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Deck planting ideas


Deck planting ideas – using beds, planters and living walls |

If you want a seating or dining space that blends into your backyard, beautifully then great deck planting should be high on the agenda. Whether it’s a question of building beds into the overall design, adding planters, or opting for living walls, the best ideas will harmonize hard and soft landscaping to wonderful effect.

See: Deck ideas – creative decking ideas for your garden, patio or terrace

‘Plants are one of my favorite elements of designing a deck,’ says Karl Harrison of Karl Harrison Landscapes . ‘Think decking and plants at the same time to create a seamless garden design.’

Deck planting ideas

To inspire your deck design, or bring flowers and foliage to an existing space, take a look at our wonderful deck planting ideas.

1. Opt for architectural plants

(Image credit: Future / Alisdair Mcintosh)

With fabulous spreading fronds and a thick trunk, tree ferns are a deck planting option that will draw the eye. Build a bed into it or locate it alongside, and when you plant the tree ferns ensure there’s room at the top for their fronds – which can reach a length of 6 feet (2m) – to spread into. 

Tree ferns are very slow growing, so invest in plants of the height that suits the deck now unless you’re prepared to wait over years for them to create the spectacular display the examples in this garden do.

2. Build in planters

(Image credit: dSpace Design Studio)

Incorporate planters into the deck design, and you can add a living element to the area without compromising the space available for lounging or positioning a dining set. You could opt to put in evergreens for year-round interest. 

Here, space has been left in the middle of the structure for seating – all that’s necessary to make it a comfortable perch is to add a seat pad. If you follow this example, bear in mind that you’ll need to keep up with pruning to stop the plants growing into the bench area. 

3.

Go contemporary  

(Image credit: Havwoods)

Looking for deck planting ideas that have contemporary style? Design in beds with geometric lines to complement the deck. Shapely evergreen shrubs are the ideal choice for a modern structural scheme, and beds can be top dressed with slate chippings to complete the look and keep the space low maintenance by suppressing weed growth.

See: Deck color ideas – how to choose the color to paint your deck

4. Grow a living wall

(Image credit: Future / Veronica Rodriguez)

If space is limited, you can’t build in beds, and even containers would take up too much of the area, a living wall is a brilliant deck planting idea. It transforms a boring vertical expanse into something impactful without intruding on the deck itself.

Choose annuals, perennials, and even herbs or vegetables as part of a living wall design. Just make sure they’re compact, or they won’t suffer if you prune them to keep the wall in shape.  

5. Follow the curve

(Image credit: Future/Leigh Clapp Photography)

Complement a curved deck design with an adjoining bed following the same curve that will make any planting feel like an integral part of the whole. ‘Curved edges can be used to soften the look and feel of an outdoor space,’ says Charles Taylor, Director of Composite Prime .

‘Circular fire pits in the centre of composite decking is a trend we're seeing in new garden renovations, and bay trees and ornamental topiary are also popular to prevent straight lines.’ Or, you can copy the look above, with a circular deck around a  water feature, complemented by circular deck planting around it.

6. Work with the landscape

(Image credit: Future / Mark Bolton)

You might be able to add a deck to the planting rather than adding the planting to the deck in some landscapes. Located by a river, the deck in this backyard is cantilevered over the water and is set amongst the plants that grow there naturally so it’s immersed in greenery. It’s been designed around the tree that was already there, too, with a hole cut for the trunk to emerge through the deck opposite the built-in seat.

7. Dress it like indoors

(Image credit: Future / Manolo Yllera)

A covered deck creates a fabulous outdoor room, and deck planting that echoes what you might choose indoors can be a great option for an area like this. In this comfortable seating area, palms set in wicker planters add to the cool shady feel and introduce organic color and shape. 

Follow this deck’s example of choosing tall plants to make an impact and position them to echo the symmetry of the furniture. They can be combined with smaller planters at eye level from the seating.

8. Create a green canyon

(Image credit: Future / Franchie Cristogatin)

Soften a deck that’s surrounded by high walls whether of the house or the garden’s boundaries with planting that extends from the deck to the highest level. Layering the plants can maximize the feeling of being surrounded, so fill borders even if they’re narrow, grow climbers behind, add trees in containers rather than smaller plants, and plant up any balcony space, too.  

9. Enjoy color

(Image credit: Photography © Jonathan Buckley)

Containers filled with flowers are a lovely planting idea for a deck, as well as a fantastic way to bring color to other parts of the garden. ‘If I had to name one thing I’ve increasingly enjoyed in my garden over the last few years, it would have to be our ever-burgeoning tribe of pots and containers,’ says gardener and writer Sarah Raven.

