I wouldn’t build a bed. It would have to drain somewhere, and you don’t want it washing soil or stain onto the patio. Some ideas:

- Try adding risers under some of your pots so that the plants are at the most effective and attractive height.

- Does the wall of the patio need to remain white?

- Are you handy enough to make large wooden cache pots into which ordinary boring large plastic nursery pots can be set?

- Can you repurpose other containers for pots? Something like a large stock pot that has sprung a leak?

- In the US there are pots available in plastic at places like Home Depot that mimic wood or ceramic that are considerably less expensive. Are there discount sources like that in South Africa?

Thanks! the wall wouldn’t have to be white, though the house is white with red trim. I thought about trying a mural (I used to paint), but I’m hesitant that my color choice would be good.

Here, people reuse food barrels and pails if they need oversized free planters. Another possible free source are landscapers who use tree pots, here I occasionally see them being thrown out. A trend in planting besides water troughs or industrial galvanized products (like for drainage or window wells) is heavy duty felt. I’ve seen felt wall pockets, felt plant “pots” and low felt “garden beds”. You could maybe try cinder blocks if you have them there. I once made a planter out of a painting on plywood someone was throwing out (from a dumpster behind an art studio). I’m not sure if people are more cavalier about throwing out stuff like that here. A DIY option might also involve chicken wire/industrial mesh and rocks/some other materials to make gabians/concreted in planters.

Keep an eye out for containers that aren't pots, but can be made into pots just by punching holes in the bottom. Large plastic storage bins make great pots-around here I pick up 18 gallon ones for 3-5 bucks when they are on sale.

Big party tubs, like those meant to hold a lot of ice and beverages, can be around 10-20 gallon size and run between 5-10 bucks.

Garbage cans come in a wide array of styles and sizes too, and are usually way cheaper than gardening pots.

5 gallon buckets, larger pails that kitty litter comes in, and 5 gallon water jugs can also serve up for pots. I've got a couple of big 15ish gallon plastic cauldrons I got on clearance after Halloween that are rather attractive pots.

I am a big fan of galvanized stock tanks as planters or raised beds and they are used frequently for this purpose in my area. A great way to create a bamboo privacy screen without the bamboo trying to take over the planet!! But I would not consider them cheap or of minimal cost. Even the smaller ones here (2'Wx4'Lx24" deep) run around $100 new and larger ones can run several hundred bucks each!

Really, I think the most economical approach is to build wooden planters that cheap plastic nursery pots can be slipped into or planted in directly. But even wood is a bit of an expense as well, not to mention the soil mix necessary to fill. You are quite likely to spend as much, if not more, for supplies and materials for these as you would spend on a couple of good sized ceramic containers!

I find that it is sometimes more important to treat your outdoor living spaces like the extension of your indoor spaces that they are, especially if you spend a lot of time in them. And that means to furnish and decorate them the same way and with same philosophy you would an indoor room. I do realize that budgets often dictate our choices and if on a limited budget, approaching the project over time, purchasing and planting just a couple of pots each season, can lessen the impact.

So I would weigh the costs versus the benefits :-) You can go cheaply and make do with a mishmash of recycled containers or inexpensive DIY planters or take the long term approach to create an attractive and appealling outdoor living area that compliments both the interior and exterior of your home. And will avoid having it look like a recycle salvage yard!

The yard does not have to look like a recycle salvage- the cheap/recycled pots can be camouflaged with the much nicer wood planters just like garden nursery pots. In the case of using the square storage bins or kitty litter buckets, they fit/fill a bit nicer into a square wooden box surround than round pots can.

Garbage cans don't have to look garbage either- there are attractive ones out there. Or at least ones that more decorative or meant to be seen and look like pots and don't necessarily need to be hidden. They can also be handy for container growing stuff with deep roots. I container grow horseradish and salsify, and just couldn't find any pots that were big and deep enough till I found a nice trio of plain round heavy plastic garbage cans- they look a lot like the big pot on the left in the OP pic, only they came in black.

I guess it is a matter of aesthetics. I personally would not want my rooftop sitting/entertaining area looking like a collection of garbage cans, plastic kitty litter tubs or a jumple of recycled whatnots. I'd favor a more polished and professional approach, much the same one would follow to decorate the interior of one's home. This is not a vegetable garden out back after all......it is a living room! Just outdoors instead of in.

https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/49891508344184852/

It would be nice to find containers which had some connection with your location. Are there any traditional clay or metal containers you could repurpose? Or something connected with the wine industry? Barrels?

https://www.amazon.com/konln-Gallon-Raised-Garding-Growing/dp/B0772G824Q/ref=sr_1_13?keywords=felt+planters&qid=1552324620&s=gateway&sr=8-13

https://www.amazon.com/Vertical-Garden-Hanging-Pocket-Planters/dp/B07D9RQNSS/ref=sr_1_20?keywords=felt+planters&qid=1552324688&s=gateway&sr=8-20

It can indeed be a matter of aesthetics for the outside of the whole thing. If the outside wooden box is pretty, why does it have to be a garden nursery pot inside the box? Why not other alternative pots if the price is right and they can be had? All these containers, regardless of source, are inserts for the actual attractive surround.

I do like the notion of wood for dressing up. I think the OP could also do something like a stacked brick or rock wall surrounds to pop his pots in. Galvanized steel can be attractive. Some folks like bamboo or rattan kinds of surrounds.

Depends on what materials the OP has available and wants to use. And how DIY they want to be.

Since they like smaller succulents too, they could maybe get or build a garden tower, like this: Make a Vertical Garden Tower

I have made very attractive Versaille tubs using particle board, cut wood strips, wooden finials and sometimes ball feet. Actually I used golf balls for finials the first go around! Once painted they look fantastic and hide whatever plastic container I've needed for that size plant. They are very easy and cheap to make and can be designed to suit the pot. Most places will even cut the wood if you have measurements.

Check out these ideas on Pinterest....lots and lots of ideas.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/233976143112334842/?lp=true

These are from Ikea, not sure if they have stores in your country:
https://www.getgreenbewell.com/diy-a-trash-can-into-a-large-flower-pot-planter/

Look at this idea for succulents! Keep your eyes open for unusual options: