Best Garden Containers

Some of the best garden containers aren’t just pots or urns.  All kinds are available for your container garden plantings.  Pots and urns are popular, but boxes, troughs and baskets have lots of advantages, depending on what you are planting and where your containers will be placed.

Boxes and troughs

Troughs and boxes are generally made of wood, concrete,
resin or plastics. They can be used alone or inserted into frames that make
them window boxes.

Lots of  boxes for windows or railings are made to accept plastic liners and metal ones are generally lined with
coco mattings. If you use liners, make
sure both the liner and the box have adequate drainage.

Baskets

Baskets are some of the best garden containers because of their versatility.  They can be used just
about anywhere. They are space saving so they’re great for small decks,
patios or balconies with little floor space. They are also lighter
weight than ceramics, wood or concrete which is important on balconies
or terraces where heavy containers aren’t practical.

Planting annuals
in hanging containers like these is a fast and easy way to bring color
into your garden area. Hang at eye level where the color can be enjoyed
and they will be easier to access for care. Line up hanging containers
and you have a good privacy screen or a natural shade awning in front of
exposed windows.

Hang them almost anywhere

Using baskets for container gardens allows you to hang them from almost anything.

Nothing grows well under a big tree in my backyard. It is very shady and my
dogs keep the ground beaten down. I
hang containers of fuchsia, impatiens and other shade plants
from the
lower branches. It’s a good way to fill up the open space between
tree and ground and it brings the
eye upward away from the ugly ground beneath the tree.

You can mount hooks on your deck rail and hang pots from
there too. Hanging baskets allow you to
have beautiful displays of flowers without taking up any floor space on your
patio, deck or porch.

Vary the lengths
of chain or the hooks from which your gardens hang. You will create a display that is
pleasing to look at, but also able to create privacy by taking up vertical
space.

Flat baskets are good for use along a flat wall – great for balconies
and terraces where floor space is at a minimum. You can also use them
against a trellis to create a wall or screen.

Shepherd’s hooks let you hang a basket in the middle of a
flower bed or in the yard to spruce up a bare spot.

The best garden containers to hang from rafters, rails and balconies need to be lightweight.  Baskets fit this bill.

If you are
gardening from an apartment balcony, with a unit above you, make sure the area from which you hang your pots
will support the weight of the container and its contents, plus water.

When mounting brackets or hangers, make
sure you use hardware that is right for the project. Pots made for hanging are lighter than
other containers for the most part but your mountings need to be able to
support the container, soil, plants and water.

Baskets are good for veggies and herbs too

Baskets are one of the best garden containers for herbs and vegetables.  

Compact herbs like compact thyme, sage, chives and mint work well – as do fruits or vegetables that vine – like strawberries and tomatoes.

Hang the containers low enough to make it easy to water, feed and harvest.

Choose the right material for your best garden containers

Baskets need more water

Using hanging baskets for container gardens does require more frequent
watering. Baskets tend to dry out more quickly than other
containers because they receive sun and wind from all directions and are
not
generally as deep as other containers. You will need to water them water
frequently.

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