The garden centre - part 6: pots & containers

The Garden Centre - Pots & Containers

The importance of good pots and containers is often overlooked. With Arthur's help, learn how to pick the right pots for your garden.

Always select frost-proof, which is essential when buying terracotta. Cheap terracotta will often crack. With small pots, Arthur recommends buying one or three of them; it's all about odd numbers.

With larger pots, you want to buy them just as one in statement pieces to go on the garden table and paired with smaller pots.

Buy the Largest Pot You Can Afford

In a small garden, just having little pots without the big pots can make it feel smaller. Bigger pots make a small garden feel much grander. You can also grow a wider variety of plants in larger pots. Arthur only uses big pots for spring bulbs and the odd bit of bedding planting.

Vary the Sizes

Arthur suggests that you always try to invest in a big pot as the heart of a display. You can create an island out of a large pot by adding small pots around it, almost as if you were creating a rock pool. Before buying pots, make sure they have drainage holes. Although, you can always add them afterwards.

If you were using galvanised zinc, he would suggest sticking to the same format, from the largest to the smallest.

Look for Inspiration for Containers

Arthur constantly looks online - websites like Freecycle, Gumtree, Preloved and eBay - for great containers, particularly if you're on a smaller budget. The bonus of buying these large metal containers from the garden centre is that they have the holes pre-drilled for you; often when you buy them yourself, you have to drill.

Discover More

Most garden centres carry pots like the ones he has shown you in this lesson. You can find these specific pots on the Burford Garden Centre website here.