How to Get Pretty Potted Plants for Patios

This year, we're focused on turning our backyard into a relaxing place where we can entertain and enjoy the quiet of the desert. We recently put in a gravel patio and though it is great for drainage, it's really GRAY. To brighten things up, I decided to add potted flowers using some terra cotta pots that I had previously used to grow herbs. Since there was no longer soil in the pots, I picked up a bag of Miracle Gro Potting Mix, my favorite potting mix for the last 20 years and set out to make some pretty potted plants for my patio.

For the potted flowers, I chose bright, colorful flowers that would really add warm color the patio: geraniums, gerbera daisies, snapdragons, and more. I also created a few pots of succulents to take advantage of the partial shade on that side of the house and to add some greenery. My grandparents both grew these kinds of flowers so this patio potted plant vignette really reminds me of them. I remember my grandmother propagating varieties of geraniums to share with my mom and other grandmother. At my Mexican grandparents' house, they had a wide variety of cacti and succulents in their garden, some being decorative and others for eating. My potted plants are strictly for decorating but they remind me of a long tradition of color, potted plants, and gardening in my family.

I use Miracle Gro Potting Mix for all of my potted plants because the dirt in our yard is clay based and isn't suited for potting plants.  Plus Miracle Gro Potting Mix is specially formulated for use in pots, feeding the plants as they grow, giving them the best start possible. Miracle Gro Potting Mix is available at your local home improvement store and at box stores like Walmart, in the garden section.

Potting plants with a quality potting mix like Miracle Gro Potting Mix helps them grow better, longer.

Here are what the potted flowers look like now, eight weeks after planting:

The potted plants have double the flowers they had when I planted them! The gerbera daisy blossoms dried up after they were past their prime but new ones are coming in and the leaves all look very healthy.  Even the succulents doubled in size since planting! I can't wait to have the whole family and our neighbors come over for a little fiesta this summer to enjoy our new colorful patio area. Maybe we'll kick it off on Memorial Day with some carne asada, roasted Anaheim chiles, and some cinnamon chocolate s'mores!

Here's how I made the stenciled designs on the pots:

Here's a before photo of our sideyard:

And an “after” photo, now!

We took the yard from super drab to totally fab in one weekend! The real star of the show are the potted plants, which are growing strong and healthy thanks to a good foundation with Miracle Gro Potting Mix. I'm really looking forward to making s'mores over our firepit in this pretty little patio area while we sit outside and cook dinner on the grill. I can't wait!

Remember to always read and follow label directions for the referenced products.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Scotts . The opinions and text are all mine.