Decorative plant containers serve a dual purpose of holding your indoor or outdoor plants as well as adding interest and beauty to your living space or garden. There are many types of decorative plant containers, all of which are available online and in stores.

Best Decorative Plant Containers: Materials

Many materials are available to choose from for containers. You should always consider the advantages and disadvantages of each type of material.

• Wood: attractive and holds water well, however you must purchase wood that won’t rot
• Concrete: reliable and heavy, but may not be the most attractive material
• Plastic: relatively inexpensive, but may leak unhealthy chemicals into your plants’ soil
• Clay: attractive and slightly more breathable, but doesn’t hold water as well and is prone to cracking in winter
• Ceramics: come in many attractive varieties, but are also subject to cracks in extreme cold
• Hybrid: there are now also options that include a mix of synthetic and natural materials to create a happy medium material

Best Decorative Plant Containers: Size

Make sure you choose a decorative container large enough for your plant to grow successfully. Look at the space requirements for the roots of the plants you are trying to grow and purchase a container according to the requirements. A decorative container won’t look good if the plant inside isn’t doing well!

• Typically, you want 6”-8” of soil in your container to allow the plant to expand its root system
• To prevent standing water (and root suffocation,) use taller decorative plant containers
• A container that’s too wide will lead the plant to spend more resources on developing roots versus developing what’s above the soil

Best Decorative Plant Containers: Popular Trends

There is a large variety in popular designs for decorative plant containers. You should be able to find pots that will complement the design style of your indoor furniture as well as your backyard. However, it is also wise to choose containers that will work with any environment.

• Modern deco containers are very popular right now, with simple abstract shapes and colors that will work well with any modern-styled furnishings
• Patterned containers are also popular, with repeating stones, lines, and curves that make a beautiful addition to any household
• Intricately decorated containers are always popular, but typically you must find ones that truly complement the design style you have in mind
• Containers are available in any color, but if you want containers that will always be popular, choose more natural tones, like black, copper, and bronze

A vegetable planting chart can be used to help you determine when to start growing and harvesting your vegetables. Though every chart is different, it will also tell you details like how to space your plants and what the minimum soil temperature for a plant is. Generally, planting charts are made for specific areas or states, so they are specific to a location’s climate.

A vegetable planting chart is a great tool for anyone who is just starting their vegetable garden and needs some guidelines. As you grow and experiment more with your vegetable garden, you can even make your own planting chart that will be specific for your garden.

For some reading a planting chart for the first time, some of the terms used may be confusing. Here are explanations for some of the more common categories of a vegetable planting chart.

How to Use a Vegetable Planting Chart: Spacing Instructions

There are several instructions for different types of spacing or depths in vegetable planting charts. Here’s what each one means:

• “Spacing rows” means how much space is needed between the rows; this is based typically on how much space the plant will need to set and fruit at maturity
• “Spacing plants” concerns how much space is needed between individual plants, and is also based on the size of the mature plant
• “Spacing beds” refers to the space the plants need to grow in raised beds, and does not allow for additional space between rows
• “Planting depth” or “seed depth” refers to how deep the seed should be planted in the soil

How to Use a Vegetable Planting Chart: Time Instructions

Vegetable planting charts have several categories that deal with ranges or amounts of time.

• “Start early” or “date to sow indoors” refers to when or how much earlier you should being growing a vegetable indoors before putting it in the ground
• “Planting dates” generally gives the range of times when it is ideal to actually put a vegetable in the ground
• “Maturity” refers to how much time it will take the plant to fully mature, or become an adult

While they are typically different, each vegetable planting chart will tell you everything you need to know to grow your vegetables. There are many vegetable planting charts available online, whether they are free or cost money. There are also vegetable growing calendars, which are similar but they will work on a month-by-month basis to guide you in the seeding and harvesting of your vegetables.

Gardening in raised beds has many benefits for your garden. Raised beds create great drainage, and make it easy for you to adjust soil composition. They will also your soil warmer, meaning that you can plant your plants earlier in the season.

Best Raised Bed Gardening Ideas: Preparing the Space

Building your own raised beds for your garden is fairly easy, and can generally be done in a few hours. Here are some ideas and tips for how to prepare your garden to for raised beds.

