Here’s How to Make the Coolest-Looking Container Garden (Hint: Ditch the Terracotta Pot)

Stephen Block, the Los Angeles-based celebrity landscape designer and antiques dealer behind Inner Gardens, has a signature style guided by the principle of wabi-sabi. Maximalist plants meet minimalist pots is a move the team at Inner Gardens often employs. Exotic and interesting plant material in low-profile yet architecturally interesting ceramics creates a curated and intentionally potted landscape that can thrive anywhere, from petite patios to expansive estates.

Curating Containers

Michael Clifford

When it comes to arranging plantscapes in pots, Stephen likes to think of containers as “jewelry” for the garden. Quantity is not the goal, and he advises that a correctly placed planter or object in the garden helps you navigate the garden and provides focal points along the way. Keeping scale in mind is a must, and he urges you to go big. Stephen says people considering using a 15-gallon plant in an 18-inch planter should go for a 24-inch box tree in a 25-inch planter. A few larger trees rather than a small group of plants will have a greater impact on the space.

The Inner Gardens team uses its signature planters, which provide a patina to the garden. Look for ceramics that look like they have been in the gardens for years. Stephen sources antique planters from France, Spain, and Italy that offer unique textures with centuries-old terra-cotta and mid-century fiber cement. But you can always go with good old concrete as a solid modern staple for any style garden. For placement, larger rectangular containers should be positioned in the back of your grouping, with shorter containers situated in the front. If using round vessels, place the tallest planters in the middle, with shorter options around the sides.

Be Particular with Plants

Tim Street-Porter

For a statement ceramic planter, Stephen prefers to plant with a minimal variety of plant types and suggests using the same plant material as mass plantings to offer more drama.

Make sure to use larger plants than you think you need in order to gain the greatest impact. Selecting two to three large plants is always more dynamic than ten small plants. Stephen says a good specimen plant is not necessarily a specific size, color, or shape, but rather a plant that moves your heart and makes you smile. Opt for unusual containers with unusual plants. A favorite pairing is Brachychiton rupestris in vintage low bowls. Architectural plantings such as Pachira aquatica and Cussonia spicata also work beautifully, showcasing more trunk and fewer leaves, in low-style bowls.

Each garden calls for a unique vision, but your heart is what really tells the personal story. Always go into any plant selection with knowledge about your local climate, the ins and outs of sun versus shade, and which plants will reasonably survive your particular conditions, because no matter how much you love it, the wrong plant in the wrong spot will always struggle and guarantees a frustrating experience.

Not big with the outdoor square footage? Ceramic-scaping works inside or on tabletops. Architecturally structured plants generally require a bit of light, so location is really your only limit. Make sure any plants are placed in as direct a light source as possible. For interior installations, try using ginger ficus, Fockea, jade, Brachychiton, or Cussonia.

Welcome Wabi-Sabi

Michael Clifford

Leaning into the art of wabi-sabi leads Stephen to select materials that show the roughness, texture, and age of the piece to provide a counterpoint to the surrounding garden. Finding an object with a few cracks or breaks is not a bad thing, says Stephen. He believes that if a container is too perfect, it won’t have the same intrigue. Patina is critical—look for objects and pots with moss or lichen growing on them for added character. Most importantly, always think outside the box. You don’t have to score pricey antiques to achieve this look: Find an old bucket or something falling apart slightly, and just go for it.