10 Types of Gardening Containers

You can plant up flowers, veggies and succulents in a variety of ways. Check out these creative containers.

By: Julie Martens Forney

Related To:

Shop This Look

Photo By: Proven Winners at ProvenWinners.com

Photo By: Gardener's Supply Co. at Gardeners.com

Photo By: Proven Winners at ProvenWinners.com

Photo By: Gardener's Supply Co. at Gardeners.com

Photo By: Image courtesy of Ben Rollins

Photo By: Gardener's Supply Co. at Gardeners.com

Photo By: Proven Winners at ProvenWinners.com

Photo By: Gardener's Supply Co. at Gardeners.com

Raised Container Garden

Solid wood containers provide great water retention, but old crates or twig-constructed containers, like this one, need to be lined with a water-resistant material before filling with soil. Burlap gives an eye-pleasing, rustic appearance, but line it with plastic to help it last through the growing season. Remember to puncture the bottom of your plastic liner with a few drainage holes.

Concrete Container Garden

Concrete containers often feature angular lines and traditional patterns. The weight of the material lends an air of establishment to even the newest garden. Concrete provides good insulation for soil, moderating soil temperature and moisture loss, but they are heavy. Place concrete planters where you want them and then plant.

Metal Container Garden

Metal containers infuse any space with an industrial, modern feel. Choose plantings for metal containers carefully — they need to be able to withstand heat and drought. Make sure you locate metal containers near a water source, because the metal will heat soil, and you’ll need to water often. Pair a pebble mulch with metal containers for a strong urban look.

Terra-Cotta Pot With Impatiens

Terra-cotta or clay pots come in many sizes, shapes and styles. Unglazed terra-cotta (shown) is porous and dries out quickly. It works well in a shady situation like this or for growing Mediterranean herbs, like lavender. Glazed terra-cotta is the go-to pot for sunny spots. Inquire about the source of terra-cotta. Those types made in warm regions definitely won’t withstand prolonged freezing winter temperatures and tend to flake or chip when exposed to cold.

Stone Pot With Summer Annuals

Choose stone to give a garden a sense of graceful style. Stone increases in beauty as it ages, often donning a moss coating. Stone offers a frost-proof material for cold regions and insulates soil from moisture loss and heat. Position stone planters before filling and planting. You’ll pay a premium price for stone, but it will last a lifetime—and beyond.

Pepper in Grow Bag Garden

Grow bags allow you to raise crops anywhere. Made of flexible, lightweight polypropylene blends, grow bags feel like heavy felt. This material allows plant roots to breathe and prevents overwatering or heat build-up in soil. The resulting plant boasts a healthy root system. In cold regions, empty bags before winter and fold them for easy storage.

Handsome Hypertufa

Create your own stone-look container with a handmade hypertufa container. These stone imitations boast lighter weight than concrete and are easy to make from a blend of peat moss, perlite and quick-setting concrete. Hypertufa is more porous than stone, so it provides an ideal setting for alpine and succulent plants, both of which demand good drainage.

Self-Watering Plastic Pots

Self-watering containers blend good looks with a built-in water reservoir, which means you need to water less often. When choosing self-watering hanging baskets, make sure your hanging hardware can support the extra weight of the water. Be sure to open drainage holes on self-watering containers that are exposed to the weather, or you risk waterlogged soil during rainy spells.

Resin Planters

Faux stone containers feature stone aggregates mixed with other materials, such as plastic resins or fiberglass. The resulting pot looks like a classic stone planter but lacks the weight. It’s a perfect choice for placing on a deck or stairs, where a weighty stone pot could cause damage. A faux stone container can grow moss, but it doesn’t develop the same aged patina that traditional stone does. Count on faux stone resin planters for a frostproof choice.

Zucchini Plant Container Garden

Modern plastic containers feature outstanding colors that give a garden snap and sizzle. Shapes vary from traditional terra-cotta pot shapes to tubs and trugs. Plastic is lightweight, frostproof and durable. Because plastic isn’t porous, it keeps soil moist, which means less watering for you. Dark colored plastic pots in full sun do heat soil as they absorb sunlight, and some plastics become brittle over time.