Editor's Note: When our friend Alexandra Hedin reached out through #heyswansons to ask about creating patio planters as unique, modern, and fun as she is, we were thrilled! The story of their creation, along with some fabulous photos, follows. Check out Alexandra's Pinterest inspiration board here.
Our back patio is a large – and mostly vacant – space. I had no idea how large until I placed our small pots from our old house on it. They virtually disappeared. And because the patio ends where the grass starts, they became trip hazards for anyone not paying attention.
After getting lost in ideas on Pinterest, I turned to #heyswansons to help turn my ideas into a reality. They put together a fabulous board filled with inspiration and actual plants. Things that I could actually pop down to the store and purchase!
Because I have a tendency to go a little overboard with color – we decided to keep all of the plants monochromatic. Swanson’s recommended an assortment of textures to keep the pots interesting while maintaining a formal and crisp planting. A gardenia plant was a must – gardenias are my absolute favorite. And because it’s frost proof and evergreen, it’s also a perfect addition to our monochromatic theme. I’ll bring in color with throw pillows on the furniture and umbrellas – and of course, with a few fun cocktails!
To plant the main cedar planters, I chose a formal layout of a topiary in the center and boxwood surrounding it. We picked a Bay Laurel topiary because it’s edible – with my career focused on food it seemed like a perfect choice. To add some interest to the boxwood surround, we alternated traditional boxwood with hebe which will grow into a checkerboard of light and dark. A little unexpected twist to a traditional concept.
Our low, virtually unplantable concrete pot needed something cool and modern so Swanson’s recommended horsetail reed. It’s fast growing and doesn’t require a lot of space for the roots – something our pot could grow!
Grouped together on the patio, the pots now provide a visual separation between the lawn and the patio – without tripping anyone.
Stay tuned to learn more about the planters. We’ll show you a step by step on the cool stain process we used to naturally ‘age’ these custom cedar planters!