Planters are a great way to add a splash of colour to your garden, balcony or deck. Whether you're after a raised bed for growing veggies, a hanging planter for flowers or one with a trellis for climbing plants, planters come in a range of sizes and materials including wood, zinc, terracotta and plastic.
The term 'planter' is generally used to refer to a long container used to plant flowers, particularly on a balcony or deck. Planters come in a wide range of shapes and sizes to suit different purposes whether you're looking to brighten up a corner of the garden or deck, grow herbs or vegetables or even decorate an indoor space.
Whether you have acres of gardening land, a small greenhouse or a single, sunny windowsill in a tiny apartment, you have the means to grow plants. Regardless of the size of your garden space, the physical and psychological rewards of gardening are numerous. Weeding, watering and raking provide exercise, while the act of gardening is both relaxing and stress-relieving. To achieve gardening success, consider the growing environment. There are distinct differences between outdoor and indoor growing, so you must adapt your gardening style to provide the best care for your plants.
All plants require light to grow, though the amount of light varies by plant species. Indoor growing spaces receive light through windows, but not all windows provide ample lighting. South-facing windows provide the most sunlight, but not all homes have south-facing windows or the number of windows is few. One option is to add indoor growing lights to the home, but this can be expensive and expends high amounts of energy.
Indoor plants benefit greatly from being placed outdoors when nighttime temperatures are above 60 degrees Fahrenheit. When growing outdoors, there is more available light from the sun, but it's important to consider that some indoor plants require little light and must be placed in shaded ares. Outdoor growing also means plants are subjected to the shortening of days, which for many plants is the trigger to flower or produce seed. An indoor plant that requires full sun might not receive enough sun to bloom.
One of the biggest problems with indoor growing is water regulation. Outdoor plants receive periodic water from rainfall but owners must provide the water supply for indoor plants. In many cases, eager plant owners give indoor plants too much water, leaving the plants susceptible to root rot or fungus that can kill plants. When plants are grown outdoors, excess water is more easily drained away from the plants. Conversely, when the water supply is limited, outdoor plants' roots continue to grow in search of water supply, while indoor plants' roots are bound by their containers.
Many plants are sensitive to the chemicals added to tap water and would benefit from being watered with rainwater. Spider plants, for example, are sensitive to fluoride, a chemical commonly added to city water supplies to improve dental health. This leads to thinning leaves or browned ends of the foliage.