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I have a very simple philosophy when it comes to houseplants: the plant can be pretty, but the pot should be fun.
Give me strange little creatures. Give me planters shaped like things that absolutely should not be planters. Give me something that makes a person stop mid-conversation and ask, “Wait…is that a plant growing out of that?”
So naturally, I spend entirely too much time looking at weird planters.
But before we get to the fun part, there’s one thing I do a little differently with my plants.
First: I Usually Don’t Plant Directly in the Cute Pot
As tempting as it is to take a new plant and immediately stick it into the adorable planter I bought for it, I usually keep my plants in a clear plastic nursery pot with drainage holes and place that inside the decorative planter.
Basically, the weird planter is a cover pot, or cachepot, rather than the plant’s actual growing pot.
There are a few reasons I love doing it this way:
- I can see the roots. Clear pots make it much easier to peek at what’s happening below the soil and watch root development.
- Drainage is easier to control. I don’t have to reject a ridiculously cute planter just because its drainage situation isn’t ideal.
- Repotting is much easier. When the plant outgrows its pot, I can pull out the inner pot and size up without wrestling the root ball out of an oddly shaped decorative planter.
- Watering is easier to manage. I can remove the inner pot, water the plant thoroughly, let the excess drain away, and then return it to its cute home.
- I get way more planter options. And, frankly, this is the most important part when your taste in plant pots gets a little weird.
I especially like clear nursery pots with drainage holes because being able to see what’s going on around the roots is incredibly handy.
One important note: If you use the pot-inside-a-pot method, don’t let water sit in the bottom of the decorative planter. Let the nursery pot drain before putting it back, and check the outer pot after watering.
Now that we’ve taken care of the responsible plant-parent portion of this post, we can get to the important stuff.
The Weird Planters I Want in My House
1. The Little Hanging UFO
This is exactly the kind of planter that gets me.
Instead of simply sitting politely on a shelf like a normal flowerpot, this little UFO looks like it’s bringing your plant to Earth. Add something trailing and suddenly the plant becomes part of the character.
I think a trailing plant would be ridiculously cute in this one — especially something that can spill down around it like beams.
I’d put in it: string of turtles, a small pothos, heartleaf philodendron, or another small trailing plant.
2. The Takeout Container Planter
Why does a plant need to look like it’s growing out of a Chinese takeout container?
It doesn’t.
Do I want it anyway?
Absolutely.
This is my favorite kind of weird decor because at first glance it looks like an everyday object, and then you realize someone has put an actual plant in it.
This would be especially fun in a kitchen, on a bookshelf, or tucked somewhere unexpected.
I’d put in it: a small peperomia, pilea, succulent, or another compact plant.
3. The Little Standing Plant Pot
Look at his little legs!
That’s it. That’s basically my entire argument for this planter.
I love that instead of looking like a normal flowerpot, it looks like a tiny plant person just standing on your shelf, casually growing something out of its head. It’s weird without being too weird, and I think it would be especially cute mixed in among regular pots where it can look slightly out of place.
The best part is obviously choosing its “hair.” I would absolutely pick something a little wild or fluffy so this tiny guy can have the most ridiculous hairstyle possible.
I’d put in it: a small peperomia, fittonia, fern, or another compact plant with lots of personality.
4. The Book Planter
Obviously this one belongs in The Hobby Cabinet.
It’s a planter disguised as a book.
This is the kind of decor I love because you could tuck it right into a bookshelf between actual books and let a little plant spill out of it. It combines plants, books, and slightly unnecessary objects — three things I am very much in favor of.
I’d put in it: a small trailing plant so the vines can creep across the shelf.
[It is rapping on your chamber door → ]
5. The Ceramic Hanging Pig Planter
When pig fly, put a pothos on it’s back.
I love hanging plants, but I especially love hanging planters that are interesting enough to be decor even without the plant.
This one has enough personality that it doesn’t just disappear into the room like a basic hanging basket would.
And once you add a trailing plant? Even better.
I’d put in it: pothos, heartleaf philodendron, spider plant, or another plant that wants to spill over the sides.
6. The Recorder Planter
This is so unnecessarily specific.
And that’s exactly why I like it.
There’s something wonderful about taking an object that has absolutely nothing to do with gardening and deciding that, actually, it should hold a plant now.
This would be such a funny little shelf or desk plant, especially somewhere people can actually notice what it’s shaped like.
I’d put in it: a small succulent or compact plant that won’t overwhelm the shape of the planter.
7. The Little Monster Planter
I couldn’t leave this one out either.
It’s weird. It’s cute. It looks like a tiny creature has been assigned responsibility for keeping your plant safe.
What more could I ask for?
I think this one would be particularly adorable with a plant that looks slightly unruly coming out of the top.
I’d put in it: a small fern, peperomia, succulent, or anything that gives the monster an especially ridiculous hairstyle.
The Best Part About Using an Inner Pot
This is where my clear-pot system really pays off.
A lot of novelty planters aren’t designed around the exact needs of whatever plant I happen to want to put in them. Some are oddly shaped. Some are small. Some don’t have the drainage setup I prefer.
If I’m using the decorative planter as a cachepot, I don’t need the cute pot to be the perfect plant pot.
I just need my clear nursery pot to fit inside it.
That means I can choose the growing pot based on what my plant needs and choose the outside pot based on what I need.
And apparently what I need is a house full of plants growing out of tiny monsters, books, heads, and random household objects.
I’m okay with that.
A Few Things to Check Before Buying a Weird Planter
Before you fall in love with a planter purely because it has a face — something I have definitely never done — check the dimensions.
If you’re planning to use an inner nursery pot, the inside opening needs to be wide enough for the nursery pot to fit comfortably. Remember that product measurements often give the overall dimensions of the planter rather than the usable interior space.
I also like to think about the plant before choosing a size. A tiny planter might be perfect for a succulent but frustrating for a fast-growing pothos.
And if you are planting directly into the decorative pot, pay extra attention to whether it has drainage holes and whether those drainage holes actually work for the plant you’re putting in it.
Let Your Plants Be Weird
There is absolutely nothing wrong with a beautiful matching collection of neutral ceramic planters.
It is just not what my brain wants.
I want the weird planter.
I want the tiny monster holding a peperomia. I want the plant growing out of a book. I want the planter that makes absolutely no sense until you put a plant in it — and somehow makes even less sense afterward.
Your houseplants are already part of your decor.
They might as well have a little personality.
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