Designer planters and plant pots: how to choose
A beautiful vessel changes the way a plant is seen: it anchors it in the room and ties it to your interior. Before choosing, it helps to know the difference between a plant pot, which has a drainage hole, and a planter (or cache-pot), which is watertight and holds the nursery pot inside.
Which size?
Choose a planter with an inner diameter 2 to 4 cm wider than the nursery pot: the plant can breathe and watering stays easy. For a large floor-standing plant, a wide, heavy vessel keeps everything stable. On a shelf or console table, play with different heights by grouping two or three pots in the same family of materials.
Ceramic, terracotta or stoneware?
Porous terracotta lets roots breathe and suits Mediterranean plants. Glazed ceramic and stoneware, favoured by Affari of Sweden, Muubs and Serax, withstand moisture and offer deep finishes, from mineral matt to high gloss. House Doctor and Hübsch offer more graphic lines, ideal for a pared-back interior.
Care
With a planter, tip out any standing water a few minutes after watering, or add a layer of clay pebbles at the bottom. A damp cloth is all glazed surfaces need.
Your questions
Can you plant directly into a planter?
It is better to keep the nursery pot with its drainage hole inside: without drainage, water collects and the roots rot.
Can terracotta pots go outdoors?
Most can, but bring them inside for the winter: terracotta may crack in frost.
To extend the botanical theme, explore our vases and baskets.
