Are you in the market for new outdoor pots?
February is the perfect month to shop for new outdoor pots while the selection is the best and the stores aren't busy with the spring gardening season. Four things to consider when selecting a container are style, size, material and color.
STYLE - As far as style goes, containers come in so many colors and shapes it can get overwhelming to choose one. You can really be as creative as you want, but above all else, make sure there is a drainage hole or drill one yourself. Think about the style of your house when selecting your containers so they coexist nicely. If you have a modern home, consider contemporary shaped planters or glazed ceramic planters. Classic or formal planters would blend well with a traditional home. The picture above shows 4 container styles - contemporary, classic, formal and mediterranean. Contemporary containers have straight, clean lines. Formal containers are often shaped like urns. Classic containers are equally deep and wide but are broader at the top than at the base. Mediterranean containers have a more casual look and are often blue glazed ceramic or terra-cotta.
SIZE - Your containers should be in proportion to the size of your house, especially if they are in the front. You can also try groupings of pots to increase the scale. If you are torn between two sizes, buy the larger rather than smaller pots. Larger containers require less watering and there is more room for the roots to grow so your plants are happier.
MATERIAL - Boy, lots of choices here: cast iron, glazed ceramic, terra-cotta, plastic and cast cement to name a few. Water evaporates more quickly from porous materials like terra-cotta than other materials like plastic We are big fans of plastic because they are inexpensive, lightweight and are made to look just like stone, cast concrete or cast iron.
COLOR - We like our outdoor planters to pop when seen from the street so we recommend using a pot in a contrasting color to the background. We love black pots against a red brick home or a light colored home. Does the exterior of your home have black accents (outdoor light fixtures, shutters, door or window casings)? If so, it would be ideal to use black planters to coordinate the color theme. We also love glazed ceramic cobalt blue pots. They certainly make a colorful statement and can bring life to a bland exterior.
We have been recommending Crescent Garden outdoor planters to clients for the last few years. They have so many styles, from contemporary to traditional, and come in a wide range of colors. Take a look at their website and let us know if you'd like us to source any for you. https://www.crescentgarden.com
We do a lot of consultations on outdoor planters - working with you to determine the best placement, size, scale and style. Please give us a shout if you have a need - we'd love to help!
Outdoor Staging
Over the past few years we have helped dozens of realtors stage exteriors with freshly planted outdoor pots. Why? Three words: INSTANT CURB APPEAL.
Realtors know the importance of first impressions and can rely on Adorn to take the burden of creating curb appeal off the homeowners. Container gardening is an easy, inexpensive way to create an attractive, welcoming first impression for a home.
First, we schedule an on-site consultation to look at the home.
Second, if the homeowner already has outdoor pots that look great we use those. We've even recommended hitting black pots with a little black spray paint if they are a tad faded but otherwise in good condition. Why spend money if you don't need to right? If the homeowner doesn't have existing pots or needs new ones, we consult on the perfect placement, number of pots, size and shape for their home. We can buy new ones for the homeowner or make recommendations on where to buy them. The great thing about investing in new pots is that the homeowner can take them to their next home.
Third, we pot them up with gorgeous, seasonal plants and flowers. Bam! Instant curb appeal! Now the exterior of the home is ready for pictures and all set to be put on the market. Custom container gardens demonstrate the perfect attention to detail that will wow prospective buyers plus offer beauty and a pop of color. And we all know the old saying, you don't get a second chance to make a first impression.
Seasonal Decor in Outdoor Pots
We don't know about you, but in the middle of winter we really miss COLOR in our outdoor planters. It's February so why not add some cute, colorful pink and red Valentine's decor to brighten things up? You can find cute hearts at Dollar Tree and Hobby Lobby that you can pop right into the planters - so festive! By the time Easter rolls around, it will be warm enough for pansies to survive in our outdoor pots, but you can always add some Easter decor too. We've added colorful eggs among the pansies and pussy willow sticks to the back of this Easter themed pot. Once the holiday is over, just yank out the decor and save it for next year. Our favorite seasons to add decor are fall and Christmas. We love adding pumpkins to our pots in the fall, sadly sometimes the squirrels love it also. Fun decor options for holiday pots are pinecones, berries, red twig dogwood sticks and ornaments. Be creative and have fun with it!
Make sure to follow Adorn on social media to get the most up to date scoop. Click the links below if you'd like to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.
https://www.facebook.com/adornplanters
https://www.instagram.com/adornplanters
https://www.pinterest.com/adornplanters
Let Adorn Help You
Do you love a pretty front porch or store front but don't have the time to do it yourself? Let Adorn add seasonal flowers and plants to your outdoor pots this spring. Adorn offers seasonal or one-time custom container garden installation. We will start planting for the spring in mid-April in OKC and in early May in Kansas City and would love to help you create an amazing first impression with your outdoor space.
Curb Appeal Shout Out!
Did you know that An Affair of the Heart is the largest arts, crafts and boutiques show in Oklahoma? The three-day shopping event features unique, one-of-a-kind and often handmade items from jewelry and handbags to furniture, clothing and gourmet foods.
In 1985 the first An Affair of the Heart show took place in Oklahoma City attracting 60 booths and 800 attendees. Fast forward to today and the Tulsa and Oklahoma City shows feature over 800 booths and attract over 25,000 shoppers. They also have a show in Springfield, MO and are planning to expand to Arkansas.
We had the pleasure of working with An Affair of the Heart during their Oklahoma City show last fall. What a great group of ladies! We potted up about 10 fall planters that were used to brighten up the registration areas of the exhibit hall. We surrounded the planters with various sized pumpkins, decorative gourds and mums. The fall vignettes made a nice first impression and softened the look of the exhibition hall.
An Affair of the Heart is returning to Oklahoma City February 8-10 at the State Fair Park. We are excited to have the opportunity to "adorn" their registration areas again with outdoor planters filled with seasonal flowers. It's such a fun show! There are so many different vendors - truly something for everyone. Below is the link for more info on the February show.
https://www.aaoth.com/heartofoklahomacity