Chris is a gardening writer and nature enthusiast. He graduated from Oxford Brookes University in 2022 with an MA in Psychology. Chris works with the Leeds Green Action Society, helping their food cooperative by growing various fruit and vegetables on their two allotments in Hyde Park, Leeds.
Reviewed By ROY NICOL
Roy is a Professional Gardener and Horticultural Consultant, specialising in large garden year-round maintenance and garden development. He is an RHS Master of Horticulture and uses his research in the application of no-dig methods in ornamental garden settings. Roy has been a Professional Gardener for more than six years and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture, Professional Gardener's Guild and Association of Professional Landscapers (Professional Gardener).
Contributions From DANNY CLARKE
Danny Clarke ('The Black Gardener') is a British Horticulturist and Garden Designer. He is probably best known for his TV presenting roles on the BBC's Instant Gardener, his time on the ITV This Morning team and Filthy Garden SOS aired on Channel 5. He also co-directs CIC Grow 2 Know, a charitable organisation encouraging diversity in horticulture.
Gerald Stratford has been growing his own veg since the age of 4. He is the author of ‘Big Veg’ and is hailed as ‘The King Of Veg’ by his audience - with almost 500,000 keen followers across his various social accounts.
Bunny Guinness is an award-winning Landscape Architect with more than 35 years' experience. Bunny has worked in TV & Radio sharing her extensive knowledge of all things horticulture - including as a panelist on BBC Radio 4 Gardeners' Question Time. She was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Birmingham City University in 2009 and has designed six Gold-Medal winning gardens at RHS Chelsea Flower Shows since 1994.
Isabelle Palmer, AKA 'The Balcony Gardener', is an award-winning garden designer who specialises in container growing and designing in small spaces. She has designed spaces for Anthropologie and appeared on numerous TV shows such as Love Your Garden. She has also published multiple books on balcony gardening, houseplants and succulents.
IN THIS GUIDE
- Outdoor Planter Ideas
- 1) Plastic
- 2) Wooden
- 3) Metal
- 4) Ceramic & Terracotta
- 5) Vegetables
- 6) Fruit Planter
- 7) Hanging Planter
- Upcycled Outdoor Garden Planter Ideas
- 8) Wheelbarrow
- 9) Jar Planters
- 10) Teapots
- 11) Ladder Planter
- 12) Pallet Planter
- 13) Wellington Boots
- 14) Toy Planters
- 15) Vertical Planter
- 16) Colander Planter
- 17) Tyre Planter
- Have We Planted An Idea?
Utilising garden planters can be a great way to add depth, texture, structure and colour to your garden.
They’re also very practical. If you have a small garden, and especially if you have no flower beds or soil to work with, then garden planters can make all the difference.
Planters are also ideal for adding appeal to patios and decking, small balconies, or as a way to add a touch of beauty to your driveway.
“Everything I grow in a garden, I will also plant in a pot or planter just to compare,” shares Gerald Stratford, the author of Big Veg.
If you haven’t worked with garden planters before, it can be a bit daunting to know where to start.
That’s why we’ve done all the hard work for you with our article showcasing all the wonderful things you can do with planters to bring new flair to your garden, no matter its size.
Outdoor Planter Ideas
There are thousands of types of garden planters, pots and containers, so the options are close to unlimited.
We’ve picked out some of our favourites to help you decide on the perfect planters for you.
1) Plastic
Starting with the basics, plastic planters can be seen in many gardens and are a great starting point for novice gardeners.
Plastic planters are long-lasting and come in an array of sizes, shapes and colours.
Affordable and lightweight, plastic planters generally come with draining holes at the bottom, but if they don’t you can make your own, as Gerald explains:
“I take an old milk carton and make some holes in it about 1 inch up from the bottom, then fill it with compost and hang it outdoors.
“Every salad crop you think of I can grow in these plastic pots. My partner just helps herself throughout summer and autumn.”
