One of my favorite Spring activities is planting my outdoor planters with little seedlings that will soon fill out into mass blooms spilling beautifully from their containers. Another favorite activity is choosing a few new planters every year. Most of my planters are kept on my 39′ X 11′ sundeck on the north side of my house, with a few large planters placed in the front yard area. When it comes time to plant, I fill my containers with good quality moist container planter mix, press healthy plants in firmly, add slow release fertilizer, and water well, then continue watering daily, or twice daily on really hot days.
Balcony Planters
I love these Brylanehome Bucket Brigade Fence-Top Planters – I would have to try them with flowers matching the colors of each of the planters for fun, but they look adorable this way too!
This Wooden Garden Plant Tray is another adorable herb or flower set that would look great on a balcony – love the rustic look. I’m bringing up an old wash tub stand to display some flowers on my deck this year, and this will look awesome on it!
The new LED lit up pots are quite interesting. The Instapark® Flower Power Color changing LED Plant Pot actually changes colors – hit the link or picture below to see the video. An interesting night feature for sure!
I have deck rails similar to the ones shown in the picture (below) showing these Exaco Trading Corsica Flower Bridge Planter, 2-Per Pack pots, and they are definitely on my wishlist now. The stabilizing mechanism to keep them from flopping around seems to be working for a lot of happy customers.
I love metal planters, and rustic ones, and these HomArt Square Galvanized Containers are really interesting. I like tall square shaped planters, and the varying heights in the set of three add further interest.
I love large planters, but rectangular ones can be heavy and awkward to move around without them. What I like about this EarthBox RB-EB-PBB Garden Kit is that it comes with wheels. These types of planters are great for growing large things on balconies that you can’t otherwise grow.
Multi-Tiered Planters
Multi-tiered planters are great for small spaces, and are well suited for strawberries. This particular model, Nancy Janes Stacking Planters comes in a set of three, but can be stacked up to nine units high. They are designed to allow for even water distribution through tubes when watered from above.
The CobraCo Floor Planter is another good choice, with generously sized 12 inch, 14 inch and 16 inch baskets to hold water easily, as small planters can dry out so quickly in the heat of summer.
Watering
I invested in a top quality Haws professional long reach outdoor watering can a few years ago and it was worth every penny. It is so much easier to haul around, and pours effortlessly even when full. If I were buying one today I don’t think I could resist this beauty: Haws V150BY Professional Outdoor Metal Watering Can, 2.3-Gallon/8.8-Liter, Burgundy
I also like to keep a coiled watering hose on my deck for hot days when the plants really need a good soaking. I think its worth spending money on a good hose the first time, rather than replacing them sometimes more than once a season. Water Right PCH-050-MG-6PKRS 50-Foot x 3/8-Inch Polyurethane Lead Safe Coil Garden Hose, Olive Green has all the elements I’m looking for, although some people may prefer a smaller 25′ hose if your balcony or patio area is small.
My Favorite Container Plants
- Argyranthemum (Cobbitty Daisy)
- Bacopa
- Bidens
- Brachyscome
- Calibrachoa (Million Bells)
- Coleus
- English Ivy
- Geranium
- Gerbera
- Golden thyme
- Helichrysum petiolare (Licorice plant)
- Heliotrope
- Ipomea batatas (Sweet Potato Vine)
- Lotus berthelotii (Parrot’s beak)
- Miniature Roses
- Osteospurmum
- Scaevola (Fan Flower)
- Thunbergia (Black-eyed Susan)
- Trailing Lobelia
- Trailing Petunias
- Verbena
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