How to pick the right pot for your flowers and plants

It's easy to dream about the design possibilities offered by the nearly limitless array of containers. Pots are made from so many materials and are available in so many shapes, sizes, and colours that it is difficult to choose. Here are some simple tips to help you narrow down the selection that suits your needs.

Narrow your options by considering the style of your home and landscape.

• Traditional urns and pots with classical swag decorations suit a Colonial or Victorian house.
• Splint baskets or half-barrels have a rustic feel suited to a informal or rustic house. They would lend charm to a casual grouping of pansies, petunias, or browallia.
• Long, rectangular troughs are useful for narrow spots, such as along a path or a window ledge.
• Half-moon-shaped pots and wire mangers, which have flat backs, are designed to hang on a wall.

The first consideration when selecting a container is function, or what you want the pot to do. The most important and practical issue is size.

• Make sure that the container is large enough for the plants you want to grow.
• The pot should allow sufficient room for roots to spread and should look in balance with the mature height of the plant.
• Generally, a pot should be one-third the height of a mature plant.
• A shallow bowl works well for low-growing lobelia or bulbs, for instance, but could not balance tall, rangy cosmos or trailing ivy vines.
• Diminutive plants, such as sweet alyssum, would be dwarfed in a large urn, while tall gladiolus stems would look just right.

While it's tempting to put a small plant in a large pot that will support its mature size, it will grow poorly in the beginning. It's better to start with a small pot that's in proportion to the plant's size, then transplant it to slightly larger containers as it grows. Round pots with tapering sides are classic and more practical for planting and transplanting than elaborate containers with handles or narrow necks.

Also think about weight and drainage.

• If you plan to move the containers frequently or are growing plants on a balcony, select lightweight foam or fiberglass pots.
• If you need a pot that won't topple in a stiff wind, a heavy concrete or stone planter is best.
• Don't worry if a container you like seems to have too many drainage holes. You can easily slow the flow of water and prevent seepage of the potting soil by placing a piece of porous cloth or landscape fabric in the base of the pot, or covering it with a layer of small stones or pot shards.

• When considering pot colour, look first to the background. A terra-cotta pot practically disappears if placed against a brick wall, while a glazed ceramic container in blue would stand out handsomely.
• Consider what plants you want to use, making a nice marriage between the colours of the flowers, foliage, and the container.
• The point of view is also important, so think about where you will place containers and how they will be viewed. Plants that are viewed from above, such as hens and chicks, look attractive in a broad, low container. A dwarf Japanese maple, on the other hand, which would be seen from the side, would be best in a sculptural pot, such as an urn.