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Four essential steps to a statement patio

By Bunnings magazine /

Man and Women smiling as they plant some pot plants in white and terracotta pots

Overview

Whatever your garden situation – modest balcony to palatial grounds – potted plants are a fantastic way to make a statement. Spring is a great time to add more fabulous foliage to your home, invigorating your patio for a fresh new-season look! Punctuating your garden with potted foliage is so simple, with a little help from Northcote Pottery and Cyclone hand tools.

Steps

1Pick your pot

What’s your garden style? Whether you’re after a touch of rustic charm, like the ‘Kentucky’ whiskey barrel planter, or a clean coastal feel with a sand-toned ‘Maxim’ drum, Northcote Pottery has a look to love. You’ll also need to think about what you’ll be planting in it, as this will naturally influence your decision; Northcote Pottery’s Precinct Lite range comes in a range of sizes, including generously deep and wide pots, which can hold bigger plants or a selection of varieties, if you want to try a collage of ‘thrill, spill and fill’ foliage.

Will you need to move the pot from season to season, or for cleaning? The 'Villa' plastic trough offers modern good looks, with the flexibility of a lightweight material, so you can lift and move it easily.

Northcote Pottery ‘Villa’ plastic troughs filled with flowers on a front porch

2Start with soil

Decide what you’ll be planting and pick an appropriate high quality potting mix. The Cyclone potting scoop, with its large stainless steel cup, makes the task of filling planters with soil quicker and cleaner. If you do make a mess of the patio in the process, a quick sweep will clear off any dirt in a jiffy. Tracked soil inside too? The Cyclone ProSeries multi-surface broom is the one you want to have on hand – tough enough to tackle outdoor mess, but soft enough to travel inside when needed.
Garden hand tools placed in terracotta plant pots

3Potting up

Good tools not only make this part of the job cleaner and easier, they also give you more control, so you can avoid damaging new plants. The Cyclone hand trowel is a must-have gardener’s friend, used for potting up and dividing smaller plants, while the Cyclone bulb trowel is its trusty sidekick, ideal for not only planting bulbs, but also for transplanting small, delicate plants or seedlings.
Garden hand tool placed in a bag of dirt with green hedge bush as back ground

4Keep it tidy

You’ve planted up your pots and they’re looking amazing! Now keep them lovely with a Cyclone hand fork. Use the leather strap to hang this beauty within easy reach, because it’s about to become your new favourite tool, used for lightly cultivating between shallow-rooted plants, and for regularly attacking weeds. Whip it out for weeding your beautifully planted pots, or use it to make short work of pesky weeds sullying your perfect lawn. 
A white and grey garden pot filled with succulents
Health & Safety

Asbestos, lead-based paints and copper chromium arsenic (CCA) treated timber are health hazards you need to look out for when renovating older homes. These substances can easily be disturbed when renovating and exposure to them can cause a range of life-threatening diseases and conditions including cancer. For information on the dangers of asbestos, lead-based paint and CCA treated timber and tips for dealing with these materials contact your local council's Environmental Health Officer or visit our Health & Safety page.

When following our advice in our D.I.Y. videos, make sure you use all equipment, including PPE, safely by following the manufacturer’s instructions. Check that the equipment is suitable for the task and that PPE fits properly. If you are unsure, hire an expert to do the job or talk to a Bunnings Team Member.