Scale-wise, look beyond the unexceptional proportions of the average flower pot. Try a dramatic, upright cylindrical container that is waist height or taller to elevate plants into closer view.
During hellebore season, Mr. Hyland added some to a tall planter outside the door of a client’s restaurant. Hellebores, of ground-cover stature, usually require us to bend down for a good look. This put them front and center, surrounding a Phormium amid an effusion of variegated Japanese sedge (Carex oshimensis Everest), part of the EverColor series of ornamental sedges that he calls “my go-to fillers.” After their close-up, the hellebores go in the ground.
Maybe add a low, bowl-shaped vessel, too. In any shape, bigger is better, Mr. Hyland said, not just for impact, but to withstand increasing climate rigors and reduce maintenance. Smaller pots heat up and dry out faster, while the greater soil volume in larger pots offers better root insulation and moisture retention.
“More than ever, I’m conscious of ‘right plant, right place’ — and right pot,” he said.
It’s not just a West Coast consideration. “When I do containers, it is all about low maintenance, minimal deadheading and not too thirsty,” said Katherine Tracy, of Avant Gardens, a friend of Mr. Hyland’s with a design firm and nursery in Dartmouth, Mass.
The color of the container can play off your home’s siding or trim paint, or mimic an architectural element like stone or steel. But easy does it. “I’m not big on bright, bold colors. I think they often detract from the plantings,” he said. “My go-to is often a gray, concrete look or dark brown earthenware.”
Lately, Mr. Hyland finds himself gravitating toward muted blue and teal tones. These colors are harmonious with the water-wise plants — many of which have foliage with a silvery or blue-green cast — that he is using more consciously as summers get harder.
