How to Plant Spring Pots

I love planting a few spring pots to bring color and life to our front porch since springtime arrives rather late here in New Hampshire. This blog actually started as a DIY/interiors blog back when we lived in San Francisco, and both David I love creating beautiful things with our hands and much of our current home has been renovated by hand. (In the picture above David re-shingled our home and painted/hung the door himself!) I thought I should get back to sharing more of these types of posts alongside style tips and finds, as I know many of you are passionate about creating beautiful homes too!

These pots are so easy and visually stunning I wanted to share a little "how to" with you!

A bit on why these pots work: Anything that is beautiful and harmonious likely includes two key elements of good design: repetition and variation. In these pots I repeat the yellow and purple colors throughout numerous plants while varying the heights, foliage and texture of the plants which come together to feature a cohesive look. I also love how adding a second, smaller pot with just one plant type anchors the whole arrangement and draws your eye in to the larger pot.

I shared a diagram with my exact layout for the larger 14" pot at the bottom of this post which was a combination of David making the diagram and illustrations by ChatGPT!

You'll need:

• 1 large daffodil plant (3-5 bulbs)
• 6 small daffodil plants (6 bulbs, broken apart)
• 3 purple hyacinth plants
• 15 purple pansy plants (9 for main planter, remainder for small planter)
• 14-16" diameter pot with saucer
• 8" diameter pot with saucer
• potting soil
• optional: garden gloves, garden sheers, and mini blower for cleanup!

Method:

Bring instant cheer to your porch or patio with this vibrant spring planter. Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to planting a stunning seasonal pot, and you can see a video of me planting my pots on Instagram here!

1. Start with a clean pot.
Choose a container with good drainage. Make sure it's cleaned out from last season and ready for fresh soil. If you want to copy my arrangement exactly I'm using a 14" terracotta pot, which works well since terracotta is porous, so it naturally helps prevent overwatering by allowing excess moisture to evaporate as pansies hate having wet feet.

2. Add quality potting mix.
Fill the pot about 60% full with new well-draining potting mix. (Old potting mix from years past can have

3. Arrange your plants before planting.
Set your plants on top of the soil to experiment with the layout. Use the classic formula:

• Thriller (tall and eye-catching, like daffodils or tulips)
• Filler (bushy and medium-height, like hyacinth and mini daffodils)
• Spiller (trailing plants, like ivy or I used pansies)

4. Plant from center out.
Start by planting the tallest plants (daffodils) in the center. Tuck in the filler flowers (hyacinth and mini daffodils) next, then finish by nestling the spillers near the edge to trail over the rim.

I shared a diagram with my exact layout for a 14" pot at the bottom of this post!

5. Fill in gaps with soil.
Gently press soil around each plant to eliminate air pockets and ensure everything is firmly in place.

6. Water thoroughly.
Give your finished pot a good drink until water drains from the bottom. This helps settle the soil and reduces transplant shock.

7. Place and enjoy.
Repeat the steps for your small pot of pansies, then set your pots in a sunny spot and enjoy the burst of spring color!

Tips:

I often buy plants that haven't bloomed from the nursery so you can enjoy the full lifecycle of the flowers. However, if you're planting pots to look beautiful for an upcoming event you may want to buy plants that are blooming already so your pots look fabulous immediately!

After planting, test the soil moisture each morning by sticking your finger 1" down into the soil and water your pot if the soil isn't moist. I like to water at the base of each little plant and avoid getting the leaves wet as much as possible. Water droplets on leaves that are in direct sunlight can sometimes act like a magnifying glass and burn the leaves!

The flowers will "face" towards the sun, so rotate occasionally if they turn too much one way or another. :)