• Remove sod and weeds from the planned raised bed site before placing the beds there
• Layer the bottom of the site with landscape fabric to keep pests out
• Orient your site north-south in order to maximize sun exposure, and plan to plant your taller plants on the north side
• Make sure the site for your raised bed is fairly level, and will allow for drainage away from the container

Best Raised Bed Gardening Ideas: Building Raised Beds

Raised gardening beds can be made from wood (pine or cedar), stone, concrete, logs or even just dirt. Depending on what materials you already have and what you need to buy, making a raised bed can be inexpensive or up to a couple hundred dollars.

• The raised bed can be any size you want, so long as there is at least 6” deep of space for plant roots
• For wood beds, make 4 sides of multiple 2×4 (or any size) boards
• Make 4×4 (or any size) posts for the inner corners to help hold the posts together; for whatever size you use, make sure your posts are the same height as your sides.
• Use wooden screws to hold your raised bed together

Best Raised Bed Gardening Ideas: Soil & Irrigation

Many people tend to set up a drip system for their raised beds so they don’t have to worry about watering them daily. Here are ideas for how to deal with soil and irrigation in your gardening beds.

• Fill your raised bed with quality soil up to about an inch under the top edge
• Mix compost into your soil to improve soil nutrition
• Vermiculite can also be added to help with water retention
• Using a garden hose is fine for watering plants, though it can be time consuming and wasteful
• A more economical option is a drip system, which involves small tubes that are placed throughout your beds that will slowly water your plants

Building raised beds in your yard is easy and beneficial for your garden!

Tomatoes are one type of vegetable that is easily grown in containers. What’s great about growing them in containers is that you can easily adjust the conditions surrounding your tomatoes.  While it is fairly easy to grow tomatoes in containers, there are still some guidelines you will want to follow to grow the best tomatoes possible.

How to Container Garden Tomatoes: Starting the Plants

You can grow any type of tomato in containers, but there are species that are more easy to manage when grown in containers. Typically, you are looking for tomato plants that will grow more compact and bushy.

• For larger tomatoes, choose plants like Patio Hybrid and Husky Red or Husky Gold Hybrid
• For regular-sized tomatoes, choose plants like Mountain Delight, Mountain Pride, or Celebrity
• For cherry tomatoes, choose plants like Red Robin, Yellow Canary, Tiny Tim, or Cherry Gold
• You can either start the plants from seeds indoors in mid-March or April, or buy pre-grown plants in May

How to Container Garden Tomatoes: Suitable Containers

Tomatoes can be grown in a variety of containers, but they tend to grow quickly so make sure to use a large enough container.

• For smaller plants, use any pot that has a 12” diameter and is 12” deep
• A 5-gallon bucket or container is always the perfect size and inexpensive
• Make sure your container has multiple drainage holes at the bottom
• Place a coffee filter or something similar at the bottom of the container to prevent soil from spilling out of the holes and keep pests from getting in

How to Container Garden Tomatoes: Potting Soil

Often for container gardening, you do not want to use soil straight from your garden. Instead make or purchase a soil that will work well for container gardening.

• Good-quality potting mix bought from the store usually works fine
• You can also make your own peat or compost-based soil
• For organic tomatoes, find good-quality organic potting soil from the store
• To plant the tomato plant, place some soil on the bottom first, and then set the plant inside. Bury the roots and stem just below the lowest leaves and fill in with potting soil
• You should leave about an inch of space below the rim of the pot for future watering

How to Container Garden Tomatoes: Tomato Plant Care

Since your tomatoes are growing in containers, you will have to make sure you are attentive to their needs of water and nutrients.

• Either add a slow-release fertilizer to your soil or every two to three weeks, add a water-soluble fertilizer
• Water your tomato containers every day, and make sure the soil is not too dry or soggy
• Place your tomatoes in a location where they will get at least 8 hours of sun a  day and are protected from strong winds
• The more tomatoes you pick, the more will pop up!

There are many simple ways to spruce up your garden. Even though these ideas may be simple to design or add to your garden, they can make a large difference in how your garden looks!

Best Simple Garden Ideas: Patio

Creating a patio space in your garden is a great way to make a place for relaxation or socializing in your yard.

