Ceramic & Concrete Outdoor Planters

Concrete and faux stone concrete planters are durable garden choices.

Planters of ceramic or concrete are generally durable choices for an outdoor patio or flower garden. Ceramics, glazed or unglazed, have a warmth and color that enhances plants and suits mixed herb gardens and vivid annuals. Concrete can be tasked with tougher jobs like containing trees and aggressive plants like running bamboo. Concrete is also very suitable for modern architecture and Asian-style homes where neutral color and spare simplicity mirror the materials and lines of the building.

Terra Cotta

Terra cotta is the garden go-to container, a baked clay, unglazed ceramic. It is everywhere, goes with nearly everything, gets attractively mossy or faded and lime bleached and shows off colorful or plain green foliage. The planters are relatively cheap and blend into the natural environment of the garden. Terra cotta planters come in all shapes, sizes and decors from basic flowerpot to ornate Florentine railing box. One disadvantage of terra cotta is how quickly it dries out. Plants need more frequent watering in this style container.

Glazed Ceramic

Glazed ceramic holds up better than terra cotta and it holds water better, too. These planters cost more than terra cotta, but they come in every vivid and subdued color so the pot itself can be an attribute in the decor. Some gardeners find this a disadvantage because they fear the pots compete with the beauty of the plants in them. Be sure the planter has a drainage hole adequate to keep water from pooling in the bottom and rotting the roots of your favorite blooms.

Concrete Urns

A tall concrete urn, or a whole row of them, gives a classical look to a garden. A tall urn holds sweeping ferns or vivid geraniums. Shorter urns can be a surprising and graceful choice for an herb garden or hold a series of annuals from spring into fall. A low concrete tub is sturdy enough to support the height of a tree and tough enough to prevent aggressive roots from breaching the walls. And the nice thing about concrete is that it wears like concrete. The container will probably outlast you and the garden. Pick one you really like.

Concrete Pavers

Concrete pavers can be assembled for small to midsize patio planters that are inexpensive and durable. The paver planters are glued together with super-strong glue and may be painted with a good outdoor paint to match or complement patio colors. These planters won't blow over in a heavy wind, but you won't want to move them, either, so set them up where they will stay and plant them on site.

References

• Sunset Magazine: Open to the Outdoors
• North Dakota State University; Container Vegetable Gardening; Steve Sagaser; September 2007