Plant Your Own Planters

When it comes to flowers and gardening, I've found that planters and containers are easier to maintain than regular gardens, and they add a lot of color and life to your deck/patio/yard. Each year, I like to place a few plants in different outdoor areas to enjoy during the summer months. But, my goal is not to spend a lot of money on them. Picking out ready-made planters can add up - especially if you want a few. 

I have collected pots and hanging planters that I try to recycle year after year. I don't bother with ceramic ones anymore - they always crack or break at some point. Plastic ones hold up pretty well. I decided to make 6 of them.

I took a trip to the Garden Factory to pick out some plants: 12 geraniums, 12 snapdragons and 4 tall grasses for $60. It was a bit more than I intended to spend, but the prices were good and I wanted each planter to be pretty full. Geraniums are my favorite because they come in a variety of colors and blossom all summer long.

I started with the large containers first. I loosened up the old dirt and removed any leftover roots from last year. Starting with the tall grass, I made a space for it in the back, as the base. Then I added one geranium on the left and one on the right. I finished with 2 snapdragons in the front. 

I repeated the same combination and method with each container (the 2 hanging baskets don't have tall grass). When I was done, I had 6 beautiful planters! For $10 each. I doubt you could buy this same ready-made planter at a store for $10. 

One for the shepherd's hook.

Two for the front steps. 

One hanging and one at the base of our front porch. (Notice the deck is in need of new stain...more to come on that).

And one for the back deck. 


All it takes is a little creativity and willingness to get your hands dirty. A green thumb - or green pinky finger - helps too. Happy planting!