Planters and Flower Pots

With the right planter or flower pot, your plants do just as well on the patio, the balcony or in the garden as they would in the ground. On this page you compare flower pots, rectangular planters, self-watering pots, hanging pots, balcony planters and large pots from Elho, Lechuza, Capi Europe, Ecopots and Pottery Pots. All pots on this page are suitable for outdoor use. For each product you see the dimensions, the material and the current price at the shop.

Which type suits your space?

• Flower pots: round, bowl-shaped, tapered or square pots for a single plant, from a pot of herbs to a shrub.
• Rectangular planters: long and square troughs for a row of plants, a hedge in a planter or a screen on the patio.
• Self-watering planters: pots with a water reservoir in the base, so you need to water less often.
• Hanging and balcony planters: for a wall, a hook or the balcony railing.
• Large planters: from roughly 50 cm in diameter, 100 cm in length or 60 cm in height, for small trees, large shrubs and ornamental grasses.

Choosing by material

The material determines the weight, the look and how the pot gets through the winter.

• Plastic is light, does not break easily and is easy to move. The pots from Elho, Lechuza, Capi Europe and Ecopots are made of plastic, often with a texture that resembles stone, terrazzo or ceramic.
• Fibreclay is a mix of clay and fibres. It looks like stone or concrete but weighs a lot less. Many Pottery Pots planters are made of fibreclay.
• Ceramic is heavy and stable, but not every ceramic pot is frost-resistant. Check the product details to see whether it can stay outside in winter.
• Concrete is heavy and sturdy, useful in a windy spot, but hard to move.
• Metal gives a clean, modern look, but can get hot in full sun.

Frost and drainage

Outdoors, a drainage hole and frost resistance matter most. Water that stays in the pot makes the roots rot and expands when it freezes, which can crack a pot. So choose a pot with a hole in the base, or check the product details to see whether you can make one yourself. A layer of clay pebbles at the bottom and pot feet underneath help the water drain away.

Self-watering and the right size

A self-watering planter has a reservoir in the base, separate from the compost. The roots take up the water they need, and on many models a water level indicator shows when to top up. All Lechuza pots on this page work this way, and Elho also has pots and balcony planters with a reservoir. Empty the reservoir before winter.

Choose a pot a few centimetres wider than the root ball, so there is room for fresh compost around and below the roots. With bowl-shaped pots, look at the opening, which is narrower than the widest diameter.

Weight and moving

A large pot full of wet soil can easily weigh several tens of kilos. So put it in place before you fill it. If you want to move it around, choose a light material or a model on wheels, such as the Elho Pure Wheels or the Ecopots Amsterdam and Paris on wheels. On a balcony the total weight counts, so light plastic troughs are often the most practical. A balcony planter hangs from the railing on a bracket; check that it fits the thickness and shape of your railing.

Brands and filters

Elho has series such as Vibia Campana, Green Basics, Vivo Next and Barcelona. At Lechuza you will find Classico, Cubico, Canto and the Balconera balcony planter. Capi Europe makes pots in finishes such as Groove, Rib, Terrazzo and Arc Granite, Ecopots clean-lined models such as Stockholm, Paris and Bruges, and Pottery Pots ranges including Patt, Wally and Jort. The filters let you choose by type, material, colour, diameter, length, self-watering and brand. You always order from the shop itself, with its own delivery and terms.