‘They’re a powerful strand of color that draws lines, creates groups, curves and circles, highlights layers and steps, but most of all gives the Perch Hill garden crucial dollops of full-on painterly color.’

‘For smaller pots I love pelargoniums,’ Sarah adds. ‘Most flower without cease, with little water and almost no dead-heading. My top all-round favourite variety is the scented-leaved Attar of Roses, but this soft pink flowered pelargonium couldn’t be claimed to be a full-on color merchant. For bold and brilliant color you want Pink Capitatum (syn. P. caprifolium), P. Clorinda, or Lara Starshine, all three bright, breezy, easy to look after and always flowery.’

Find the products shown above at Sarah Raven .

10.  Scale deck planting to the size of the backyard

(Image credit: Laara Copley-Smith Garden Design)

Bear the proportions of the backyard in mind when planning deck planting. ‘To maximize light and space in a tiny basement yard, the planting for the
deck had to be minimal,’ says designer Laara Copley-Smith of this London garden. ‘Bamboo was a must on the client brief and I advised this must be contained to avoid it spreading and so planters for it were built into the design.

‘Two multi-stem Acer palmatum were planted alongside the deck for their shape, form and foliage with a Trachelospermum jasminoides on a stainless-steel trellis bringing scent and flowers to the garden.’

See: Small garden decking ideas – clever ways to enhance your space

11.

Overlook blooms

(Image credit: Composite Prime)

A bed at the immediate edge of a deck can allow you to plant flowers in the foreground of your view, as well as enjoy the vista over the length of the garden. Choose scented blooms and you can take advantage of the fragrance as well as the shape and color of the deck planting. 

Take note of the eventual height of what you plant in this scenario, which will be influenced by the height of the deck above the garden beyond. The blooms should be easily visible but not grow so tall as to obscure the outlook.

12. Edge the deck with planting

(Image credit: Sadolin)

Build beds into the deck’s structure that can create living borders in glorious color. For small flowers a narrow channel is all that’s required. A single flower choice can create a ribbon of color that makes a splash, while a pair of different colored plants is a pretty alternative.

These mini beds can be combined with other built-in planting as in this design. They’re especially effective positioned alongside steps to create a direct view of the planting as you climb.

13. Match planters to the deck

(Image credit: Ronseal)

Go for planters that match the color of the deck boards for an easy deck planting solution that ensures the look is pulled-together. Groups of odd numbers like the three gray planters here look best for a casual scheme, while symmetrical positioning will suit a formal entertaining area. But if the latter’s the case, size up the planters chosen so they don’t look lost on the expanse of the deck. 

You can find more deck color ideas in our dedicated gallery of inspiring images.

14. Grow climbers between the deck and house

(Image credit: Ikea)

If the deck sits right up against your house, planting between the two can soften the boundary – and growing leafy, evergreen climbers are a clever way to add greenery without taking up floor space, ideal if you are looking for small garden decking ideas.

15. Suspend the deck above the planting

(Image credit: Jay Graham Photographer)

This deck planting in this Californian backyard is the focus of the entire home, with the deck itself suspended up in the tree canopy. Created by Gary Marsh Design, the whole design concept aims to make the deck blend into the planting surrounding it, with a slim railing to allowing the view to be the focal point.

You can see more deck railing ideas in our dedicated guide.

What can I plant next to my deck?

What you plant next to your deck should complement the rest of the planting in your backyard. In other words, if the space has contemporary style, you’ll want to continue this theme alongside the deck, likely with sculptural foliage plants. Likewise if the back yard is full of cottage-style flowers, stick to similar choices, and so on.

Start by picking out the larger plants you want to include: shrubs or even small trees can suit if the deck is raised so there’s plenty growing at eye level from the deck. Ornamental grasses are also ideal alongside a raised deck.

If you want a great show of blooms, pick some perennials to go in next to the deck. There’s a world of choice, but you might go for tall bold cannas or day lilies for summer color. Want fragrance and a sea of color? A bed of lavender is hard to beat.

If there’s a wall or fence near your deck make sure you put in some climbers, too. Star jasmine and Clematis montana can create a wonderful display next to a deck.

What to put under pots on a deck?

Put pot pads or risers or planter feet under pots on a deck. They’ll lift the pots a little way off the deck so water doesn’t collect under them. This could stain the timber and even eventually rot it, and it creates a situation in which mold and mildew thrives.

