This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission. Please read our disclosure policy.

Growing up, my mom always planted her own pots. In fact, she even started all her geraniums from cuttings – I have to give her kudos for this! For many, this seems odd because nowadays, you can simply go to a big box store and find numerous planters all potted up and ready to go. As with just about everything else in my life (ha!), I have a need to be more original. But I also happen to love to save agave and succulents to use as showpieces around The Farm. It’s like I’m almost a glutton for work! While it takes some work to keep these agaves over winter, I think it’s definitely worth it.

Personally, I strive for eye-catching textures interspersed with a few annuals for added interest. Planters that you pot yourself don’t always have instant satisfaction, but in the long term, they are worth it. When everyone else’s planters are spent and over, yours will still be lush and beautiful! I hope this inspires you to plant your own!

More About Flowers

Watch All About My Planters This Year

YouTube video
Large agave in a black cast iron urn with white sided house in the background.
Large agave in a black cast iron urn with greenery grown all around the base after being freshly planted.
Concrete urn in a flowerbed filled with spiky red plant and small flowers with allium bulbs blooming all around.
Concrete planter filled with flowering spiky red plant with smaller muted flowers around the base filled with soil.
Concrete urn filled with a single agave sitting on a wall with green grass expanding into the background.
Large metal urn in silver set on a pedestal in the middle of a yard with an agave planted in the soil.
Two urns spaced apart planted with agave with a statue in between all in a yard with fields beyond.
Terra cotta colored urns planted with agave with small plantings around the base sitting on grass in a yard with white furniture behind along with boxwoods.
Terra cotta urn with spiky agave planted in the center with small drought-tolerant plants all around.
Concrete urn sitting in grass in a yard with green-colored small plants planted in the middle before really growing for the summer season.
Concrete urn planted with all green colored plants with larger ones in the center and smaller ones placed all around.
Concrete urn planted with dusty colored and green colored small plants with soil about to grow for the summer season.

Kaleb Wyse is a New York Times bestselling author behind the popular Wyse Guide website. Living on his fourth-generation Iowa farm, he loves sharing recipes and gardening tips that come from traditions that feel comfortably familiar. His down-to-earth style makes sustainable living and farm life feel like home!

Learn More About Me

You May Also Like

Summer

5 Types of Hydrangeas

From bold blooms to fall color, hydrangeas bring beauty throughout the year. Here’s how to grow and care for five outdoor varieties.

Spring

3 Types of Peonies to Grow

Peonies are beloved for their bold blooms and timeless charm, but not all peonies are the same. From classic herbaceous varieties to elegant tree types and vibrant Itohs, this guide breaks down the differences and offers tips for growing each one.

Spring

Ornamental Allium Flowers

Add a bold pop of color and shape to your garden with ornamental alliums! These globe-shaped blooms are easy to grow, pollinator-friendly, and come back year after year with almost no maintenance.

Spring

How to Plant Seedlings in the Garden

Growing plants from seeds is not too difficult when its broken down into simple steps. Once a seedling is ready to be planted outdoors, it's a pretty quick process!

2025 Holiday Guide

This year's holiday guide is back and ready to order. Plus, it's better than ever!

Get the Magazine
Cover of the 2025 Wyse Guide holiday guide.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

2 Comments

  1. Christine Breckinridge says:

    How to remove scale from plants

    Reply
  2. Del says:

    Great video. Entertaining as always, Kaleb. Everything will look cool when grown in. I use tons of succulents in my wedding and party business here in California, still very popular.

    Reply