• Home
  • about emily
  • before + after
  • HGTV + DIY Network
  • good press
  • contact
  • Let’s Organize These Posts:

    • Art Attack
    • Backyard
    • Barn
    • Basement
    • Bathroom
    • Beach
    • Bedrooms
    • Being Thrifty
    • Business-y
    • Buying and Renting and Selling
    • Casual Celebrations
    • Closets
    • Curb Appeal
    • Dainty Details
    • Deck
    • Decor
    • Dining Room
    • DIY
    • Dog-Related
    • Entryway
    • Flooring
    • For the Kids
    • Garage
    • Gardening
    • Helping The Economy
    • HGTV + DIY Network Projects
    • Holiday-Related Projects
    • Home Safety
    • Kitchen
    • Lighting
    • Living Room
    • Merry Travels
    • Office Space
    • Organized
    • Other Pads
    • Outdoor Living
    • Scooter Fun
    • Stairwell
    • Sunroom
    • Supporting Sponsors
    • The Art Room
    • Tools
    • Uncategorizable
    • Wedding
    • Windows
    • Work-pads
  • Search

  • Hi, I’m Emily

    Emily Fazio

    I'm a home improvement enthusiast, living a very merry DIY lifestyle.

    You can find me writing for HGTV and DIY Network, follow me on facebook and instagram, or drop me a note if you'd like. I love notes.

    Thanks for visiting!

  • BROWSE POSTS BY CATEGORY:

    • Art Attack (7)
    • Backyard (92)
    • Barn (8)
    • Basement (27)
    • Bathroom (43)
    • Beach (13)
    • Bedrooms (73)
    • Being Thrifty (53)
    • Business-y (12)
    • Buying and Renting and Selling (23)
    • Casual Celebrations (36)
    • Closets (17)
    • Curb Appeal (44)
    • Dainty Details (8)
    • Deck (23)
    • Decor (286)
    • Dining Room (37)
    • DIY (577)
    • Dog-Related (24)
    • Entryway (59)
    • Flooring (58)
    • For the Kids (32)
    • Garage (17)
    • Gardening (70)
    • Helping The Economy (30)
    • HGTV + DIY Network Projects (283)
    • Holiday-Related Projects (80)
    • Home Safety (12)
    • Kitchen (83)
    • Lighting (31)
    • Living Room (77)
    • Merry Travels (21)
    • Office Space (21)
    • Organized (41)
    • Other Pads (14)
    • Outdoor Living (12)
    • Scooter Fun (8)
    • Stairwell (20)
    • Sunroom (22)
    • Supporting Sponsors (43)
    • The Art Room (3)
    • Tools (43)
    • Uncategorizable (1)
    • Wedding (28)
    • Windows (14)
    • Work-pads (10)
  • Search

  • Pages

    • blog
    • Merrypad Features
    • Privacy Policy
    • about emily
    • before + after
      • before + after, our current home
      • before + after, our first house
    • contact me
    • choose a badge and share the merrypad.com love
  • Home
  • about emily
  • before + after
  • HGTV + DIY Network
  • good press
  • contact

Lush Outdoor Planters

March 6, 2016

This post was originally published on DIY Network’s blog Made + Remade in April 2012.

A lush, luxurious garden is a dream, but as I sit on the deck on warm evenings, I know that it’s going to be years and years before I have the gardens that I’m envisioning in my mind. As a more immediate solution to backyard appeal, I dove into assembling a trio of outdoor planters to complement the deck on the back of the house.

How to plan and organize a flower and herb garden in planters.

You can do this for yourself easily too! Keep on reading to see how I customized the planters to accent my deck all summer long.

The planters themselves were inexpensive finds at our local Marshall’s; I always find that there are plenty of glazed ceramic options in stock this time of year, but rarely do I find outdoor planters with a matte textured cement finish at the highly discounted price point of these models, which is why I decided to buy my first ever deck planters for a total of $55. Oh, and the blue one with floral detailing came home with me for good measure; priced at just $15, I couldn’t say no to such a tempting pop of color. So, a total splurge of $70.