Although they should not be used for particularly heavy plants, thousands of varieties can be grown in these planters.
“As plastic planters are not porous, they allow moisture to be retained well in the potting compost,” adds Roy Nicol, a Professional Gardener and Horticulturist.
2) Wooden
As with their plastic counterparts, wooden planters come in many shapes, sizes and colours and are also remarkably easy to build yourself.
These are a great option if you want to give your garden a more rustic appearance and they also have excellent drainage.
Do bear in mind that wooden planters are prone to rot, so it’s essential to protect the wood with a plastic liner.
“Just outside by backdoor, I have, what I call, my salad bar,” says Gerald.
“I’ve made a frame against the fence out of old wooden pallets, but it can be made with any old bits of wood that you have knocking around.”
3) Metal
Metal planters are cheap, cheerful and attractive.
They can be shop bought or, if you are feeling creative, you could repurpose an old metal bucket or similar.
Metal planters can add a quirky dynamic to your garden, but you may find that they have poor drainage.
It’s important to drill in holes to prevent the plants from root rot.
“One downside to metal planters is they conduct heat easily, thereby becoming hot in the summer and allowing frost to penetrate in the winter,” explains Roy.
“It’s best to assess if the plant can cope with these conditions or you can move them as required.”
4) Ceramic & Terracotta
Ceramic and terracotta planters are elegant and stylish and are perfect for outdoor planting.
“Terra cotta is a good material to use as it is porous, so it allows the plant’s to breathe,” says Garden Designer Isabelle Palmer.
They can be beautiful, but on the flip side, they are also heavy, breakable and expensive.
So if you’re going down this route, you may wish to place them somewhere where they are unlikely to get knocked over or damaged.
“Unglazed terracotta pots are porous and loose moisture relatively quickly so watering regimes need to consider this,” says Roy.
5) Vegetables
Although they can be shop bought, if you have some decent DIY skills then building a vegetable planter can be a really rewarding experience.
Traditionally they are built from wood, although you could easily plant in a decent-sized plastic container.
This is a great opportunity to grow delicious edibles to enjoy with the whole family.
Good drainage is absolutely essential for a vegetable planter so make sure you factor that in.
6) Fruit Planter
As with the vegetable planter, the fruit planter can be bought or made and will also require good drainage.
You will, of course, be limited to the types of the fruit you can grow depending on the size of your planter, but even with a small space, there is still lots you can do.
This is also a great way to get kids into gardening and learning about where their food comes from.
7) Hanging Planter
Hanging planters are a quick and easy way to add a little romance and charm to your garden, and are ideal if you have limited space.
Hanging baskets are a great way to add a splash of colour to your garden and are easy to care for and maintain.
You can plant anything from flowers and succulents to veggies, fruit or herbs and hanging planters are lightweight with excellent drainage.
“Even with a moss lining, hanging baskets loose moisture quickly, especially in summer months, so daily watering is essential for most bedding plants,” explains Roy.
“Another great material for planters is clay fibre. It is lightweight, inexpensive and sustainable as it’s made from recycled materials and uses a fraction of the energy used for the manufacture of terracotta or plastic.”
Upcycled Outdoor Garden Planter Ideas
There are endless options when it comes to making an upcycled planter, so we decided to dedicate a whole section of this article to upcycled planter inspiration.
Whether you use an old set of drawers, a ladder or an old tin bath, this is a great way to put your own personal touch on your garden.
Repurposing an old piece of furniture can create a real focal point for your garden and give it its own unique spin.
8) Wheelbarrow
Wheelbarrow planters are a great way to give your garden a rough and rugged edge.
An old, retired wheelbarrow is perfect for growing herbs and succulents, and the depth of the wheelbarrow means you can use good layers of quality soil allowing your plants to thrive beautifully.
Wheelbarrows are built to be durable, so this planter could last you for many, many years.
