life to your décor, while outdoor plants improve your home’s curb appeal. However, knowing how to arrange them can be tricky, and you want them to look their best in aesthetic planters.

Simple factors can help you achieve an attractive display, such as the rule of three, using plants to flank doorways, combining shapes and textures, and considering the overall aesthetic when arranging plants in planters.

Plus, when you start with high-quality Corten Steel or aluminum planters, it’s not hard to make attractive plant displays. With a few simple tips, you can create stunning indoor and outdoor planter arrangements that perfectly showcase your plants. Keep reading for helpful advice on arranging indoor and outdoor plants like a pro, and shop for the best metal planters on the market that are sure to turn heads!

Design Rules for Arranging Your Planters

Just as there are certain design rules you would use when arranging furniture in a room, there are also guidelines to follow regarding planters. Let’s take a closer look at a few.

The Rule of Three

When it comes to design, the rule of three is a popular guideline that can be applied to many different aspects, including arranging planters. This rule states that items grouped in threes are more visually appealing than other numbers.

When applying the rule of three to your planters, you can either fill three different planters with different plants or arrange one large aesthetic planter with three plants inside. For example, perhaps the corner of your outdoor patio contains two cube planters of varying heights, with the tallest cube planter in the middle. This design will make an attractive element that brings color and brightness to your outdoor space.

Color Palette for Your Planter Arrangements

When selecting plants for your aesthetic planters, it is important to consider the color scheme of your plants. You can choose plants in the same color family or go for a more eclectic look by combining different colors.

Green plants are always popular for indoor planters as they can help purify the air and create a serene atmosphere. If you choose a green color scheme, consider adding plants like snake plants, ferns, or philodendrons. These plants look exceptional in aluminum planters, powder-coated in black or white.

For a pop of color in your outdoor space, you could add flowering plants like impatiens, begonias, or petunias. These stunning colors give weathered Corten Steel planters a bright finish to their rust-colored patina. Or, if you prefer a more muted look, try plants like succulents, cacti, or ivory oncidiums for a more rustic appearance.

Plants to Flank Doorways

Placing planters on either side of a doorway is a great way to add curb appeal to the outside of your home and make a grand entrance. A tall plant works well for flanking doorways, drawing the eye upwards and making the space feel bigger. Tall, tapered planters work well for this design approach.

Some of our favorite plants for flanking doorways include palms, fiddle leaf figs, birds of paradise, and yucca.

Vary the Heights of Your Pots and Planters

If you have a lot of smaller plants, you can still make a big impact by stacking them in pots and planters of varying heights. This is a great way to add dimension to your display of aesthetic planters. Just be sure to use pots of the same color or material for a cohesive look.

Cactus, orchid, bromeliad, and succulent arrangements look fantastic in planters of varying heights.

Working with the Shape of the Container

When selecting plants for your planters, it is important to consider the shape of the container. For example, tall and slender plants like palms or fiddle leaf figs look best in cylindrical pots, while short and wide plants like succulents or cacti look better in square or rectangular pots.

If you are using a pot with a lot of detail or texture, choose a plant that is more simplistic in shape, so it doesn’t compete with the pot. And finally, when placing plant arrangements in the planter, be sure to consider the overall shape and size of the arrangement of your chosen plant. Add various plants for the most visually appealing display in your large aesthetic planters.

Combining Shapes and Textures of Plants

When arranging indoor and outdoor plants in planters, it is important to consider their shape and texture. You can create visual interest by combining different shapes and textures in the same pot. Let’s take a closer look.

Foliage

Foliage is the leaves of a plant and comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Some plants have large leaves, while others have small, delicate leaves. You can create interest by combining plants with different types of foliage in the same pot.

For example, you could combine a fern with large, floppy leaves and a snake plant with thin, upright leaves. Or you could combine a philodendron with heart-shaped leaves and a pothos with tear-drop leaves.

Flowers

Flowers come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, from tiny daisies to large sunflowers. You can create interest by combining plants with different types of flowers in the same pot in your garden.

For example, you could combine impatiens with small, round flowers and petunias with large, trumpet-shaped flowers. Or you could combine begonias with waxy flowers and oncidiums with delicate, spidery flowers.

Texture

Plants also differ in their leaf texture, which can be either smooth or fuzzy. You can create interest by combining plants with different types of leaf textures in the same pot.

For example, you could combine a snake plant with smooth, glossy leaves and a fern with fuzzy, furry leaves. Or you could combine a cactus with spiky, prickly leaves and a succulent with soft, fleshy leaves. But it’s important to note that when combining different plants in the same pot, be sure to consider their watering needs. Don’t place something that needs constant water, like impatiens, with something that only needs occasional watering, like succulents.

Seasonal Arrangement

When selecting plants for your aesthetic planters, it is important to consider the season. You will want to choose plants currently in bloom or foliage that looks its best. A good starting point for most large planters is to use three plants. From there, you can add more plants to fill the space. Let’s look at some of our favorite seasonal plants.

Spring

When it comes to springtime, we love to see blooming flowers in large aesthetic planters. Some of our favorites include tulips, daisies, and hyacinths. We also love to see green foliage plants like ferns and philodendrons.

Summer

In the summertime, we love to see colorful flowers as a visual interest in planters. Some of our favorites include impatiens, petunias, and begonias. Sunflowers also look bright and cheery during the summer.

Fall

In the fall, we love to see colorful fall planter arrangements. Some of our favorites include mums, pansies, and ornamental kale.

Winter

In the winter, we love to see evergreen plants in planters. Some of our favorites include cacti, succulents, and snake plants.

Aesthetically Arranging Plants in the Planter

Once you have selected the plants for your planter and arranged them in groups of three, it is time to arrange them in the planter for the best aesthetic look.

Consider the potted plants’ height, width, and depth when doing this. You will also want to consider the color and texture of the plants.

Here are a few tips to aesthetically arrange plants in a planter:

  • Start with the tallest or widest plant in the center and work your way out
  • Layer the plants from tallest to shortest
  • Group plants with similar plant colors together
  • Group plants with similar textures together
  • Use odd numbers when grouping plants together in a large aesthetic planter
  • Balance the plants in the planter, so they are evenly distributed following the rule of three.
  • With smaller planters, you will want to keep the plants close together.
  • With larger planters, you will want to space the plants further apart.

Arranging large outdoor and indoor planters can be tricky. Still, by following these tips and using your design skills, you will be sure to create a beautiful, aesthetically pleasing, and functional arrangement.

Conclusion

When it comes to large outdoor and indoor planters, the sky is the limit in terms of design. Strategic design skills can help you achieve an aesthetically pleasing display of large outdoor and indoor plants in planters. Whether you want to place planters on either side of a door frame to create a welcoming entrance to your home or business or have various heights and colors of flowers in your aesthetic planters, keep in mind the tips we provided today.

When you’re ready to purchase small or large aesthetic planters, don’t waste time with fiberglass, terracotta, or plastic planters. These don’t hold up as well as metal planters and can make your plant display look cheap. Instead, choose high-quality Corten Steel and aluminum planters from the experts at PlanterCraft.