CHOOSING THE RIGHT PLANTER FOR YOUR PLANT

Selecting the right planter can be quite daunting.  Do you buy a planter that fits the nursery pot you’ve just purchased, or do you also consider the plant’s habit, shape and water requirements when selecting a planter? Do you like to pair a plant aesthetically with a pot for colour, shape and form? We’ve created a few planter style categories that may help in narrowing down the selection to find the right planter to purchase for yourself or as a gift.

Before Et Al Ceramics we had a plant gift business that specialised in pairing pots (not handmade) with succulents, cacti and architectural plants so there’s more of a focus on pairing pots with these types of plants, but of course the same factors apply to all plants.  The reason Et Al Ceramics came into being was to create quirky, one of a kind planters as an extension of our plant business. 

Bonsai Style Planters

Bonsai style planters are made for structural plants.  I have made these with succulents and cacti in mind.  Plants that can be trained to look like traditional bonsais, shaped and trained to be miniature versions of their full grown potential.  They also suit clumping cacti and other stand alone structure plants.  

Footed Planters

Footed planters provide some elevation off the base and as such moisture is less likely to settle on the surface where they are placed. They also provide air flow at the base.  Aesthetically appealing adding some height to the planter.  They can be used for upright structural plants particular the taller planters.  Wide footed planters can also be used for clumping planters, plants that spill over the edge or ball cactus arrangements. 

indoor Planters

Indoor planters typically like to hold moisture in so they tend to have a little more width and not so much tapering at the base. Typically, cylindrical or squarish in shape at base. 

Leggy Planters

Leggy planters add a bit of height to the base. The form adds a quirky aspect to the overall structure and can be paired with many types of plants from structural plants to trailing plants.  Once again the elevation of the base provides airflow at the base and is leaves no surface moisture or residue where it is placed.

Pedestal Planters

Pedestal planters are a planter on a stand and have a bit more width than the columnar planter.  It is more of an aesthetic statement piece.  Perfect for structural plants, trailing plants and indoor plants that like to hold moisture. 

Tapered Round Planters

Tapered round  planters have many uses depending on the size selected.  At the smaller end of the range they are a great starter planter for 7mm pots. The curved nature of the base makes them perfect for cradling in a plant hanger.  As they scale up in size they suit plants with small root systems as the planter is typically wide but not so deep.

Tapered planters are often wider at the top and tapered at the base.  They look great with upright plants like Sansevierias and columnar cacti.  Most nursery are tapered.  The tapering pulls excess moisture down to the drainage hole and prevents the pot from becoming waterlogged.  Some plants, like cacti and succulents, require excellent drainage as they store the water in their leaves or stems and excess water needs to drain to prevent rot. 

Tapered Planters

Succulent + Cacti bowls

.The largest bowl planters are great for mixed succulent and cacti arrangements or clumping plant varieties. 

Small Textured, Handmade, Ceramic Planter with Pale Blue glaze over matte iron glaze
Opalescent blue and green planter on red earth clay
Leggy Planter Copper and Caramel
Small planter with Neo matte bronze glaze. Carved planter perfect for small succulent bonsai or cacti
Cobalt Blue Planter
Neo Blues Planter