We always insist that you don’t need a garden to be a gardener–some greenery or indoor plants growing in plant pots is all it takes if that's what you have the room for. Should you have the desire, you can create an oasis anywhere, inside or outside, and bring colour and life to any space.
There are hundreds of plants that can be potted and kept indoors, bringing the outside world into your house. If you want to flex your green fingers, invest in a few of the best plant pots, a bag of compost (check out our guide to buying garden plants online), and bags of patience and in a matter of weeks you could be the owner of a stylish indoor or patio jungle.
Do plants do better in pots?
There are a host of indoor plants, be they succulents or cacti, that will thrive in indoor planters and pots. If you're wondering which plants to put in your pots, we have a guide to virtually indestructible houseplants for the novices amongst us, and another on gardeners' favourite houseplants too. There are plenty of outdoor plants that do wonderfully in clay pots and concrete planters that are designed to go outside and you can find an easy to copy scheme for a container jungle garden here.
Where to put your plant pots
The bathroom windowsill is a great place to create a jungle of plants that like humid conditions, but not all potted plants need to live indoors! We're a huge advocate of building up a patio with a colourful array of ceramic planters or terracotta pots, as well as dotting them artfully amongst your borders. Tulips like to live in pots and any flower that you plant for cutting is generally well-placed in one. Some people even use their pots to grow garlic, potatoes, carrots and more so you can get really creative if you want to.
Which pots are best for indoor plants?
When it comes to selecting the best indoor plant pots, there are no rules as to what to choose. If it's for an indoor plant, you don't want any drainage holes in the bottom as your plant will sit in another container inside and you don't want any leaks onto your floors or furniture. Wet soil stains are nigh on impossible to remove from your sofa.
Hanging planters can be a charming addition to your living room, bedroom and even your kitchen, bringing a pop of greenery to the space. For large plants that are meant to sit on the floor, a raised stand is a good choice. This will allow them to get the light they need, even when tucked away in the corner.
Which pots are best for outdoor plants?
For an outdoor plant pot, you do want a drainage hole as you'll be adding compost directly into the pot and you do not want to waterlog your soil. You can buy little plant pot trays that perfectly fit the diameter of the bottom of your pot, so that any drained water is caught in it and fed back to the plant in a regulated way. This can work indoors too if you find a plant pot that you really love but it has a drainage hole – just pop it onto a saucer, tray or equivalent and it'll catch excess water and avoid it making a mess.
One other word of advice is to consider where you place larger, heavier plant pots. They can weigh a significant amount and once you've decided where it'll live, they can be really quite hard to move. One workaround is to buy a plant roller, which you pop the plant pot on top of and can then easily and quickly transport your plant if it needs a little extra light or to be turned in another direction. Just make sure you lock the wheels when it's in its permanent home so it doesn't skittle off elsewhere.
Where to buy the best plant pots
In the gallery below you can find some of the prettiest and punchiest plant pots on the market from all of our favourite garden furniture shops, with accessories to boot. And if you're after something a bit larger for the garden, don't miss our shopping guide for outdoor planters.
