Blog: the ideal way to hide ugly plastic pots
After years of gardening, if you’re like me, you’ll have lots of plastic containers – what you need is cool vintage plant pots to hide them. It’s best to use them until they fall apart but how do you make them look better without spending a fortune?
I have many tender plants that go outside in summer (succulents and Coleus mostly), in small pots. I love the look of giant vintage tin cans, especially foreign designs. After many hours on the internet, I stumbled upon some kitchen storage tins that fit the bit. They range from £9-£15 per pair. The designs include retro tomatoes, paprika, chillies, fish, coffee and Frida Kahlo soup.
As my tins are being used outside, I bored some holes in the bottom with a hammer and bradawl so the plants don’t get waterlogged. I expect them to fade but that’s fine – it adds to the vintage look. The Coleus plug plants I’m trialling were planted directly into the larger pots large (11cm x 13cm), while the smaller ones (10 x 12cm) are being used as covers for succulents. They all sit jumbled together on a shabby chic shelving unit next to the greenhouse. Empty paint pots, wellies and boots… if it holds a plant, use it!
Vintage plant pots – my other containers
It often surprises people how many plants grow in pots in my garden. Well, they give me the chance to change looks easily and cope with heavy clay. After years of being haphazard, I now try to group them into colours. These are:
Terracotta: both large old plastic and real terracotta. I like to use attractive real pots (still relatively inexpensive) to cover the ugly plastic ones.
Blue is the colour
Blue: all my blue pots are an old collection of glazed ceramics added to over the years. They’re not as porous as unglazed pots, so are a good bet to lessen watering.
Zinc: Tall flared pots and troughs bought for £5 each in a Homebase sale. One of the pots is home to a massive Yucca that falls over alarmingly.
Plain black: they’re unobtrusive in full growth and are good to drop in gaps in the border. Black pots of various sizes line the shady path, full of bamboo, hostas and evergreen shrubs.
The more unusual: Jamaican ceramic pot trio, in very vivid colours; the taupe Gothic ‘coffins’, which were my mam’s, recycled 1950s pans and teapots and a Belfast sink. There are many similar items on Amazon and Etsy – try Retro Vintage Storage Tins and mine a seam of possibilities. Read more about quirky recycling and upcycling ideas.
Vintage plant pots and containers updated 2025
