Some plants can stand on their own for attractiveness, while others - even if they aren't ugly ducklings come to beauty more quickly when they share the stage with others.  You can have a thriving plant town of your own by grouping together pots in the same area.  I like to grow 2 different plants together in the same container.  I have done this with mixed results both indoors and out.

I have a spider plant in with another plant with the same type of leafs except that they are purple in color.  They had been together for 2 1/2 years and I decided that the spider needed it's own pot to grow more successfully in.  I took the spider out of its large pot and left it's side kick behind in it.  At first I thought I had done something to the roots, my single plant refused to grow and its leafs began to curl.  Spidie seem to withdrawn up within itself.  After 3 weeks of love only to be meant with horror - I packed them up to a trip to the nursery.  I told my tale of woe to the lady at the counter and she came around and gave me a hug.  She said the plants were lonely for each other.  I thought she was crazy.  A week later I put them back together in a bigger pot to allow for Spidie's wondering ways and the other plants towering.  I watered, talked to them till I was blue in the face and then left them alone for a week.  I went back and Spidie was sending out new little trails all over and I swear the other one grew 2" taller.  They are now a thriving 4 years old, happy together in the same pot.  They are simply beautiful together, but in all my years of raising plants I have never had two plants that only would thrive with each other!

There are dozen arrangments that you can make with attractive plants and just about any container will do - even if just for a little while.  Different types of cactus look great together when potted with the smaller variety in the front or in a circle with the larger one on the middle or towards the back.

Plain green leaves to accent the richness of colored leaves, shapes or textures.  A plain jane plant can look stunning when mixed with a varigated plants foliage.  This is a calming contrast and people tell me it makes them feel peaceful when they are around it.  Hairy and corrugated leaves are good with smooth and glossy and a trailer like my spidie or ivy that spills over is heart warming at best.

You can group plants according to shape.  A round potting bowl could call for a rounding of plants with a tall one in the center.  A climber or a spill over like Spidie can be trained to climb a small tomato triangle for a tall affect.  With a long potting bowl you could put high in the back, medium in the middle and small in the front.  Stay with 3 contrasts and no more.  You don't want your planter to look to busy.  Also a fancy container should be used for plainer plants as it will take away from multiple plantings. 

For quite varieties use differing shades of green.  Be sure plants in the same container have common needs - sunlight, water, fertilization - etc.  When I group tall and small plants I achieve a pleasant balance by using varigated leaves at a lower level than the star or the calming taller plant.  Make sure the container meets your display needs.    When filling a hanging basket with plants, don't let the plants out weigh the basket. 

The feathery asparagus is a great group hold it together.  The Christmas cactus so ready to bloom at Christmas gives that extra touch of beauty to your container.  But rember that the cactus takes less water than other varieties and to much water won't be a good thing for it.

Bright colored leaves soften the impact of the entire medley when you add sober-colored leaves.  Multicolored leaves are less eye awaking when they are surrounded by a trailing plant.  A great smashing of colors can liven up a plain area.  But in other areas its liveliness would be out of place and only add to the insanity of any given moment.  Tissue thin leaves need the warmth of humanity to stay alive. 

Flowering plants add that little extra - especially if they are long lasting.  The small begonia mixed with a wide leafy plant makes a dynamite centerpiece for your table.  A beautiful changing display that will replace those cut flowers everytime.  Chrysanthemums can be one flowering piece mixed with another outdoor plant.  The flowers never seem to last to long for me.  But not a problem, once they are through blooming I simply repot in the ground, knowing that next season that they will come in heavier and more beautiful than ever for sharing with all those passer bys. 

I have never had much luck with the bigger begonias, but have seen them in some marvelous displays of color mixed with the asparagus plant on someone's coffee table. 

if diving into the dirt is not what your needs are or where your talent lies.  Here is a simple way to have it all.  Buy a low long wide or thin pot with a flat bottom.  Buy your plants in the small pots and group them tall to low or any other arrangement that is soothing to your eye.