• Put down some concrete or stones to make a flat area where you can put some chairs and a table
• Border your patio with planters or containers to help make it stand out in your garden
• Make some shade for your patio by buying or purchasing a structure to go overhead; you can even grow vine or climber plants on the top to add beauty to your structure

Best Simple Garden Ideas: Pathways

Creating some simple 3’-4’ wide pathways through your garden adds style as well as allows people to explore your garden.

• Use round or square concrete blocks embedded in the ground to create a pathway
• Clear plants from your planned walkway, and then fill it will small pebbles
• Use a plain dirt walkway and line the sides with rocks or one type of plant
• Place items of interest along the walkway, like arches or water features

Best Simple Garden Ideas: Create a Design

If you plan beforehand what you want your plants to look like altogether, it will help your garden visually and make for less transplanting later.

• Plant color in groups and then surround them with evergreen shrubs to provide contrast
• Layer your plants from shortest to tallest so that you will be able to see all of your plants once they are fully grown
• Consider covering ugly fences/walls with vines or climber plants
• If you want to add above ground features, like raised beds or containers, make sure you make space for them
• To add privacy to any place in your garden, use taller shrubs/bushes

Best Simple Garden Ideas: Install Other Features

If you have the finances, you may want to consider adding features like an outdoor kitchen or a pool to your garden. This will allow for more opportunities to be outside and enjoy your garden!

• Installing a pool is great for those who have children or like to host events; you can always decorate your pool deck with potted plants
• An outdoor kitchen or bar is a great place for socializing in your garden
• Install a fountain or waterfall to add a soothing visual and audial feature

Strawberries are most easily grown in special pots or planters. Typically, these pots are shaped like an urn and have holes on the sides which allow the plant to spread out. With these special pots or planters, which can be left above ground or buried in soil, growing strawberries becomes fairly easy to do.

Best Strawberry Pots & Planters Tips: Pot Materials

There are several materials that strawberry pots can be made out of. Strawberry plants will grow in each material, but each has pros and cons.

• Plastic can be decorative or plain, and is generally inexpensive; sometimes it can be too light and will lead to your plants falling over in the wind
• Terra cotta/clay is usually attractive and will hold heat well, however it loses moisture readily and so needs to be watered more often
• Wooden barrels are also good at holding heat and add interest to your garden, however they tend to be heavy and may rot if not made of good wood
• Ceramic pots are attractive and retain water well, but they are generally more expensive

Best Strawberry Pots & Planters Tips: Installing Strawberry Plants

With a different sort of pot and growing style, you have to put your strawberry plants into your pots a certain way. Know that for a strawberry pot, ever-bearing and day-neutral are the best types of strawberry plants to use.

• Fill the pot up with soil until the lowest pocket(s) and insert one plant into each pocket; fill around them with soil
• Insert a 1” tube with holes drilled in its side into the pot, but not directly over the drainage hole; use this later to make sure that all the pockets will get sufficient water
• Continue filling in soil and adding plants to pockets until you reach 2” below the rim
• Add 3-4 plants to the top of the container and fill in with soil

Best Strawberry Pots & Planters Tips: Long-term Care

Strawberries are perennials, so as long as you take good care of them, they should continue to produce fruit year after year. They can fairly easily be grown in either pots or planters. Here are some tips for keeping your strawberry plants alive and healthy in the long run!

• Any soil high in organic matter will work well for strawberry plants; consider adding compost, peat, leaf mold, or bone meal to make even better soil
• Strawberry plants need at least six hours a day of sunlight
• Water daily or as needed
• Either add a slow-release fertilizer to the soil or fertilize every few weeks with a water-soluble fertilizer
• Watch for pests or fungus, which will need to be treated with some application of insecticide or fungicide
• Pick strawberries when they are ripe, and remove any rotting fruit or yellowed leaves

When you plan for your vegetable container garden, you need to think about which containers to purchase. The material and size of your containers will affect the plants that grow inside of them, so make sure you know which containers are the best to choose!

