There’s something incredibly useful about a trough planter. While traditional round pots are brilliant for creating height and focal points, a trough can fill those slightly trickier spaces in the garden where a larger pot simply wouldn’t work.
Along a wall, beneath a window, beside a doorway or on the edge of a patio, a good terracotta trough can add planting without taking over the space.
My Torricelli Italian Terracotta Troughs have become a particularly popular choice, and with four different sizes available, there are plenty of ways to use them around the garden.
Make the Most of Walls and Narrow Spaces
One of the best places for a terracotta trough is against a wall.
Their rectangular shape means they sit neatly where a round planter might project too far into a pathway or patio. Try positioning one beneath a window, against the side of the house or along a garden wall that needs a little more interest.
Planting can be kept relatively simple. A row of lavender, soft grasses or flowering perennials will soften the straight lines of the trough and help connect the house with the surrounding garden.
Frame an Entrance
Terracotta naturally works beautifully around entrances, particularly against brick, stone and painted timber.
If you have enough room, a pair of troughs can create symmetry either side of a doorway or entrance. Alternatively, one larger trough positioned alongside a door can bring just as much impact.
For something that will look good for much of the year, consider evergreen structure with seasonal flowers planted around it, or keep things simple with one repeated variety.
Create a Kitchen Herb Garden
Troughs are also one of my favourite ways to grow herbs.
Instead of having lots of individual pots, several varieties can be planted together in one container. Rosemary, thyme, sage and oregano all enjoy similar sunny, free-draining conditions and look completely at home against warm terracotta.
Position the trough close to the kitchen door if you can. Not only does it look good, but having fresh herbs within easy reach makes them far more likely to find their way into dinner.
Keep the Planting Simple
It can be tempting to fill every available space, but sometimes the simplest planting creates the strongest display.
Repeating one plant along the length of a trough gives a much more considered look and allows the shape of the planter to become part of the display.
Lavender is an obvious choice, but trailing plants, grasses, herbs and compact flowering perennials can all work beautifully.
If you are positioning several troughs within the same garden, repeating the same planting across them can also help bring different areas together.
Change the Display with the Seasons
Terracotta trough planters are brilliant for seasonal displays.
Spring bulbs can completely fill a trough with colour early in the year before making way for summer flowers. Later in the season, autumn foliage and winter planting can keep the same area looking interesting as the garden begins to quieten down.
Because the planter itself is timeless, you can completely change the character of the display simply by changing what you grow in it.
Choose a Size to Suit the Space
My Torricelli Italian Terracotta Troughs are available in four sizes, from a compact 41cm trough through to the substantial 100cm XL.
The smaller sizes work particularly well on steps, smaller patios and beside doors, while the larger troughs have enough presence to sit comfortably within bigger gardens and landscaping schemes.
The 100cm version is particularly useful when you want to create a longer run of planting without introducing several individual pots.
Before choosing yours, think about the scale of everything around it. A trough positioned against a long wall or large house will usually benefit from being more generous in size than you initially expect.
Let the Terracotta Become Part of the Garden
One of the reasons I always come back to terracotta is the way it settles into a garden.
My Torricelli troughs are handmade in Tuscany using premium Galestro clay, giving them the warm, natural colouring associated with quality Italian terracotta.
As they spend time outside, subtle changes in colour and natural weathering only add to their character. Rather than looking newly placed forever, they gradually feel as though they have always belonged there.
Whether filled with herbs beside the kitchen, lavender along a sunny wall or seasonal flowers on the patio, a terracotta trough is one of those incredibly versatile planters that can find a place in almost any garden.
