I recently came across some smart tips for picking a planter for your outdoor plants on Domino, and I thought I'd summarize them for you, since it's Good to Grow month, afterall. You probably never realized what a difference the look of your planter can make on your home. So before you go and pick up a classic terracotta for your sleek, modern home, consider these tips like you would a new sofa for your living room.

• SHAPE Choose it like you would anything else in your home. Here's a few ways to think about shapes, as they relate to your home.
  » Square/Urn: formal, traditional, Colonials, brick rowhouses, stone manses
  » Rounded/Galvanized: casual, country, cottages, wood houses
  » Geometric: modern, ranch, Richard Neutra-style houses
  » Angular: versatile, brownstones, apt. balconies, farmhouses, bungalows

To hear more tips, read more.

• SIZE Small, shallow pots are good for low-growing plants. "Choose a pot about half as high as the plant is tall." "The bigger the pot the less you'll need to water."
• MATERIALS Consider the pros and cons of each type before you buy.
  » Terracotta.
  pros: classic, tones complement flowers, versatile, widely available in stores and all shapes/sizes
  cons: freezes in cold temp., breaks easily, not unique
  » Metal.
  pros: comes in all styles
  cons: often without drainage holes and rims to hold, gets too hot in Summer
  » Cast stone and ceramic.
  pros: glamorous, available in lots of colors, patterns, and finishes
  cons: freezes in cold temp., breaks easily, colors can distract from your garden
  » Fiberglass and resin.
  pros: often good fakes with classic lines of metal and stone, light, cheap to ship
  cons: fake, crack easily
• FUNCTION Your planter needs to have enough soil to support your plant's roots. You'll need "at least a few inches of free soil around the roots in the new pot." It also needs drainage holes on the bottom. If not, you'll need to put it inside a plastic pot first, and remove it when watering.

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