How to Create a Spilled Flower Pot

Co-authored by Lana Starr, AIFD

Last Updated: September 25, 2024 Fact Checked

The beauty of gardening is that you can get flowers to look like something else. One trend that is quickly gaining popularity is the spilled flower pot. It looks like a knocked-over flower pot with flowers spilling out of it. The spill path is often times very long, but it can also be very short. It looks impressive, but it is actually quite simple to create!

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Choosing Your Plants and Container

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1
Choose a large container. Wine barrels and large, wooden buckets are very popular. You can also use other types of containers, such as: watering cans, milk pails, large vases, or flower pots. The larger the container, the better.
- The opening of the container needs to be larger than your flowers, or it will look disproportionate.
EXPERT TIP

Lana Starr, AIFD
Certified Floral Designer & Owner, Dream Flowers
Lana Starr is a Certified Floral Designer and the Owner of Dream Flowers, a floral design studio based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Dream Flowers specializes in events, weddings, celebrations, and corporate events. Lana has over 14 years of experience in the floral industry and her work has been featured in floral books and magazines such as International Floral Art, Fusion Flowers, Florist Review, and Nacre. Lana is a member of the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD) since 2016 and is a California Certified Floral Designer (CCF) since 2012.

Lana Starr, AIFD
Certified Floral Designer & Owner, Dream Flowers

Expert Trick: When you're choosing a container for your spilled flower pot, you can use any material you like, including ceramic, wood, or concrete. Just make sure it has holes in the bottom so the water can drain out.
2
Pick your flowers. Anything that would go into a hanging flower basket would work especially well. Alyssums, begonias, daisies, geraniums, lobelias, and petunias are all great choices.^{[1]
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Research source} If you don't have a green thumb, try succulents instead!
- Choose flowers that require the same amount of sunlight.
- You can use just one type of plant, such as just succulents or just mini daisies.
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Mulch, bark, and pebbles are a great way to fill the gaps between the flowers and hide the bare soil from view. They can also help keep the soil most.^{[2]
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Research source} Small rocks would work especially well with succulents.
4
Find a location that's suitable for the flowers you are growing. Check the how-to-grow tag that came with your flowers and see how much sunlight they require. Find a spot in your garden that has the right amount of sunlight.
- If your entire garden is suitable, consider choosing a spot in the corner, by a fence, or near a tree.
- If you don't have the tag anymore, research the flowers online.
5
Plan your layout. Get out a pencil and a pad of paper. Sketch out your container and the general shape of the spill path. How long and how wide do you want the spill to go? Do you want it to be straight or wavy? Do you want it to be the same thickness, or tapering? Here are some ideas to get you started:
- For a tapering spill, have it start the same width as the container opening, then make it get wider and wider further out. This works best for vases.
- For a short spill, try having something that's curved, like a puddle of spilt milk.
- A long spill would look great along a fence or wall. Have it run for several yards/meters before running into a rock, pond, or other fixture.
- Work with your landscape. If you want a wavy spill, have it wind around rocks and other pots that might be in its path.
- Combine straight spills with tapering spills. You can have them grow wider or narrower the further they are from the container. This will make them look more interesting.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Preparing the Garden

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You need to loosen the soil not just along the spill path, but also where you will be placing the container. You can easily loosen the soil by turning it with a trowel or shovel.
2
Set the container down on its side. Position it at the start of the spill, with the opening facing the opposite end.^{[3]
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Research source} It should be about 1/4 to 1/2 of the way deep in the soil.^{[4]
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Research source} If you are using something like a vase, push it down until the soil is just below the rim.
- If you are using a vase, consider angling the opening downward or upward. This will make it look like the flowers are pouring out of it.
3
Fill the base of the container with good-quality soil. Keep filling it until the soil is level with the soil on the outside. You won't be filling the entire container with plants, but you will be adding some in there to make it look like the flowers are splitting out of it.
- The soil in the container should be at least 6 inches (15.24 centimeters) deep.
The soil in your garden is likely not very high-quality. Your plants will be much happier if you give them nutrient-rich soil. Mix your high-quality soil into the loosened soil, and pat it down.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Adding the Plants

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Gently squeeze on the sides of the plastic pots that the flowers came in. Grab the plants by the base of the stem, and gently lift them out.
2
Arrange the plants on the path where you want them to go. Don't dig holes into the soil just yet. Simply set the plants down according to your plan and where you think they might look best. Even if the plants are all the same type, some might still be a little shorter/taller than others. You may have to adjust your plan based on the actual flowers.
- Place the taller plants towards the center of the path, and the shorter ones towards the end and edges.
3
Add long, drooping plants into the mouth of the container. This will make it look like the plants are slipping out of it.^{[5]
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Research source} How many plants you put inside the container really depends on the size of the opening and how much of it is sticking out of the ground. If the container is very deep, or has a small opening (like a vase), plant a long trailing flower near the rim. If your container has a large opening or is shallow (like a barrel), you can fill it almost to the back with shorter plants.
- Great examples of long, trailing plants include alyssums.
4
Place the plants into the soil. Use a trowel to dig holes in the ground, then place the root ball into the hole. Work one plant at a time, and gently pat the soil around the plant down. Plant the flowers about 3½ inches (8.9 centimeters) apart.
- You can plant succulents even closer, if you want. Start with the largest ones, then fill the gaps in with smaller ones.
If you want to, you can also add some fertilizer into the water to help the plants grow. Make sure that you are using the right type of fertilizer for the type of plants you have.
6
Add any extras, such as mulching. Fill the place between the flowers with your filler of choice, such as bark or pebbles. Make sure that you follow the line of your path. You can extend the filler beyond the edge of the path by a little, however.
- Outline your path with a row of small stones.
- If your spill path is very large, consider adding a couple of gardening lights to it.

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Tips

Use bright colors if you want the spilling pot to be the focus of your garden. This includes red, orange, yellow, and even magenta.^{[6]
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Use cooler colors if you don't want the pot to be the focus. This includes blue, purple, white, and green (succulents).^{[7]
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Consider decorating the pot to make it match your garden's design better.^{[8]
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