If planters are light enough, you could move them around instead. Don’t keep swapping them to the same spots, though. It’s worth putting smaller planters away in winter, too, if they were home to summer blooming plants.

How can I make my deck look good – with planting?

To make your deck look good consider setting the deck planting against the color of the decking. ‘Decking – like Trex – has many different color combinations which makes the planting even more exciting,’ advises garden designer Karl Harrison.

‘Living walls are in vogue at the moment and you can create a similar effect by asking your decking designer to incorporate some stainless steel trellis cables,’ Karl adds.

‘If you wanted a less architectural look and a more natural effect, try wild flowers. There are many companies that supply wild flower mix, and you could also buy wild flower turf which helps to attract a whole plethora of bees, butterflies and the like.

‘When it comes to container planting on a deck, an idea is to design the decking frame to accommodate the planter. Once the decking frame has been constructed simply place the container into the slot. Now you can fit the decking up to the planter.

‘The cherry on the top would be to place lighting in the planters, a few uplighters or an LED strip hidden under the lip of the planter will add a romantic warm glow in the evenings. Be sure to use warm white for the best effect.’

How can I make my deck more inviting – with planting?

To make your deck more inviting with planting there are a whole host of options. ‘Go for impact,’ suggests garden designer Tracey Parker of Tracey Parker Landscape Design . ‘Large feature planters filled with evergreen architectural foliage such as fatsia underplanted with trailing plants will create a year-round focal point.’

Evoking a vacation mood with planting can also make a deck inviting. Try just a few planters filled with large colorful flowers and tropical leaves, Tracey suggests.

See: Decking design mistakes – the common errors to avoid

Shelter around the deck can turn it into a cocooning space. ‘Use deep trough planters filled with tall grasses such as Miscanthus ‘Morning Light’ to filter the wind and create a sense of enclosure whilst seated,’ says Tracey.

A touch of hotel style could also be a winning strategy to make a deck inviting. ‘Cut a hole in the deck to grow a specimen tree through; one with multi-stem trunks or interesting bark will give the feel of a luxury hotel,’ Tracey advises.

8 deck planter ideas for a seamless planting scheme

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These deck planter ideas will help you integrate plants into your deck without needing to get lots of small pots. Whether built-in or freestanding, planters work very well for smaller decks in particular and can often double up as seating, storage, and even backyard screening, complementing any of your favorite patio furniture and the like.

Easy to incorporate into your deck ideas, these planters will suit backyards of all styles and sizes. We've also selected options for a wide range of budgets – from permanent built-in designs created by landscape architects to freestanding planters you can buy online for a couple of hundred dollars. 

1. Combine planters with built-in seating in small spaces

(Image credit: On Common Ground Landscapes)

One of the most satisfying deck planter ideas, this gorgeous design by  On Common Ground Landscapes features concrete planters along the perimeter of a small urban backyard with seating attached. A great space-saving, contemporary design that city dwellers with small decks will appreciate. 

2. Alternate planters of different heights for a playful effect

(Image credit: Amber Freda)

If you want a movable solution for a decked terrace or balcony, containers are your best bet. Choose sleek geometric shapes for a more streamlined look. You can also play with color for more design impact, as in this playful alternating container arrangement on a decked roof designed by Amber Freda .

3. Consider vertical planters

(Image credit: On Common Ground Landscapes)

Vertical garden ideas are worth exploring if your outdoor space is really tiny. Mounting wooden raised beds onto a wall is the easiest – and most impactful – option, and the wood of the beds will harmonize with the wood of your deck.

4. Pick slimline planters for small decks

(Image credit: Reveal Design)

Typically, decked outdoor spaces look better with taller and slimmer designs rather than squat and sprawling ones. The slim planters on this rooftop deck by Reveal Design Chicago create an unobtrusive lining of plants, keeping the center free for the furniture. 

5. Invest in a planter with trellis

(Image credit: Wayfair)

Need to conceal a neighboring backyard? You need to look into trellis ideas. Installing a separate trellis to your existing planters is an option, but it's much easier to get a planter that already has a trellis attached to it. For best results, choose a finish that matches your deck. The Wood Planter Box with Trellis is from Wayfair . 

6. Improvise a raised bed 

(Image credit: Gay Bumgarner / Alamy Stock Photo)

Raised beds are a must if you're considering a veggie garden, but damp wood will not be kind to your deck. Fortunately, there is a simple solution – prop up yours with terracotta pots to help preserve your deck. Or you could attach castors to the bottom and make your raised bed mobile. 

