Why use tiered planters in your garden
Planters in your garden give you the flexibility to bring plants, flowers and herbs closer to the house by planting up pots for the patio and those corners of the garden where a flowerbed is not practical. They allow you to brighten up your driveway and are a cost-effective way to give your house "curb appeal" especially useful if you are trying to sell your home. Tiered garden planters take the concept of planters as decor one stage further. In the same way as when land is scarce, apartments get built, so if space in your garden is limited, tiered planters allow you to plant more plants by virtue of going upwards with the space to plant them. As a design feature, a tiered planter allows you to create height on your patio, or cover an unsightly wall that cannot be under-planted.
Types of tiered planters
The essential factor for tiered planters is levels of pots or troughs or baskets, usually larger at the bottom and reducing in size to the top. You can get planters which are two tiers and three tiered planters, the latter being aesthetically more pleasing in that most planters work best in groups of three. Tiered planters are available for both indoor and outdoor planting; the indoor planters tend to be materials such as woven baskets and ceramics as these obviously are not weatherproof. Sometimes tiered planters work particularly well for specific plant types, a favorite being tiered strawberry planters, eminently suitable for strawberries but also creating a display that is a combination of flowers and fruit and pleasing to the eye. The shelving type three tiered planters in painted wood are a great way to keep your pots of herbs in one place, say by the back door near to the kitchen. Summer is a traditional time for hanging baskets which look exceptionally effective when you use tiered planters, and allow the use of different types of cascading plants, small at the top, larger at the bottom, great for covering up an ugly downpipe. Fountain tiered planters are more ornate, often carved, or if cast iron, with scroll work, there are so many varieties, that the main difficulty is choosing only one.
Plants for tiered planters
Traditional cascading plants such as ivy and the vinca varieties, especially the variegated plants, are good for all year round planting, and as a backdrop for more colorful plants. Trailing fuchsias look good in tiered planters and you can use a more upright bushy fuchsia as the plant at the base. Lobelia and trailing pansies are popular for their variety of color and their hardiness; they are also very long lasting. Impatiens or the Busy Lizzie cannot be beaten for color, and sweet peas are the choice for scent. If you buy the larger tiered planter, you can grow just about any plants you choose, and it is a good idea to consider the different seasons and plant for year round color and interest. Herbs are always good in planters, especially mint as it tends to overrun the flower bed. Use your imagination and have fun with this outdoor decorating.
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