Container gardening has increased greatly in popularity. People do not necessarily have the space or the time to care for a regular garden. They are interested in surrounding themselves with plants, decorating their patios, pools and decks, maybe even raising a tomato plant for a tasty summer treat. Add to this the fact that people want those containers to match the style of their homes or to create a theme. It is a good thing that there are so many ways to create garden planters customized to individual needs and tastes.
A custom planter can be as simple as cutting the top off a gallon milk jug and poking some holes in the bottom for drainage. It is not pretty, but it is effective and fast. If the contained plant is a draping type such as a petunia, the container may well be covered with foliage anyway. This is certainly a way to keep a plant for a few days or weeks while a gardener makes the planter of his or her dreams. It is also a viable option for starting seeds or for children learning to garden. They can even decorate their planters with paint or with glued-on shells, beads, or other decoration.
A big step up from the milk jug is the purchased pot or other planter that is then individualized by the purchaser. An infinite number of painting options exist. They can be painted as solid colors, stripes, or splashes. Colors may be applied using stamps or stencils available at any hobby shop to add a shape or pattern such as a star, a flower or a heart. You might buy a planter that is all one color but has patterns molded into it. Paint or stain can be used to embellish the pattern. A new planter can be made to look old by sponging on dark green, brown, black, or a combination of those colors. Planters made of porous materials can be sponged with diluted yogurt or milk to encourage the growth of moss and algae.
For a rustic look, make a planter out of an old log. Simply hollow out the inside using a hammer and wood chisel. You can lay the log on its side with a lengthwise hollow or stand it up and hollow out the end. Log planters look wonderful next to a woodland path or in any informal area.
Old furniture can be converted into planters. Remove all upholstery and work with the frame. Replace the seat on a chair with a bowl-shape of poultry netting or hardware cloth. Cover that with sphagnum moss to hold in dirt, then ad soil and plants. Vines can grow up the back of the chair if you would like. Who hasn’t seen a garden “bed” made from an old bed frame and headboard?
Sometimes, in designing gardens with containers, one does not want the container to be seen at all. Use old plastic nursery pots to plant mints or other plants that are invasive via underground runners. Line the bottom of the pot with window screen to keep roots from escaping through drainage holes, pot the plant, then bury the pot in the soil leaving an inch or two of the rim sticking out above the soil. The black pot rim will not be noticed once the plant has filled out.
It is easy and fun to make your own cement planters. They can be any shape or size, depending on what you choose to use as a mold. Bowls, wastepaper baskets, lasagna pans, sturdy boxes, flower pots and other containers can be used. Cover the mold with a plastic bag. This will keep the cement from sticking to the mold. Mix 3 parts perlite, 2 parts Portland cement and 3 parts peat moss with enough water to make a cottage cheese consistency. Pack this mixture into the mold making walls and floor at least two inches thick. Cover a piece of wooden dowel or similar object with plastic and stick it all the way into the cement bottom of the planter to form a drainage hole. Put the whole thing in a plastic bag to dry for a day. Pop the planter out of the mold and wire brush off any sharp edges. Put it back in the plastic bag and wait a month for the planter to harden. Rinse off any loose material and it is ready to use.
If this article has taught you anything, I hope it is that the only your imagination limits what you can use to make a custom planter. You can make almost anything into a planter to suit your individual needs and tastes. Have fun picking your style.