7. Get a planter that doubles up as storage

(Image credit: Wayfair)

Need clever garden storage ideas for a compact deck? Your planter could provide the solution. In smaller spaces, all items, including planters, need to work harder, so why not pick a design with an additional shelf for storing your tools and wellies? The Ashok Wood Planter Box is from Wayfair .  

8. Choose a bicycle planter for an elegant look

(Image credit: agefotostock / Alamy Stock Photo)

One of the main concerns when exploring deck ideas with planters is whether your chosen planters could eventually damage your deck. To prevent rotting or splitting, always go for a slim, lightweight design that will make a minimum of impact on the wood. Why not consider a delicate wired design? A bicycle planter can be bought from Amazon . 

What can I put under planters on a deck?

If you are going for a heavier option and are concerned about stains and/scratches and splitting, you can attach pot feet to your planters. Pot feet can be bought on Amazon and work in much the same way protectors work on your indoor furniture. Pot risers can also work quite well. You can also, as a last resort, line the bottom of your planters with plastic sheeting cut to size. 

How can I attach a planter to deck railings? 

If you really don't want to put anything on top of the deck itself and have deck railings, you have a great alternative location for a slimline planter or trough. Deck plant hooks can be bought from Amazon and don't involve any drilling – you just clip them on. Of course, you will need to measure your planter and make sure it's the right size for the hooks. You can actually buy planters with hooks, also from Amazon , which makes the job even easier. 

Terrace landscaping - 2 beautiful options

Contents ✓

Terrace planting Variant 1


Layered beauty


In the first sentence, only horns and legs remained from the former terrace - narrow steps along the wall of the house. The bare slope, covered with sparse grass, was terraced by designers in two levels, having built retaining walls from stone blocks. The result was two large and now completely flat areas, on which there was a place for flower beds, and for wide steps that directly connect the terrace with the garden. The steps and the terrace itself were “covered” with boards.

Terrace before renovation

The terrace is located on a small hill about a meter high. The slope is sparsely covered with lawn grass and, in addition to its imperfect appearance, nothing else stands out. The owners of the garden are tired of this dull sight, they want to admire the beautiful flower beds, relaxing on a harmoniously designed terrace.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR THIS ARTICLE IS HERE >>>

In order to harmoniously connect the garden and the resting place, the designers laid out on the lawn three strips of gray concrete slabs offset from each other - they repeat the shape of the longitudinal wooden steps, but the color of the material echoes the palisades. So there was a central path to the terrace, located on a hill.

A spacious wooden pergola, on which a mandeville climbs up, kindly took care of the seclusion of the corner. These creepers growing in pots need to be brought into the house for the winter. Therefore, at the front supporting pillars of the pergola, large containers were dug into the flower garden.

In them, the mandevilla can be placed directly with pots in the summer. The partition of glass panels at the border of the site was dismantled, instead of them planters were hung from the pergola, in which chrysanthemums with light yellow flowers were planted. New "houses" for the old-timers of the terrace - three bushes of laurel cherry - were selected to match them. Now they grow in yellow pots. Herbaceous perennials, as well as roses and dwarf shrubs with flowers in delicate pastel colors are planted in flower beds on two levels. Throughout the summer and early autumn, plantings are decorated with pink-red pale Echinacea, prominent stonecrop, Veronica spiky and pink aster with a light yellow navel and knifofiya, as well as white cinquefoil, roses and ornamental grasses.

See also: Types of roses - planting and care on the terrace and in the garden

List of green terrace plants:


The corner of the wooden terrace has a non-standard look - it is a triangular pond lined with mosaics with a fountain. The quiet "whisper" of falling water is the best way to relax.

Terrace planting - option 2 - Flower show


The main idea of ​​this project is to leave the terrace as open as possible and at the same time populate the slope with lush vegetation.

To start with, as in the first proposal, the designers decided to remove the glass panels above the stone wall separating the terrace from the neighboring plot. In their place, they placed containers with seasonal flower plants and pots with evergreen holly, formed in the form of a ball.

In the flower garden, four standard roses form a kind of frame for a place of rest. Queen 'Princess Alexandra of Kent' is a remontant variety, disease resistant and has very fragrant flowers.