Best Containers for Gardening Vegetables: Choosing Containers

When you choose a container for your vegetables, you need to think about the material their made of. You have the ability to choose between many different materials that are appropriate for plant growth, but also serve as decoration for your garden. Here are the best materials for containers:

• Rot-resistant wood will keep your plants moist
• Clay or terracotta looks good but tends to lose water more easily
• Good-quality plastic is cheap and easy to get
• Ceramics always look nice, but should not be used in winter
• Non-traditional containers include boots, laundry baskets, grocery bags, bowls, teapots, etc.; you can use anything as long as it is large enough and is well-drained
• Darker containers will absorb more heat and need to be protected from the sun on hot days
• You can also purchase a self-watering container, but you would need to make that your plant does not have standing water

Best Containers for Gardening Vegetables: Plants & Container Size

To choose the correct containers for your vegetable garden, you need to know how large your plants are and how much space they will need. Here are some vegetables that are great for container gardening:

• Peas
• Potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Eggplant
• Peppers
• Radishes
• Baby Carrots
• Zucchini squash
• Green beans
• Leaf Lettuce

Choose the size of your containers relative to the plant you will be growing: shallow-rooted plants (lettuce, peppers, radishes) should be 6” across and 8” deep, and larger plants (tomatoes, squash) need larger containers, like a half-barrel or large plastic bucket. On your seed packets it should say how much space the plant will need to grow. Larger containers will retain more moisture, but you should keep your space restrictions in mind when you purchase your containers.

Best Containers for Gardening Vegetables: Good Drainage

Good drainage is essential in any container. If there is standing water in a container, it can attract insects and disease. If there isn’t enough water, your plant will not be able grow.

• Choose a container that has holes in the bottom of it, or make holes yourself; there should at least be one large hole, or several smaller ones
• Line the bottom of your container with newspaper or a coffee filter, and place gravel on top of it to help with drainage
• Purchase a soilless mix; they have great drainage and will fend-off disease and weeds
• Water your vegetables every day or as needed; as long as the soil is moist 1” deep, your vegetables have enough water

Follow these tips, and you will be on your way to a successful growing season. Good luck with your vegetable container garden!

A patio is a space for outdoor relaxation. Adding a garden to your patio will make your patio more beautiful and interesting. It’s also a great way to continue gardening if you are limited by outdoor space.

Best Patio Gardening Ideas: Borders

Lining your patio with plants will help it stand out as a room in your yard. If you have a smaller patio, use smaller plants or trim often to prevent your patio from being overwhelmed

• Build or buy raised planters and fill them with plants to border your patio
• Line the edge of your patio with plants in containers; this will make it a little easier for you to change the plants lining your patio if you so desire
• If you want to add some privacy to your patio, plant taller shrubs or bushes instead of smaller plants
• You can layer your flowers so that the tallest are in the back, and the shortest “trailing” plants are in the front

Best Patio Gardening Ideas: Hanging Plants

If you have a structure over your patio or railings on the sides, it is very easy to add some hanging plants to your garden.

• Find some hanging baskets that you can put soil and complementary plants into; you can hang them on your structures or leave them on the ground
• With nearby railings, consider buying railing flower boxes and filling them with flowers or plants of your choice

Best Patio Gardening Ideas: Trellis & Lattice Plants

Plants that use a trellis or lattice can also help make height or create a breathable wall for your patio.

• Choose vines or climbers, like honeysuckle, morning glories, or trumpet vines, to grow on your trellis
• Place your trellis/lattice against a wall to make a plain wall more beautiful , or place it on an open side of your patio to help create shade and/or privacy
• For your structures or pergolas, you can also place a lattice on top and grow plants like wisteria, jasmine, or magnolias that will cover and trail off the top

Best Patio Gardening Ideas: Tabletops

If you have counter-tops on your patio, that’s another simple way to add plants!

• Use smaller plain or decorative containers with attractive smaller plants to decorate your countertops
• If there’s a side table you don’t use much, consider making a pot that had layered plants and trailing ones on the edges to drape over your table
• Grow a container vegetable garden that will be accessible, delicious, and fun to look at

Any of these patio gardening ideas will help transform your patio into an inviting and beautiful space!

Railing flower boxes are great for any place around the outside of your home where you want to add a miniature garden. They’re relatively easy to install, move, and decorate, and are a great way to add beauty to the outside of your home!

