To design exciting pots, gardeners should consider location, container, color, texture and balance.

Plants should be grouped in their containers and on the patio according to their preference for sun, water and fertilizer. Sun worshipping plants should be placed in a sunny area of the patio that gets at least four or more hours of sun. Plants that prefer shade - reflected light up to three hours - may sit close to the house or a wall. Plants that require regular water should share space, while low water plants, such as agaves should be grouped with other desert plants, which also require less fertilizer than traditional flowering plants.

When choosing containers, select medium to large pots. Small containers require more watering and plants become root bound more quickly, which equals more work for the gardener. There are many materials for containers from high-fired glazed pots to Mexican terracotta to foam and plastic. Additional considerations include weight, cost and durability.
High-fired glazed and terra cotta pots offer the longest life, but at the expense of weight and initial cost. Plastic often is the least expensive and the lightest, but suffers in the sun. Unless you are creating a water or bog garden pot, be sure all pots have drainage holes.

Flowering plants come in a range of colors from white, silver and pastel shades to cool blues and purples to fiesta colors of red and orange. Monochromatic pots may emphasize a single color in various shades, while a mixed pot may include a duo or trio of colors that can be complementary or contrasting.

Leaves, plant shape and bloom shapes provide a wide variety of textures, which add interest to a pot - even if the plant is not blooming. Some of the plants will have wide, flat leaves while some feature soft, needle-thin leaves. Some leaves may be glossy and shiny, while some may be felted or rough as sandpaper. Leaf color can range from a deep green to chartreuse to almost black. Choosing plants with dramatic leaf shape, texture and color can add subtle contrast and drama to a container planting.

Small and low pots will look best with small and low plants. A large pot will have a full appearance if filled with larger plants relative to its size. As with flower arranging, the flowers when full grown should not be more than 1 1/2 times the height of the pot.

To achieve an interesting pot, it helps to think in terms of thrillers, fillers and trailers. Thrillers are plants that add height, drama and an accent to the pot arrangement. Fillers are full plants that can fill the spaces to make the pot look full. Trailers are plants that spill over the sides of the container, giving it a soft and natural look.

For outdoor containers, fill the pots with an even mix of potting soil and compost for planting. Then add a balanced fertilizer every couple of weeks to keep the plants growing and blooming. Most containers will require water every day or so. Containers in full sun or with thirsty plants may require watering more often.

Beautiful patio pots are a result of careful selection and placement of flowers, proper water and regular fertilizer application. With attention to these details and some planning, anyone can create fabulous patio pots that provide delight all summer.