If for the winter these standard plants are packed in bright-colored burlap, then even at the end of the garden season they will remain bright acceptances. As for the other representatives of the flora, the main selection criterion was their adaptability to growth on the slope. In addition, the roots of the applicant had to hold the soil together so that it would not slip. The ground cover rose Larissa does an excellent job with this task. But if you "fill" the entire slope with bushes only of this beauty, it will look boring. Numerous herbaceous perennials “dilute” the picture, and boulders act as deco elements.

Planting is colored with pink semi-double flowers of Parmina anemones, light purple "suns" of multi-colored aster Allweibersommer white - trifoliate asters 'Ashvi', as well as yellow-leaved oregano I numbles Variety They are complemented by red goatwort and lily-of-the-valley loosestrife, whose leaves turn bright red in autumn. The colorful representatives of the flora are effectively set off by the modest sesleria and cuff.

Reference by topic: Do-it-yourself terrace extension to a country house

List of terrace plants :

See also: Terrace landscaping - selection of plants (photo) PRICES CHEAP. CHECKED! JUST LOOK FOR YOURSELF AND BE SURPRISED. THERE ARE REVIEWS. GO>>>

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Terrace with plants: green corner design project

Many city dwellers do not often get out of the city to spend time with family and friends in the fresh air. But, how do you want at least occasionally instead of the gray walls of neighboring houses, passing cars and citizens hurrying about their business, to see a small green corner, breathe clean air, feel the freshness, the smell of herbs and flowers. And to do this not tens of kilometers from the city, but leaving your own apartment. If you have already thought about the implementation of such a project, then our selection of photos with images of landscape design and terrace design located in the metropolis may be useful to you. This small photo tour is an example of how you can create a real oasis of freshness, silence and purity in a few square meters in the middle of the stone jungle of a noisy city.

What could be better than having morning coffee or hot tea, sitting outdoors in the shade of plants on your own terrace, inhaling the smells of herbs and flowers, enjoying the peace and freshness?

Most often, for arranging a terrace, wooden flooring is used, lined with a lath board impregnated with special antiseptics that protect the material from moisture and other weather manifestations. To create a more harmonious atmosphere close to nature, you can also veneer a part of the wall adjacent to the terrace. Plants in large tubs or mobile bulk beds are the best option for landscaping small-sized terraces and open balconies. If your tubs and garden pots with plants are mobile, then for the Russian climate with a fairly long period of cold weather, this will be an ideal opportunity to shelter greenery in your apartment.

Outdoor furniture to organize a place to relax is better to choose durable, but light, because you will most likely have to bring it in during the cold season. The bright color of outdoor furniture will not only add color variety to your terrace arrangement, but also create a positive atmosphere, will cheer you up in the morning and energize you for the whole day.

Not so long ago, a green wall of plants became popular in our country, sometimes it is called a phytowall. A similar design element is used both for decorating the landscape and for interior decoration. For many homeowners, the living green wall has revolutionized eco-design and landscaping. In addition to the fact that you significantly save the usable space of your terrace, bring an element of originality and originality to the landscaping of your personal corner of nature within the dusty city, you also purify the air, filling it with freshness in the recreation area of ​​an open balcony or veranda.

Living green wall allows you to take a fresh look at the placement of plants on the terrace in particular and the way of gardening a particular area in general. Styles and tastes, ideas and approaches are changing, so why not reconsider the traditional ways of gardening and allow yourself a new opportunity to breathe freshness into the green corner of your terrace?

Phytowall can be purchased ready-made - from the standard offers of floristry and landscape design companies or you can choose the plants that you would like to see on the living wall yourself. But you will need expert advice in any case, not all plants are suitable for such vertical placement, not to mention the fact that they need a special frame with soil.

For terraces located on the ground floor, there are many more possibilities for organizing not just a place to relax, but a whole imitation of the landscape design of the local area. For example, you can simulate garden paths made of stone or concrete slabs, with small-leaved plants or lawn grass in between sections.

Plants on the terrace of the first floor, planted near the fence, serve not only as a decoration for a place to relax, but also as a hedge separating you from the surrounding bustle of the big city. On the side adjacent to the terrace wall, you can plant climbing perennials, which will stretch along specially equipped hooks or a grid mounted on a vertical surface.

As a flooring base, you can use not only a traditional wooden platform, but also imitate parquet with wooden floor slats arranged in a checkerboard pattern, diagonally or in a herringbone pattern.

As you know, the green color has a very favorable effect on the receptors of our eyes - thoughts calm their run, emotions become more stable, the body relaxes and adjusts to rest.

Learn more