Cool Containers for Your Indoor Plants
Indoor gardening isn’t just about the plants—finding cool containers is half of the fun. But as anyone with experience gardening indoors can tell you, there are some things you’ll have to take into consideration indoors that you don’t have to worry about outdoors. Here are some ideas to deal with the unique nature of indoor container gardening, plus some cool container tips.
First, the most obvious issue with any type of indoor plant is drainage.
You can’t really have water running all over the floor, so water management becomes a top-of-mind concern when you’re planning out your containers. Trays are a common but not necessarily ideal solution to handle drainage run-off. They’re not the best solution, because ideally a tray should always be emptied after watering. Leaving your pots sitting in water in trays is an invitation for root rot.
So what is a good option? One popular option is to purchase or create containers without drainage holes that are meant to hold the plants in their original containers. This is the same method used by interiorscaping companies and is a great way for homeowners to get creative with their containers, cause less shock to their plants because of repotting, and make it easy to switch out plants if they decline or begin to die.
To do this right, it’s a good idea to set the interior container (usually plastic) on a stone or block of wood inside the larger container. This will prevent the plant from sitting in water while increasing the ambient humidity around your plant.
In effect, it will act like a tray full of pebbles—one of the methods experts recommend to increase humidity—while also improving drainage within the larger container.
Once you start thinking like this, a whole new world of container options opens up. You can consider anything as your exterior container, provided that it doesn’t have any holes it that would allow water to run out. Here are a few popular options:
If you’re sticking with traditional containers, there are a number of options, including terra cotta, plastic, metal, and stone. Of these, plastic is the most common container material and probably the one that’s best suited for indoor use. When buying plastic containers, be aware that they are much lighter and can tip over. If you’re planning to grow a large plant in a plastic container, you might want to add some type of bottom weight.
Terra cotta is a popular choice, but it tends to do better in outdoor settings, where it can age and look more rustic. Inside, terra cotta often becomes discolored and looks dirty, which might be highly prized outside but inside only looks unkempt.
Finally, metal is also an option inside, but again, look for containers that are large enough and sturdy enough to grow your plants.
First, the most obvious issue with any type of indoor plant is drainage.
You can’t really have water running all over the floor, so water management becomes a top-of-mind concern when you’re planning out your containers. Trays are a common but not necessarily ideal solution to handle drainage run-off. They’re not the best solution, because ideally a tray should always be emptied after watering. Leaving your pots sitting in water in trays is an invitation for root rot.
So what is a good option? One popular option is to purchase or create containers without drainage holes that are meant to hold the plants in their original containers. This is the same method used by interiorscaping companies and is a great way for homeowners to get creative with their containers, cause less shock to their plants because of repotting, and make it easy to switch out plants if they decline or begin to die.
To do this right, it’s a good idea to set the interior container (usually plastic) on a stone or block of wood inside the larger container. This will prevent the plant from sitting in water while increasing the ambient humidity around your plant.
In effect, it will act like a tray full of pebbles—one of the methods experts recommend to increase humidity—while also improving drainage within the larger container.
Once you start thinking like this, a whole new world of container options opens up. You can consider anything as your exterior container, provided that it doesn’t have any holes it that would allow water to run out. Here are a few popular options:
- Metal containers, including everything from olive oil tins to old buckets and pails. These can be surprisingly decorative if they are cleaned up and polished. Consider grouping several together on a windowsill for a themed effect, with trailing plants or herbs growing inside.
- Decorative containers. There is a huge variety of choices in most garden centers. Remember to look for ones that don’t have drainage holes in the bottom and that match your décor. Once again, grouping containers is the best way to make a dramatic statement.
- Whimsical options. Anything can really be pressed into service here. For a kid’s room, you can use toy containers to hold bright flowers. An office setting could host sleek, black containers.
If you’re sticking with traditional containers, there are a number of options, including terra cotta, plastic, metal, and stone. Of these, plastic is the most common container material and probably the one that’s best suited for indoor use. When buying plastic containers, be aware that they are much lighter and can tip over. If you’re planning to grow a large plant in a plastic container, you might want to add some type of bottom weight.
Terra cotta is a popular choice, but it tends to do better in outdoor settings, where it can age and look more rustic. Inside, terra cotta often becomes discolored and looks dirty, which might be highly prized outside but inside only looks unkempt.
Finally, metal is also an option inside, but again, look for containers that are large enough and sturdy enough to grow your plants.