As a homeowner, you can choose from numerous projects that can transform your outdoor space, such as installing high-quality security fencing, resurfacing your old driveway, and reseeding your lawn if it has turned brown and scraggly. All of these projects can make your outdoor space more functional and inviting, but they’re not the only steps you can take. To boost the kerb appeal of your landscaping, you can also place several of your plants into pots and arrange them beautifully in your front yard and backyard.
However, this doesn’t mean you can just shove shrubs, climbers, and flowers into planters and call it a day. To successfully pot your plants without damaging their health or destroying your landscape, you must avoid these mistakes:
Buying Cheap Pots
Many people opt for the cheapest pots in the market to save money, but while they might be affordable, these planters are often not as affordable as you want them to be and can be easily damaged. To avoid frequently replacing your pots and spending more money in the process, look for durable planter boxes, tubs, and troughs. These planters are more expensive than the substandard versions but are worth the cost since they will last for many years and won’t have to be replaced often.
Choosing the Wrong Planter Size
When shopping for pots, you need to consider the size of your plants’ root systems. If you’re planting herbs and flowers with shallow roots, you can get away with placing them in smaller plants. However, for small trees and other types of plants with large root balls, you have to purchase big planters. Otherwise, the root system won’t have enough space to establish itself properly, which can lead to weak, unhealthy plants that are highly vulnerable to damage.
Ignoring the Need for Drainage
Aside from choosing the right planter size and quality, you should also look for pots that are designed to promote good drainage. Remember: having excess water in the soil should be avoided since it can expose plants to root rot, which will harm their health and eventually kill them. Check the bottom of the planter to know if there are enough drainage holes, and make sure the pot design allows excess water to easily flow through down to the holes instead of pooling in certain areas.
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Potting with the Wrong Soil
When setting up your new planters, don’t just fill them up with soil that you’ve shovelled up from your yard since it’s too dense for potting and won’t facilitate proper drainage and root growth. Instead, visit your garden centre and look for a well-draining potting mix that promotes good nutrition, airflow, and moisture retention.
Keeping Everything at the Same Height
Technically, there’s nothing wrong with buying only one type of pot for your entire landscape, but this can create a sense of uniformity that can make your yard look dull and boring. Prevent this from happening by buying both short and tall planters and place different-sized pots together to create visual interest in your landscaping. You can also fill the pots with plants of varying height to create more visual contrast. For example, you can purchase tall troughs and place them along your fence or hedges, then use short, stout tubs and small cylinder planters to beautify your porch or driveway.
Investing in elegant planters lets you add visual interest to your landscaping and improve its aesthetic appeal. Avoid these mistakes to successfully place your plants in their new pots and ensure they’ll stay healthy and beautiful!