The only issue with these planters is that they didn’t come with built-in drainage, so I had to improvise by buying plastic planter inserts with built-in saucers for another $15 (a small price to pay for a healthier, well-drained potted arrangement). Note: While the pots will provide for a lot of drainage, we’ll also have to keep an eye on each planter retaining water after rainstorms.

Choose planters and liners for your patio garden.

Two of the three plastic pots had a lip around the edge which inconveniently made them too large to slide into the pots, but with a sharp utility knife, those edges are easy to remove and allow the pots to sit hidden within the cement and ceramic planters.

Hacking a planter by removing the plastic edge with an utility blade.

With the addition of simple potting soil, I was ready to buy up some new plants.

How to plan and plant patio garden planters.

I’ve spent the last month or so doing research on what great plants to invest in for making a lush, overflowing potted garden, but most of those learnings flew out of my left ear as soon as I walked into the lavish nursery. I’m pretty easily overwhelmed when it comes to picking plants since it requires understanding what plants will work well in soil together, the lighting requirements, and the design and aesthetic decisions. My only real plan was to get a few options with yellow blossoms to coordinate with my new outdoor umbrella. So fancy.Shopping for plants quickly becomes more complicated than deciding to sprinkle simple zinnias and marigolds, since real plants have real price tags, and with a decided budget between $50-60 to get something a little more lush than a seedling, there was definite nervousness involved in my decision making.

Choosing flowers that will bloom and grow all season long for your planter garden.

I did decided to spend more of my budget on perennials than annuals, with hopes that they’ll flourish in pots during the summer and can be transplanted into the real garden during the fall, giving me both immediate happiness for the coming months, and long-term enjoyment for years to come. My thumb isn’t the greenest, but I’m hoping for the best.

I brought home:

  • Two yellow Ranunculus Flowers
  • One light yellow Columbine
  • One Bellis
  • A palette of yellow Pansies (which proved to be way, way too much)
  • A Wormwood/Artemisia/Silver Mound
  • One Creeping Phlox
  • Ornamental strawberries
  • And one Sedum/Stonecrop

As I mentioned in reference to the Pansies above, I certainly did purchase way too many; I guess plant overload at the nursery will do that to you. Fortunately, I was able to fit most of my loot in the pots and planned to put the balance of the plants (90% of the pansies and the Bellis) directly into the yard.

With the plants that would fit, I organized the pots to determine how the colors and aesthetics of each plant would work together.

Planning a planter garden.

Happy with the layout, I potted each plant directly into the moist soil, loosening the roots and doing my best not to overcrowd. As they grow and develop, pruning will be expected, but I expect they’ll stay similar in proportion to what you see now.

How to plan and organize a flower and herb garden in planters.

Anyone else tackling backyard garden planters this spring?

Share

DIY  / Gardening  / HGTV + DIY Network Projects

Emily
I'm a home improvement enthusiast, living a very merry DIY lifestyle. I've been a freelancer writer for 10+ years and you can find my work on popular home and garden sites, like HGTV.com. Follow me on facebook and instagram, or drop me a note.

Comment


Jack Palmer
March 29, 2016 at 12:09 pm
Reply

I like your idea of finding outdoor planters to make your deck and back yard look better. My wife was talking to me yesterday about doing the same thing this summer. We really like the look of large ones combined with smaller options. I grew up watering plants as one of my summer jobs around the house. Surprisingly, it makes me excited to have some of our own. Thanks for the ideas!



Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • HI, I’m Emily

    Emily Fazio

    I'm a home improvement enthusiast, living a very merry DIY lifestyle. Follow me on facebook and instagram, or drop me a note if you'd like. I love notes.

    Thanks for visiting!

