Elevate Your Landscaping with Potted Plants

So your yard’s professionally landscaped - amazing! But that doesn’t mean you can’t take it a step further. If you’re looking to add a personal touch or just want an excuse to browse the plant section again (we get it), potted plant landscaping is your go-to.

Unlike traditional in-ground planting, potted plants let you bring in bursts of color, texture, and charm wherever you like. They’re versatile, movable, and act as both living art and functional design elements.

Whether you're aiming to warm up a patio corner or add a welcoming vibe to your entryway, pots can transform your outdoor space and elevate your Southern California landscaping with just a few thoughtful touches. With a little creativity, they’re a perfect way to upgrade your landscaping from great to gorgeous!

Why Add Potted Plants to an Already Landscaped Yard?

You may be wondering, “Hey, I already have plants in my yard, why should I invest in potted plants too?” There are several reasons to use potted plants in your yard to spice up your landscaping. For one, potted plants offer versatility. You can add pops of seasonal interest through potted plants and keep your designs fresh and fun.

Looking to switch things up? Potted plants are (relatively) easy to move, making your landscaping design flexible for when you need it. Granted, you may not find it so easy to move a small potted tree, so keep that in mind when choosing your plants! 

Another aspect of choosing potted plants for your yard includes design sensibilities. For example, potted plants can add depth, height, and color contrast in key spots around your yard. You may not be able to plant anything along certain areas of your yard, which makes spots like walkways and the like appear drab. That’s where a well-placed potted plant comes into play. 

Potted plants can also draw attention to key spaces in your yard. Whether you’re marking an entrance, highlighting a walkway, or decorating a patio, a well-placed and maintained potted plant can transform spaces where professional landscaping options are limited. 

Finally, potted plants allow you to add a personal touch to your yard. If you talked to all of the homeowners we worked with, you’d be astounded at the unique styles and personal preferences each person had for their home. That’s where customizing your space through potted plants comes into play. You can completely set the tone for your outdoor living space through potted plants!

Where to Place Potted Plants for Maximum Impact

Now that we’ve thoroughly convinced you to look into potted plants, let’s talk strategy. While you may be tempted to set down that Ficus at the first spot you see, there’s more to placing potted plants than just finding an empty spot with ample sunlight (or shade, depending on the plant). 

First, let’s talk about front porches and entrance areas. Potted plants can help create a welcoming first impression of your home. Not only are potted plants a sign of dedication, as it takes effort and time to maintain them, but they also bring color and life to any space. If you’re looking for additional decoration at the entrance to your home, potted (or hanging) plants are where it’s at. 

The next use of potted plants is to soften some of the harsher edges of your outdoor space. Patios and seating areas have hard corners, and while the sturdy stone of your patio provides great color contrast, you may want to soften the overall appearance. Potted plants around these seating areas bring nature into your outdoor living space, while also softening those hard edges and surfaces.

Of course, where better to place plants than around water features and pools? One of the luxuries of living in sunny Southern California is that tropical greenery can survive outdoors here, so why not use that to your advantage? Adding tropical and lush accents to your water spaces makes the surrounding areas more welcoming and helps integrate these features into the natural flow of your yard.

If you have blank walls or vertical design opportunities, potted plants can also work to define these spaces. Not only can a tall plant draw the eye up to different areas of your outdoor space, but dangling leaves and trailing vines can move the attention across a wall, leading the viewer on an adventure through the area.

Finally, marking garden transitions with different potted plants can help break up spaces. By signaling to your visitor that certain plants denote different areas, you create a journey through the natural environment, enticing the senses and intriguing them with your potted plant design mastery. 

Best Potted Plants for Southern California Landscaping

Alright, you’ve decided you want potted plants. Before you run off to the greenhouse and get overwhelmed by all the different plant options out there, let’s take a look at some beautiful starter plants. Of course, this is just a starting list, and if you’re a horticulture wizard, feel free to branch out and define your own space. However, if you’re somewhat of a gardening greenhorn, these are a great place to branch off from (if you’ll pardon the pun). 

1. Low-Maintenance Favorites

Nothing says low-maintenance beauty like succulents. Echevaria, jade, and sedum are just a few of the hundreds of types of succulents that thrive here in Southern California. Plus, succulents require little to no maintenance, even less water, and are a great way to draw attention to a space without taking away from bigger blooms and bolder vines. 

If you’re working with a shaded space, snake plants or ZZ plants are a great option. Not only do these plants provide vertical appeal, but they thrive with limited sunlight, making it that much easier to find a spot for them in your yard. 

