Real plants without bioactive substrate?

[Sasha2]

After doing some more research Im not sure that I want to do the whole bioactive thing., However I still want to incorporate live plants into the tank.

Could I put an inch of gravel in the tank for drainage, use weed block netting, add plants still in their pots and cover everthing with some kind of changeable substrate?
I dont want the pots to show or if I can find some kind of natural looking pots that would work too.
What would work best as a cover substrate? Im thinking either very deep layer of eco earth or cypress mulch. I would only water the potted plants.