Railing Flower Boxes: Sizes & Placement

While most flower boxes are fairly similar in size, there are enough so that you can choose boxes based on the sizes you want. Once you’ve picked out the right flower box, follow these tips for the best placement of your flower boxes.

• Make sure that your railings will hold the weight of your flower boxes, and are the right width for the railing brackets you use
• If your flower box is going on a railing under the window, pick a box that is a little wider than the window itself
• Unless you have plants that prefer shade, place your flower boxes in locations where they will get plenty of sun
• Try to avoid areas that are subject to particularly windy conditions

Railing Flower Boxes: Design Ideas

When you choose your flower boxes, make sure their design match the architectural and visual style of your home.  There are many designs to choose from, all of which are available in a gardening store or online.

• For wooden and white railings, there are many options for white or wooden flower boxes, including lattice patterned, basket weave pattern, or just plain boxes.
• If you have metal railings, hayrack troughs are a beautiful addition that will blend perfectly
• You can also paint your flower boxes to complement your house; you could even add a color to create a trim around your house

Railing Flower Boxes: Planting Design

Many people make the mistake of planting only one row of the same plant within a flower box. Give your flower boxes more shape and interest by adding more plants and planting them in rows.

• Choose several different plants to be together in a box that vary in size and texture, but have similar needs
• Put the same plants in a line, with three or four lines of different plants, and create a windowed pattern
• Layer your plants from tallest (in the back) to shortest (in the front); you can also put trailing plants in the front to create an overflowing look

Railing Flower Boxes: Plant Care

Since your plants are in boxes and not in the ground, you need to care of them differently. Here are some tips for how to take care of plants inside your railing flower boxes.

• Buy soilless mixes to fill your boxes, which are lightweight and help prevents pests and disease
• Make sure there’s a drainage mat or something similar at the bottom of your flower boxes
• Use a slow-release or water-soluble fertilizer as needed
• Watch the moisture levels of the soil in your boxes, and water at least once a day
• Remove dead or dying flowers and leaves from your boxes to keep your plants healthy

Having large planters indoors can transform an ordinary looking room. There are many large, decorative planters available online and in stores that range in style from modern to classic and everything in between. While it is easy to choose a stylish large indoor planter, it is also important to maintain your planters, so that your plants will survive and keep your indoors looking great.

Best Care for Large Indoor Planters: Choosing Plants

There are many larger plants that will grow well and look great in your larger indoor planters. Depending on how you want your room to look— tropical, desert, traditional, zen, etc—there are many plants to that will give you just the feeling you want. Here are just a few ideal for growing indoors:

• Ficus
• Bromeliads
• Palms (especially Coco palm)
• Dracaena
• Stomanthe
• Succulents/cactus
• Citrus
• Alocasia
• Philodendron
• Kalanchoe
• Maindenhair ferns
• Orchids
• Diffenbachia

Best Care for Large Indoor Planters: Best Location

Being indoors means that your plants will be subjected to a very limited environment in the ways of nutrition. You must make sure you put your plant in a place where it will be able to get everything it needs to survive.

• Place your planters by a large window or skylight so they can get (at least) 6 hours of sunlight a day
• If you do not have enough light indoors for your plants, consider getting artificial fluorescent lighting for them
• Place the planters where there aren’t large fluctuations in temperature; temperatures in bedrooms or living rooms stay fairly constant
• Keep your plants away from direct heat sources like heaters or fireplaces; your plants will dry out very easily
• Avoid placing your plants in high traffic areas unless they are well-groomed and will not bother someone walking by

Best Care for Large Indoor Planters: Plant Care

Watch your plants carefully and make sure to water or fertilize them as needed. It is also important to check for insects and disease.

• Use distilled water (which prevents mineral buildup) to water your plants as needed
• Using a non-salt based product to fertilize your plants will also prevent mineral buildup
• Remove dust from plant leaves  with a soft cloth to allow the plant to absorb as much light as possible
• Prune your plants on a regular basis as they grow
• Catch any disease or pests early on to prevent a real problem from occurring; if it does become a serious issue, make sure to only use products safe for living areas.
• Sometimes plants will benefit from being outside for a while, so place your movable planters outside every once in a while if you can