Finally, herbs like lavender and rosemary, as well as ornamental grasses, offer visual appeal without needing intense maintenance. Plus, some herbs have the added benefit of keeping away insects, making them pull double duty in your garden. Just be aware of what you plant if you have pets that like to snack on grasses, as you don’t want to be surprised with a vet visit! 

2. Bold and Beautiful Blooms

Do you want drama? Do you want flowers that will set your garden apart? You’re looking for classic flowers that stand apart from the crowd. Geraniums, begonias, and petunias are classics for a reason. These vibrant flowers transform a space and require smaller pots than some of the other options on our list, meaning you can swap them out easily during changing seasons. If you have larger planters or want even larger flowers, hydrangeas are a perennial favorite, as are dwarf hibiscus plants for that tropical appeal. 

3. Tropical or Dramatic Choices

Okay, we’ve talked about the standard options, now it’s time to bring some drama. Banana plants, palms, and birds of paradise are all gorgeous tropical plants that are sure to be showstoppers. If you’re looking for big leaves, beautiful flowers, and vertical appeal, these three can’t be beat.

If you want to focus on foliage over flowers, coleus, caladium, and elephant ears are all beautiful plants that brighten up a space and provide that texture diversity that makes a garden that much more impressive. 

Designing with Containers: Style and Arrangement Tips

Now that you know where to put plants and what to choose, it’s time to talk about the how of placing plants. Anyone who has seen a well-tended garden knows there’s a method to the madness, and we’ve got the step-by-step walkthrough of how to turn your potted plant placement from paltry to prescient. 

1. Thriller, Filler, Spiller Formula

To start, there are three words you need to remember: thriller, filler, and spiller. By following these guidelines, you’ll create dynamic plant arrangements that will take your outdoor space to the next level. 

Let’s break down these three keywords: 

• Thriller: Something tall, eye-catching, and dramatic, like a cordyline or dracaena.

• Filler: You want these plants to be big, bushy things that take up space and fill out the general area, like coleus and impatiens.

• Spiller: These plants spill over an area, cascading down walls and over paving stones to give the illusion that nature cannot be contained, even while in a plant pot. Sweet potato vines and ivy are great spillers. 

2. Themed Groupings

So you’ve got thriller, filler, and spiller down. Now it’s time to do everyone’s favorite activity: sorting into categories! No, just me? Well, imagine for a second you like organizing things as much as I do. What kind of categories can you put your potted plants into? The options might surprise you.

For example, consider making containers full of edible plants like herbs and tomatoes, or pairing together foliage and flowers of all the same color. You can even swap out planters with the seasons, using mums and pumpkins in the fall, while switching to pansies in the winter months. 

3. Container Style Tips

Now, we said earlier, you can use pretty much anything as a pot for your plants (provided it has ample drainage and space, of course). However, there are a few guidelines to follow and tricks to keep in mind before clearing out the pot section at your local nursery.

First, you want to match your home’s exterior as well as your landscape theme. You don’t want to mismatch styles too drastically, unless that’s part of your unique vision, of course. Try and keep most of your pots on a theme, like Mediterranean, rustic, or modern, while mixing in interesting choices to keep things fluid.

Next, it’s time to determine how many plants you place in each area. You definitely want to keep in mind the amount of exterior upkeep you want before going overboard with plants. However, if you’re well within your gardening energy gauge, try and stick with odd-numbered groups for a more natural feel. You’ll also want to mix together different plant heights and sizes to keep things visually interesting. 

No matter if your landscaping is polished, rustic, or a mix of the two, potted plants can benefit every outdoor space. Containers not only give you an easier-to-maintain garden space, but they also help breathe creative life into your yard, elevating your landscape. If you’re interested in discussing potted plant planning for your yard, call us today to book a consultation.  

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Meet Allison, Founder & CEO of Sublime Setup

Welcome to Sublime Setup! I’m Allison, a passionate landscape designer and contractor with deep roots in Southern California. My love for outdoor living started at an early age, inspired by my grandfather’s craftsmanship and my own experiences exploring nature. That passion evolved into a thriving business dedicated to helping homeowners enhance their outdoor spaces.

Based in San Clemente, I work closely with homeowners across Orange County, creating landscapes that are both stunning and functional. My approach combines thoughtful design, expert craftsmanship, and a commitment to bringing each client’s vision to life. Whether you’re looking for a relaxing garden escape or a dynamic outdoor entertainment area, I’m here to help make it happen.

At Sublime Setup, we believe that an outdoor space should be more than just a yard; it should be an extension of your home, a place where you can relax, entertain, and enjoy the beauty of nature. That’s why we pour our hearts into every project, delivering high-quality, custom-designed landscapes that enhance not just properties, but lifestyles.

If you’re ready to transform your outdoor space, reach out today! Let’s create something extraordinary together.

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