wooden planters

Problem Solving With Planter Boxes

You've heard them called cute, quaint, and oh so pretty. Planter boxes, though, are more than just an aesthetic addition to a home. These symbols of Southern charm and beauty also have very real benefits that allow one's inner gardener to flourish, not matter where one lives. Perhaps you can commiserate with one of the following scenarios; perhaps you already have the perfect, prize-winning garden. Regardless your situation, give planter boxes a shot.

Problem 1:

Jeannette lives in a fabulous loft apartment in New York City. What she gave up for the great view on the 30th floor was a shot at a great garden, as if there were even any green space to go around. She lives close to Central Park but would love to bring some color to her urban setting.

Solution:

Planter boxes are the absolute perfect answer for apartment and high rise dwellers, so it's a wonder why we don't see more dotting the Manhattan skyline. If you have a balcony or roof deck, try some freestanding boxes, or if not, the window boxes work whether you live on the ground floor or in the penthouse. Nothing works better to break up the gray of the urban jungle like some fresh herbs and colorful bouquets.

Problem 2:

Allen rents a brand-new condo he found in the suburbs while he's in Illinois for school. The location is perfect and his rent is unbelievably low. The problem is, his front lawn faces due West, and any hope of planting a garden would be limited to plants requiring little to no direct sunlight from the weak, late afternoon rays.

Solution:

Direct sunlight is unfortunately a requirement for a good amount of plants and flowers. Many people are either stuck with Western-facing lawns or else some other building which overshadows your garden plot. Not to worry; in this case planter boxes are a quick fix that for the long run. After all, you can't really move your garden to be in the sunlight, but with planter boxes, you can move your garden to find the sunlight. Window boxes attach easily to sills using brackets, or with freestanding boxes you can even move your garden to chase the sun as the day progresses, if you're that motivated anyway.

Problem 3:

Melinda owns her dream ranch-style house just outside of Portland, Oregon. The fresh air and quiet neighborhood are just the thing for planting fruits and vegetables in her ample backyard. However, living in the countryside and being close to the woods puts her at odds with the native wildlife, a bevy of critters who continually dig up her seeds and eat her new sprouts any time she attempts to plant something.

Solution:

The pesky creature issue is not limited solely to rural settings. People in suburbs and even busy city environments are likely to have dealt with everything from rodents to raccoons, who make a habit of digging up seeds and routing through trash. Even if the seeds sprout, the chance of the new sapling falling prey to a hungry rabbit is a large possibility. With the odds stacked against her, what's a tenacious gardener to do? Once again, planter boxes come to the rescue. Think about it; freestanding boxes are either elevated on legs or at the very least have tall wooden (read: non-scalable) sides. Even better, windows boxes really bring plants up off of the ground and out of the line of fire.

Even if you can't relate to the hardships faced by certain green thumbs, still consider the convenience and attractiveness of owning planter boxes. These rectangle-shaped wood or metal set-ups are made to run along the bottom length of windows and secure tightly to window frames. Other types are freestanding and so can be placed and moved around the backyard as needed. Most models of planter boxes also come with a simple drainage system so there's no worry of flooding or of their growing too heavy. Perfect for colorful blooms, small vegetables and herbs, planter boxes replicate the luxury of gardening, on a smaller and more mobile scale.

About the Author

Tonya Kerniva is an experienced research and free lance writing professional. She writes actively about
Planter Boxes
and
Wood Planter Boxes
.

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