Container Gardens
Potted Plants Perk Up the Streets of Coastal France
Dotting a stairway or perched on a café table, plants in colorful pots and vibrant flowers make a picturesque scene in a town on the coast
I've spent the past week soaking up the local color in Collioure, France. It's a town so full of beauty and charm that we basically threw all our planned day trips out the window and have been enjoying the architecture, colors, art, vistas and locals right there in town.
Collioure, along the Ruby Coast, is so beautiful that it inspired vibrant colors to emerge onto the canvases of Matisse and Derain in 1905. This style of art, which expressed strong, unexpected colors, was dubbed fauvism. One of the most charming ways residents embrace color and art here nowadays is via simple potted plants that dot the streetscape; they line stairs, sit atop balconies, are perched on tables and chairs, and are mounted right onto the exterior walls.
See how you can add color to your potted plants with a look at some of my favorites.
Collioure, along the Ruby Coast, is so beautiful that it inspired vibrant colors to emerge onto the canvases of Matisse and Derain in 1905. This style of art, which expressed strong, unexpected colors, was dubbed fauvism. One of the most charming ways residents embrace color and art here nowadays is via simple potted plants that dot the streetscape; they line stairs, sit atop balconies, are perched on tables and chairs, and are mounted right onto the exterior walls.
See how you can add color to your potted plants with a look at some of my favorites.
A pink geranium in a ceramic pot tops an orange café chair outside a shop door. The town shops are full of wonderful local ceramic pieces.
Shattered ceramics make for unique mosaic pots. Red flowers are the pìece de résistance.
Here they line the stairs to an art gallery that has a shutter door painted a vibrant hue.
You can see how the previous vignette fits into the greater streetscape, an inviting alley full of colorful shops and galleries.
Bold lines of color enliven this stucco wall.
Pops of green rejuvenate old stone walls.
One of my friends wished the laundry line had been empty for her picture, but I think it adds interest to this lovely tiny balcony scene.
Who knew a purple plastic pot could look so good? Another wonderful embellishment seen throughout Collioure is the use of ceramic tile as an architectural detail.
Our one day trip took us from the Mediterranean coast into the Pyrenees and the town of Céret. This is a town where cubism thrived and a group of famous artists created The Céret Museum of Modern Art; I highly recommend a visit.
Small pots add dots of green to this building's facade.
"Why is this crazy American taking a picture of my geraniums?"
Collioure has tropical plants like this palm and vineyard grapes up the hillsides, yet from out on the water, snow-capped mountains are visible in the distance.
This facade has one of the best uses of faux bois I've ever seen.
This facade has one of the best uses of faux bois I've ever seen.
Terra-cotta pots full of plants create a base for wild vines that climb from the ground up over the roof.
Who needs a vase full of cut flowers when a simple terra-cotta pot and plant will thrive for much longer?
Try this at home with a begonia or Spanish geranium. If your chairs are a little more ho-hum than these French bistro chairs, add a blue and white gingham tablecloth.
More:
Houzz Tour: Charming, Bright Country Home in France
Houzz Escape: Off to the South of France
Product Picks: That French Je Ne Sais Quoi
Try this at home with a begonia or Spanish geranium. If your chairs are a little more ho-hum than these French bistro chairs, add a blue and white gingham tablecloth.
More:
Houzz Tour: Charming, Bright Country Home in France
Houzz Escape: Off to the South of France
Product Picks: That French Je Ne Sais Quoi