I have always had a love affair with pots, (not that kind of pot, people, please), but I started out small. Waaay too small! Trust me, when it comes to pots, bigger is better.
At my first house, I used to have a few pots on my front steps, and they were tiny, probably a mix of 4″ and 6″, they dried out in a heartbeat. And there were never enough plants in them.
Then I started working at East of Eliza. We specialized in pot planting, used to change a lot of customers seasonally. And my pots at home got larger and larger, and fuller and fuller.
I was very sad when I could not have any pots at Kilbourne Grove, with no one around to water them on a regular basis, they would be toast. But one day…
When I visited Keppel Croft,I found a kindred spirit, someone else who loves pots as much as I do. And I got sooo many ideas….
Love the row of agaves.
Love this last one, I could buy a new (and expensive) hosta, leave it in a pot like this all summer to bulk up, then divide it and plant it in the ground. Oooh, I can’t wait.
If you missed reading my first post about Keppel Croft, you can read about it here. Missed the art installation post, read it here.
I am a floral designer living in a tiny condo in downtown Toronto, Canada's largest city. But on the weekend, I am a gardener/frustrated architect trying to keep up with a 3/4 acre garden in Owen Sound, Ontario, a warm (to Canadians, Zone 5b, and a cold (to Americans, Zone 4b) garden.
Green Theatre 
Rebecca @ In The Garden said,
December 16, 2011 @ 9:17 AM
Hi Deborah, Thanks for your message!! I am well, just taking a little blogging break until spring, but I will pop in and visit when I can. The pots are beautiful, especially the simple row of agaves. When you plant a big pot, do you fill with soil, or use some sort of filler for the bottom 1/2? I’m never sure what to do! 🙂
kilbournegrove said,
December 20, 2011 @ 7:23 AM
Hey Rebecca, glad you are well, I have missed seeing what is going on in your garden, but look forward to you returning in the spring. I love the agaves as well, and I have some babies on my big ones, maybe in the spring I can try something like that.
When we would plant large pots in the shop, we would fill the bottom with packing peanuts, or empty pots to bring up the level, and then put landscape fabric over it, preventing the soil from filtering down through the pots/peanuts. We even used old window screening that someone had been going to throw away, you want something that will allow the water to drain.
Elephant's Eye said,
December 16, 2011 @ 2:59 PM
Haven’t done it. But I have seen it suggested – that you fill the bottom of a LARGE pot with empty one or two litre plastic bottles. My pots are still mostly stuck at the too small, dries out, size.
kilbournegrove said,
December 20, 2011 @ 7:24 AM
That is exactly what to do Diana, and then we would put landscape fabric over top, to hold the soil.
Heather @ what's blooming this week said,
December 17, 2011 @ 7:37 AM
You’re right Deborah. When it come to pots, bigger is better. In my last house (aka the Concrete Jungle), I relied heavily on pots to fill up the pool surround. You might remember that I had a Japanese maple that was in a big 18″ pot – it still sits proudly on my new patio.
Love the hypertufa pots planted with succulents – always wanted to do that and never found the time (poor excuse, I know). BUT I just bought a really cool large shell shaped planter that will be filled with succulents this year.
But right now it’s snowing big fluffy flakes and Christmas celebrations are beckoning, so planting and dreaming of planting will wait.
kilbournegrove said,
December 20, 2011 @ 7:26 AM
I remember the Japanese maple, it was so gorgeous, and certainly inspired me to have them in pots on my terrace in Toronto.
Oooh snow, I am surprised how much I miss it, guess when I move back I can’t complain about it anymore, lol.
Cindy @ enclos*ure said,
December 17, 2011 @ 4:25 PM
Thanks for sharing. The pots in my house all need makeovers.
kilbournegrove said,
December 20, 2011 @ 7:28 AM
We used to say at the shop, ‘Go big or go home’, big for the pot size and big for the plants in them. We hardly ever used cell packs to plant from, mostly 6″ pots or a hanging basket and divided it.
Pauline Mulligan said,
December 18, 2011 @ 2:01 PM
What a lot of inspiration for everyone, Yes, I agree, bigger is better !
Really like the hostas with the japanese painted fern and also all the succulents, think I ought to move mine to bigger pots and give them some more leg room !
kilbournegrove said,
December 20, 2011 @ 7:29 AM
I liked those as well. They would not live in those pots over the winter here, but they could be planted in the veg garden for the winter and replanted in the spring.
Tatyana@MySecretGarden said,
December 19, 2011 @ 11:52 AM
Hi Debora! I love pots too, big and small, but the bigger the better! Agaves in terracotta pots – simple and beautiful!
kilbournegrove said,
December 20, 2011 @ 7:29 AM
I love the agaves too Tatyana, and they are such easy plants to look after, surprised they are not more popular.
Under Foot at Keppel Croft | Green Theatre said,
April 2, 2013 @ 2:17 PM
[…] If you want to read more about my visit to Keppel Croft, you can read about it here, about their art installations here, and their amazing pots here. […]