Planters are a versatile, low maintenance option to yield a quick “wow” factor to your upland home. The choices in planter styles are as diverse as the plants you select to adorn them. They come with a bit of a learning curve, so here I’ll share a few tips that have helped me over the years.
When selecting the planter itself? There are a few items to consider:
- Style. You want your planters to look fabulous! Choose a landscape store that knows it’s stuff and stay away from obvious plastic. I know it’s tempting. It’s inexpensive and it’s lightweight. But it also fades, is terrible for the environment, and doesn’t breathe. Natural materials breathe and when it comes to planting? Especially in the warm, damp summer months? This matters. Roots need proper circulation to ward off bacteria and fungi. So consider spending a bit more at the outset to protect future plantings. If weight is an essential consideration, fiberglass containers are more tolerant of temperature changes, are more durable than plastic, and frankly more attractive than plastic.
- Drainage/Depth. For planters that sit on my patio and my deck? I go big. I love the visual impact of large planters as well as their flexibility when it comes to selecting plant materials. I can plant anything from trees, to shrubs, to grasses, to annuals. It all works. So I select planters that are usually a few feet in depth. This can become heavy quickly. You can place them on rollers if you need to move them on a regular basis. You can also fill the bottom ½ or more of the container with a lightweight “filler” and over top, layer potting soil. I’ve used empty aluminum cans in the past and am trying old Styrofoam pool noodles our children no longer use this year. I’ll let you know how it works. What I can report has never worked well for me are the plastic inserts meant to shorten the depth of the planter when you place then inside. So you’re essentially only using the top ¼ of the planter. Perhaps if you drill more holes in them you’ll have better luck than I?
- Window Boxes. I love, love window boxes. I have them at our upland home and they add quick, rewarding charm in every season. Especially during the dark winter months when I stuff mine with pine branches and bittersweet clipped from our woods. Not ideally, however, our window boxes are tucked under the roof soffit (away from the rain), and they receive direct sun all morning long. This makes it difficult to leave them unattended for the week. If you’re commuting during the summer months? Select drought-tolerant annuals or perennials. Lavender, rosemary, licorice–all good possibilities. And they smell lovely through your open windows in the summer sun. I haven’t found the perfect item to add color yet but this year will try some alyssum this year and report back.
- Planters as a Nursery. When I first built my upland home the task of landscaping the property felt overwhelming–physically and financially. I wanted summer color on my large deck but didn’t want to throw money into showy yet short-lived annuals. Solution? I nursed six Endless Summer hydrangea bushes and two river birch trees in my collection of large terracotta planters. My deck looked beautiful all summer and in the fall? When planting time is optimal? I integrated them into my landscaping. The only consideration if you take this approach is the need for regular watering. In this case, our planters were able to benefit from rain and more gentle sun exposure. But clearly this will be a defining factor in your ability to nurse any plant successfully.
- Group Small Planters for Big Impact. I don’t only use large, oversize planters. On a ledge near our grill I have a collection of smaller pots and cachepots that I use for herbs. They look completely charming (especially with a few hurricane lanterns mixed in) and prevent the need to buy over-priced, grocery store herbs for every meal. Small topiaries or annuals scattered between brings even more interest to the group. To avoid a cluttered look, select containers that share a similar texture, color, or theme.
- Keep a Record. Do a better job than I do at this! When you buy your container plants, tack the plant tags onto a bulletin board. Or throw them in a Ziplock baggie and into your junk drawer. Whatever you do, keep track of what works because when the following spring rolls around? And you’re staring-down an overwhelming plant selection at your local nursery? Trust me, you’ll be scratching your head to recall what you planted years prior that turned out to be a real showstopper!
Resources
White Flower Farms You’ll love their selection or perenials, bulbs, shrubs, trees, etc. And they can ship straight to your upland home, which is fabulous and saves you destroying your car with dirt and mulch.
Orangerie Garden + Home This beautiful, independently-owned store located in Milbrook, NY is as perfect a source for pots and planters as it is for inspiration. You’ll dream. You’ll drool. You won’t be sorry.
Campania International Fabulous containers. And again, they’ll ship!
Ballard Designs Reliable Ballard Designs always comes through with great design at a remarkable price point. You’ll find they carry a range of planters in a variety of materials and again, they’ll ship!
