Having built-in planters on your patio has become a total favorite for modern spaces. It offers a way to get that lush, natural feel, especially if you’re in the city!
Whether you’re working with a tiny balcony or a huge terrace, the right built-in can take your space from just okay to absolutely outstanding.
In this guide, I’m going to share some of my favorite and most stylish built-in patio planter ideas to inspire your next weekend project.
Living Wall
Are you thinking about a really great backdrop for the patio? Honestly, a living wall (some people call it a green wall) is just the perfect choice. I love this idea. It gives you that stunning combination of pure beauty and a really natural effect.
It’s a great way to say goodbye to a boring patio. Plus, depending on where your house is, it can be an amazing privacy screen. When you have scenery this amazing, your other accessories don’t even need to be over the top.
Rock Garden for Succulents
Succulents are just fantastic because they’re adapted for water storage. This means they can do really well with mostly rocks around them. They also come in so many different shapes and sizes!
I think the added texture from all the rocks makes for a truly aesthetic mix. A rock garden like this is super versatile and can work anywhere on your patio. You could even place it between two wooden tables made from crates. So cool.
Wooden Bench with Attached Planter
I’ve always felt that with wooden furniture, you’re aiming to create a lovely rustic or coastal feel for your space. This becomes especially obvious when you choose not to add any special finish or paint it a fancy color.
A planter on both sides with the bench right in the middle? That makes for such a good look. Now, depending on how the planter itself is built, you might need to just use a plant pot.
This is because you might be unable to put dirt in there directly. It’s a simple trick to ensure there’s no mess and your patio stays perfectly spick and span.
Built-In Grass Patches with Concrete Planters
This is a design that I think blends so well with concrete planters. Here’s the thing: it can’t be an afterthought. This design has everything to do with the flooring.
Before you even build your wooden or concrete floor, you have to make provision for spaces where grasses can grow. The shape is totally up to you! It could be circular, triangular, or square.
You could also grow some succulents right alongside the grasses, which would add a gorgeous bit of color to your setup.
Stone Planter with Built-in Bench
The great thing about this one is that it doesn’t cost much! The materials you need can often be locally sourced. Your first step is to gather the stones and separate them based on their sizes.
Don’t worry if they are different colors. In my opinion, that only adds to the beauty! You’ll want to stack the bigger stones first, while the smaller ones are laid on top.
It is really necessary to take a lot of care here, as the stones have to fit snugly and lay just right. The bench, which can be made of wood or any other material you like, gets attached to the planter during the building process.
Then, the hollow part of the stone planter is filled with gravel and dirt. This is the spot where you get to grow your plants!
Wooden Corner Planter
I just love this idea. This corner planter makes use of that awkward space on your patio that would otherwise be totally unused. And while it can be made with another type of material, I think wood is just a great choice.
You can even have more than one stacked up; they simply have to be different sizes to get that cool, tiered look.
Planter Garden with Stairs
Okay, so this might not be the absolute *best* space-saving idea out of all these patio planter ideas. But it is surely great at maximizing a sloped backyard! Instead of trying to find a way to level the ground (which costs a lot of money and effort), you can just easily build according to the slope.
This project will require a well-built wooden structure. This structure will have a staircase and small planks that can serve as benches. How clever is that? It can even spot a backyard slide for the kids.
DIY Tub Planter
Let’s be honest, chances are you already have an empty metal tub lying around somewhere. Or you know someone who does! Even if that’s not the case, they’re quite cheap to get.
An old metal tub might need a bit of repainting, so you can look into that. I love this part because you can use the opportunity to choose your favorite colors.
You can keep these tubs close to the walls of your patio and plant whatever you want—flowers, herbs, or vegetables. So versatile.
Tiered Stone Planters
When it comes to saving space, absolutely nothing beats a tiered planter. It’s such a good way to utilize space, especially when there are stairs involved in your patio design.
This can be made with concrete and then finished with some beautiful tiles. Just like the others, the hollow part is filled with gravel and dirt for growing all your plants. Simple and stunning.
Wood Crate Planter Boxes
With just a little bit of creativity and a whole lot of daring to do things differently, you can totally pull this off. You probably have some old crates lying around, right? (But if you don’t, you can check out our easy tutorial on how to make them yourself!)
Go ahead and convert them to be used as planters. They might need a little bit of paint, but I promise you’re sure to love the final outcome. It’s a perfect rustic look.
Tiered Planter Boxes
This idea is amazing because it does not require *any* ground space. All you need to plant can be done vertically. These planter boxes are attached right to the wall and can be arranged in a tiered fashion.
I think they serve as a perfect backdrop for a patio. And you don’t have to plant just decorative flowers! You can also plant a couple of vegetables and herbs. So practical!
Phew! That was a lot of inspiration. These patio planter ideas are really not hard to bring to life. A couple of them are things you can easily put together yourself, while a few others might require you to call in artisans (but it shouldn’t cost you much!).
Having little space is just no longer an excuse to not add flowers and plants to your patio setup. Your patio should be a place to relax and enjoy, and the presence of colorful plants can only add to the aesthetics and that perfectly calming effect. Happy decorating!
