Spring Patio Fix-Ups: 12 Wonderful Ways With Planters

Whether you use them to cover up flaws, ramp up style or simply delight your senses, there is little that the right planters (filled with the right plants) can't do. And unlike intensive projects, like building a new deck, setting out fresh pots can be easily accomplished in a weekend. From traditional topiary to modern bullet planters, wall gardens to privacy screens, let these 12 creative ideas inspire you to make your patio shine.

1. Use high planters to create privacy. Lush greenery, tall grasses and trailing flowers create a natural privacy screen on this patio. Try placing large window box–style planters atop a low wall to achieve a similar effect.

Alex Amend Photography

2. Create a formal garden feel with topiary. Neatly trimmed topiary in identical pots brings the look and feel of a formal garden to a patio. Choose tall, sleek planters like those shown here for a modern look, or try large urns if traditional style is what you love.

Bright Green

3. Plant a wall garden. As intricate and beautiful as a work of art, a wall-mounted garden can be the focal point of a patio. Try your hand at a smaller-scale version or hire a pro to design something similar to what is shown here.

Tara Bussema

4. Go mod with bullet planters. The iconic form of these planters instantly dresses up a modern patio. One or two are all you need to make a big impact. See more about bullet planters

Margie Grace - Grace Design Associates

5. Channel a classic Italian garden with an oversize urn. It's hard to beat the romance of a weathered urn brimming with blooming roses and trailing ivy.

Shown: Iceberg Rose with Glacier Ivy

Incorporated

6. Plant a living privacy wall. Long, low planters filled with palms provide privacy on an urban patio. Check with your local garden center to find varieties that will do well with the light conditions on your patio.

Kenneth Philp Landscape Architects

7. Learn to mix plants in a single pot. It can be hard to know which plants to pair — take the guesswork out of it with this handy guide from landscape designer Margie Grace.

Avant Garden

8. Take a cue from cafés. Carve out a defined patio space within a larger yard with extra-large planters around the border. Fill the planters flanking the entrance with trees and finish the look with a few strategically placed umbrellas.

Arterra LLP Landscape Architects

9. Accent your seating area with a tabletop cactus garden. Fill a shallow, round container with one or more varieties of cactus for an elegant display. Complement your desert planting with raw wood furniture, smooth stones and chunky carved candlesticks.

SB Garden Design

10. Bring climbing plants to new heights with a wire trellis. Less expected than wood, a metal framed trellis gives the patio an appealingly rustic look. The custom trellis design shown here is from TerraTrellis.

Arterra LLP Landscape Architects

11. Delight the senses with fragrant blooms. Encourage roses, jasmine or another fragrant flower to climb over a pergola or trellis for a sensory treat.

Logan's Hammer Building & Renovation

12. Window boxes — not just for windows. Frame a view from an elevated patio with a row of window boxes placed along the edge. Tell us: What's your favorite way to use planters?