  • Instagram

    merrypad

    Merrypad by Emily Fazio
    One straggler from #garlic2021 debuted with 7 stal One straggler from #garlic2021 debuted with 7 stalks and 7 scapes, and I can’t wait to see this mammoth looks like when it’s pulled next month. #garlic2022 

Also, fierce springtime performance by parsley, chamomile, and self-seeded cilantro.
    Annual garlic notes #garden2022 ~315 cloves total Annual garlic notes #garden2022
~315 cloves total
50 in new, unfenced garden
Still need thick mulch on everything
Did a terrible job tracking varieties when I harvested, so it’s all a mix of hardneck now 😒
Added some big cloves from @chasefarms and look forward to adding some @fruition_seeds in #garden2023 when @porterfarmscsa delivers.
    #smellovision — 22 pounds of concord grapes harv #smellovision — 22 pounds of concord grapes harvested from my parents pseudo-vineyard 🌈🍇 happy holidays, everyone. You’re getting jelly. #grapesfarming
    Teddy bear sunflowers 😍 #gardennotes @fruition_ Teddy bear sunflowers 😍 #gardennotes @fruition_seeds #garden2021
    🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔 〰️ decent yield from one 🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔 〰️ decent yield from one sprouted seed potato in the pantry! #garden2021 #hotpotato #misfitsmarket #organicpotato #plantapotatogetapotato
    Haven’t been able to grow green beans to the top Haven’t been able to grow green beans to the top of the trellis in a minute but this variety already scaled to the top AND back down. No beans yet. #gardennotes #garden2021 #trellis
    Annual 7/12 garden; tomatillos far left. #LDD wood Annual 7/12 garden; tomatillos far left. #LDD woods.
    Load More... follow emily: @merrypad



  • Like Us On Facebook

    Facebook Pagelike Widget



  • Popular Posts

    • How to fix an IKEA drawer. Cheap IKEA Drawers (And The Quick Fix) 61.4k views
    • DIY sideboard rehab. Our Refinished Midcentury Buffet 53.5k views
    • How to design and make a barn quilt. How to Make Your Own Barn Quilt 46.8k views
    • How to hang art on brick surfaces using specialty clips. The Easy Way to Hang Art on Brick or Stone 36.1k views
    • DIY driveway removal. The Driveway Rocks 33.8k views
    • Our DIY flagstone patio. Building a Patio in One Day 31.4k views
    • Goodbye, gold fireplace covering. Less Is More: How to Remove a Fireplace Surround 27.8k views
    • Fix an ikea dresser drawer. Life Support For An IKEA Dresser 25.4k views
    • Tips for dying pasta different colors, and a Halloween Recipe for the kids. Tips for Dying Pasta Different Colors (+ A Special Halloween Recipe) 25.3k views
    • After: Custom wooden garden fence. Expanding Our Backyard Garden 21.4k views



  • BROWSE POSTS BY CATEGORY:

    • Art Attack (7)
    • Backyard (92)
    • Barn (8)
    • Basement (27)
    • Bathroom (43)
    • Beach (13)
    • Bedrooms (73)
    • Being Thrifty (53)
    • Business-y (12)
    • Buying and Renting and Selling (23)
    • Casual Celebrations (36)
    • Closets (17)
    • Curb Appeal (44)
    • Dainty Details (8)
    • Deck (23)
    • Decor (286)
    • Dining Room (37)
    • DIY (577)
    • Dog-Related (24)
    • Entryway (59)
    • Flooring (58)
    • For the Kids (32)
    • Garage (17)
    • Gardening (70)
    • Helping The Economy (30)
    • HGTV + DIY Network Projects (283)
    • Holiday-Related Projects (80)
    • Home Safety (12)
    • Kitchen (83)
    • Lighting (31)
    • Living Room (77)
    • Merry Travels (21)
    • Office Space (21)
    • Organized (41)
    • Other Pads (14)
    • Outdoor Living (12)
    • Scooter Fun (8)
    • Stairwell (20)
    • Sunroom (22)
    • Supporting Sponsors (43)
    • The Art Room (3)
    • Tools (43)
    • Uncategorizable (1)
    • Wedding (28)
    • Windows (14)
    • Work-pads (10)





  • a little bit of everything, friends, DIY, and inspiration

    • Dadand.com < My husband and his BFF
    • DIY Network
    • HGTV
  • Get Posts Via Email

  • Some Legal

    Merrypad incorporates the occasional affiliate link to Amazon.com and Minted; we link to many other websites and products, but if it is in context of a paid sponsorship, it is always noted as such. Please review the privacy policy and contact me if you have any additional questions.

    Theme customized by Pete Fazio Creative, the guy from dadand.com.


© Copyright Merrypad