Annual Container Design Trends 2023
If there is one show that inspired our aspirational travel goals this winter, it was Season Two of The White Lotus. This darkly humored show was set in Sicily and filmed at the Four Seasons San Domenico Palace, among other locations. The scenery was stunning and luxurious, from the hotel rooms, to the beaches, to the little touches that set the scene.
And we (of course) couldn’t help but notice the flowers and landscaping. Using Sicily as inspiration, here are some top choices for container design this season.
“One can speak poetry just by arranging colors well.”
– Vincent Van Gogh
Terra Cotta
We don’t think the deep, coral hues of terra cotta will ever go out of style and the rustic feel of this pottery evokes relaxation, understated luxury and relaxation. The timeless, earthy tones go with everything, from bright yellows to deep shades of green. We’d love to see a bold mix of coral and terra cotta colored blooms in a family of containers. What a warm welcome they would make as guests approach your home this season!
Singularity/Mass Plantings
There is something to be said for the drama of a single variety design, or mass plantings. Mass plantings work well in expansive areas and within containers, using one single or complimentary varieties grouped together to create fullness, depth and sweeping color. Below you can see how our team used a combination of yellow, and deep pink to create contrast and bold color in the landscape.
Purple lovers can mix and match varieties of lavender within a variety of pot sizes for a really spectacular look. Another option is to use one singular shade of color, creating a monochromatic container that the eye cannot ignore.
Tell us YOUR favorite color, we will design a show stopping container of bold color.
Heat Lovers
If you love blues and greens and uber-simple plant maintenance, succulents and palms love the heat and are still a BIG trend going into 2023.
Peek up at the image at the top of this article and you’ll spot one container of blooms that reminds us of Lantana, just one heat loving flower that will thrive on a hot patio. These annuals are available in a variety of bright summery shades and blends. Portulaca is another heat loving annual that will look amazing all summer long. Look for it in our designs for hot, sun-filled spaces.
Favorite Blue Annuals & Perennials
Lobelia/Laguna
Salvia
Nemesia
Clematis
Baptisia
Russian Sage
Veronica (Speedwell)
Hosta
Ocean Blues
Blue is one of the most challenging colors of the summer, but oh, how we love our blue annuals. Cool, calm, and pretty, we would mix them with light pink, whites and greens for a touch of color. Some of the dreamiest, most romantic containers have a focus on the elusive blue shades of the garden.
Grafted Topiaries
Many people refer to these as flowers on a stick, or as topiaries, but these towering blooms, that cascade down from the cener of a planter are often regular annuals that have been grafted to a stem. These include Hibiscus, Lantana, Small Hydrangea, Boxwood, Heliotrope and fuchsia, among others. These artful plants add a touch of elegance, similar to what you would see at a high-end hotel like the Four Seasons, to your container designs.
White & Green: A Classic
White and green is timeless as can be and one of our favorite aesthetics. It easy to get caught up into mixing lots of exciting colors but can be difficult to maintain even balance as the different species mature. White is clean and elegant, shines brightly in low light situations and will go with just about any home. Mixing things like white bacopa and white scaevola can guarantee success even if one species does better than the other as they have similar habit and flowers.
Custom Accents
We’ve been busy sourcing original and hand made obelisks, trellises and objects that can be used to create a look that no one else can copy. As summer progresses, adding climbing mandevilla to these structures creates a real “wow” factor in the landscape. We also LOVE to use colorful or architectural stems and branchings to create height and add color to custom annual planters.
Would you like a quote for custom containers for spring and or summer 2023? Call us at 847-658-3883 or reach out to us via the form below.