How-To: Picking Your Outdoor Planters
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.