You may need to drill in drainage holes to allow your plants to flourish fully.
9) Jar Planters
Upcycled mason jars make for stylish and trendy planters and are great for growing herbs and cacti.
You can place the jars on your patio or decking or, with a piece of twine, could be hung from a wall or a branch.
Mason jar planters are also a fun project to make with your kids and, because the jars are glass the children can see the roots of the plants growing, presenting the perfect opportunity to educate them on how and why plants grow.
10) Teapots
An old teapot can be an adorable and whimsical addition to your garden and will really give the space character.
These are another easy upcycle project and are an attractive way to display plants.
This is another planter that, with some types of teapots, you can also hang.
It’s always so disappointing when you discover a crack in your favourite teapot but, by transforming it into a planter, you can continue to enjoy your cracked pot for years to come.
11) Ladder Planter
Repurposing a ladder to display plants is a great way to add additional levels and structure to your garden.
They are also a great way to liven up a dull, empty garden wall.
You may want to consider painting your ladder planter some funky colours to breathe life into and a splash of colour to your garden.
With a keen eye, a ladder planter can be a real showstopper and a talking point among guests.
12) Pallet Planter
If you are running out of space on your patio and decking then using a pallet as a planter could be just the ticket to add more plants to the area.
A pallet planter allows you to grow vertically and use very little ground space.
Great for growing vegetables, fruit and herbs as well as gorgeous, colourful flowers and with a lick of paint a pallet plater can be hugely impactful on your garden, breathing new life into it.
13) Wellington Boots
If you are thinking about disposing of your old wellies, then stop right there.
“Discarded wellie boots can be reused as little containers for plants,” says Danny Clarke, also known as The Black Gardener.
Wellington boots can make wonderfully unique and characterful planters that can add fun and whimsy to your garden.
If you are particularly good at art, you could also paint patterns or flowers on the boot planters to add an extra special layer of charm and personality.
14) Toy Planters
Still got old children’s toys hanging about but can’t quite bring yourself to throw them away?
If you are still feeling sentimental about that little toy truck your kid was so enamoured with then why not display it as a beautiful planter?
It needn’t just be limited to toy trucks either.
There are plenty of children’s toys that are simply perfect for planters, and it’s a great way to hang onto things without them taking up space at the back of cupboards.
15) Vertical Planter
An old hanging shoe rack can easily be converted into the perfect outdoor garden planter.
Vertical gardens are so popular these days, and these types of plant pots look like they were made for the job.
Shoe racks are ideal for growing herbs which you can use in your cooking, and also make a superbly attractive backdrop to a patio or decking.
16) Colander Planter
Colanders already have built-in drainage so are perfect for an outdoor planter.
They can also easily be transformed into a hanging planter if the inside is lined with sphagnum moss.
Most plants will thrive in these planters, making them a cute and kooky way to decorate your garden.
You can even spray the colander to give it your own personal style.
“There’s all sorts of design possibilities with pots,” shares Garden Designer Bunny Guinness.
“For example, you could paint them the same colour as your house.”
However, if you do paint it, because of the chemicals, it would be best to avoid planting edibles like fruit and veggies and herbs.
17) Tyre Planter
Got an old tyre lying around?
Tyres make for excellent outdoor planters and can be used to grow both horizontally and vertically.
Tyres can also be painted in different colours to help accentuate the aesthetics of your garden.
If you have access to quite a few tyres, you can also stack them on top of each other to help you play with different levels in your garden.
Have We Planted An Idea?
Hopefully we have planted not one but lots of outdoor garden planter ideas and you are ready to get planting, and when it comes to choosing or upcycling planters your imagination really is the only limit.
Planters are an ideal solution when you are limited on space, and they’re generally a brilliant way to give your garden its own unique twist.
“There are so many things you can do that can give your garden some personality,” says Danny.
Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and use all of your creative talents and soon your garden will be filled with perfect outdoor garden planters.
