Gardening Sweet Spots
By Donna Hessel
It’s March and spring is right around the corner. Don’t you have that urge to start hauling out your containers and visualizing where you will put them and what you will plant in them? After you’ve liberated your pots from their winter storage, take a good look at those you’ve been using since who knows when. Are they starting to look a little worn? Time to purchase a few new ones? There are so many to choose from! Here are some tips to help you select the right pots for the right places.
The size and shape of a pot is important. A large container works well in most spaces, while smaller pots have more impact when grouped together. A tall, slender container evokes elegance and adds height, while multiple short containers can lead the eye through a scene. A tall, narrow pot is less stable than a squat, low one. Tall pots are great for trailing plants that will cascade over the edges and are not top heavy. Shallow containers work best at the front of a group of taller containers. Avoid planting into a narrow-necked pot (with a body larger than the neck), as it is difficult to get a plant out once its roots have spread. However, that beautiful shape without plants in it and in a vibrant color could be the perfect focal point in a planted garden.
If you are investing in large containers, buy the best you can afford as they will be around for some time. For the same reason, select classic shapes and styles that will complement any garden. Color can provoke a mood; bold hues of yellow or red create drama and excitement, while cooler tones of blue and green are more serene. If those brightly colored pots are calling your name, remember that they will restrict your planting choices, and you may soon tire of the trendy fashion statement. On the other hand, if you’re looking to create a focal point in your landscape, maybe that brightly colored pot is just the one you need.
Selecting a pot with hues similar to your home’s exterior connects the house with the landscape. When choosing containers, the materials and architectural details of your house can act as a starting point. A Craftsman or Victorian style home is more suited to traditional urns, while a ranch or contemporary style home is complemented by modern planters. Match warm brick walls with terra-cotta pots or a white-sided colonial style with classic lead colored planters. Copper tubs or weathered wooden barrels would work well with a rustic timber home.
A Wide Variety of Choices
Plant containers come in a wide variety of prices, sizes, colors, shapes and materials. Each specific material has advantages and disadvantages of its own. Where you want to keep the potted plant, your climate, aesthetic value, ease of maintenance and cost are all factors you need to consider.
Ceramic containers are made from finely textured, light-colored clay and then glazed. Firing at a high kiln temperature reduces porosity and vulnerability to the elements. However, if a ceramic pot is left out in freezing weather it can crack. Ceramic pots are durable but also very heavy. Ceramic planters also tend to be expensive, but are available in a wide variety of color glazes and designs. They come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, with large bowls being among the most common.
Terra cotta is a type of clay that is commonly used in making pots and planters of various sizes and shapes. Terra cotta pots can be as small as two inches in diameter or height, and as large as the creator’s imagination. The shapes and sizes of containers from this material are seemingly endless, so they are quite versatile. It is typically a warm reddish brown color and offers an earthy appeal to gardeners. Terra cotta also tends to be readily available and affordable. Two negative aspects of terra cotta are that it is more fragile than some of the other options, and that it is generally sold unglazed and is therefore permeable. This means that the pot can lose moisture from the inside and soak in moisture from the outside. Terra cotta pots need to be stored in winter upside down and ideally indoors to prevent destruction from the elements.
Fiberglass planters are created from a blend of resin and glass fibers. These pots are often molded to look like terra cotta or stone pots. Sometimes limestone or clay is added to the resin blend to create a more attractive texture. This choice might not be the most ecologically friendly, but it does have quite a few advantages. The best resin containers are made of low-density polyethylene and have a strong inner core, a center protective layer and an outer shell of indestructible resin. Not all resin is created equal. The garden planters at local nurseries are made of ‘resin’ but this type of resin originates from a high-density polyethylene, meaning it’s really just plastic. The best resin planters have the following advantages:
- They withstand the elements without cracking. Over time, fluctuating temperatures may cause small cracks.
- Many styles and sizes are available and containers are very lightweight but still heavy enough to withstand a gust of wind. Lightweight planters make it easy to rearrange them each season.
- Resin planters are made using almost entirely recycled materials and they can be recycled when they wear out.
- Resin retains its color if UV inhibitors have been added during manufacture. All stains, including paint can be removed with some scrubbing with a cleanser.
- Resin cannot corrode so will not rust if knocked by a lawn mower or weed wacker.
Plastic containers can also be made to look like other materials, but is less realistic or durable than fiberglass or resin planters. Thicker versions of plastic planters can be made to look like stoneware or terra cotta pots, but they do not have the heft of the real thing. Plastic planters come in an endless number of sizes and shapes and most plants that you purchase will be in a plastic container is because it is the cheapest container for commercial growers to use. Plastic pots work best for plants that like their potting soil to stay on the moist side, instead of drying out quickly.
Containers in wood, metal or concrete are also available. The largest drawback to wood is rot, so lining wood containers with plastic is advisable. Metal containers are very durable. Aluminum pots will be lighter weight, won’t rust and cost less than other metals. But you might also find copper-coated stainless steel, zinc, lead and copper options. Concrete planters work well for large plants but are difficult to move. Concrete is a reliable insulator and will protect the roots of plants during times of temperature changes.
As commercial growers become more ecologically aware, they may begin to offer plants in pressed paper or coir pots. Pressed paper pots are great for veggies as they breathe well, promoting healthy root growth. They are biodegradable and some can be planted along with their plants right into the soil. Coir pots are economically and ecologically sound choices. They are made from coconut husks and are studier than pressed paper pots but have all the same benefits.
It’s possible to plant directly into any container so long as you create drainage holes. Drilling through wood, plastic or fiberglass is relatively easy. You can make a drain hole in a clay pot by using an electric drill with a masonry bit.
Think of large containers as design features that can reinforce the permanent structure of your garden. Small pots dotted about the wider garden tend to look lost. Keep these close to the house in places where there is a chance to stop and admire small plants. Use containers in the same color and size as a low-key way of directing visitors around the garden. Planters at different levels are the key to good group displays. Use terra-cotta saucers under pots where possible to prevent staining floor surfaces. Large saucers can be a feature in themselves with a layer of attractive pebbles in the saucer. Raise pots off the saucers or other surface with pot feet. I like using the plastic lids of peanut butter or mayonnaise jars as (free) pot feet.
Treat yourself to some new containers this spring. The right pot in the right place can transform even the most mundane space into something extraordinary.
Sources:
- https://gardenerspath.com/how-to/containers/plant-containers-pots-planters-material-best/
September 7, 2014 by Lynne Jaques - Gardendesign.com (Choosing the Right Container)
- https://smartgardenguide.com/plastic-vs-clay-pots-for-plants/
- https://www.terracastproducts.com/7-reasons-resin-planters-number-one/ (Resin Planters)
Photos courtesy pexels.com and archpot.com
