since my terracotta strawberry planter had long ago succumbed to falling off a shelf and breaking.
I chose the purple Shortcake jar which measures 6.5 X 8.25 inches and is made from recycled plastic.
It was late in the garden season when the planter arrived and I thought about maybe planting it with succulents like the ones I had seen at Menards and an independent garden center in Chicago.
Herbs I planted in my Shortcake Planter
Sage
Parsley
Oregano
Nasturtium
Mexican Tarragon
Helichrysum italicum
As luck would have it, we were having an herb container garden workshop at the community garden and I scored a few herb starts to plant in my planter. I took my Shortcake Planter
to the garden on the day of our workshop, and it was well-received by some members of the community garden and the garden workshop attendees. Drawn to the cute size and colorful profile, a few people even asked if they could have it, or if it was a door prize for our event.Unfortunately for them, the planter had to come back home with me so I could continue to test it out. So I sat it on the back porch with the rest of my potted plants and pretty much forgot about it all summer as I spent time a lot of time away from home. Every few days when I would return I would check on the planter and see if it had dried out in the late summer heat or maybe been knocked over by the winds.
On one occasion the planter did dry out, but after placing a saucer underneath it, the herbs growing in it pretty much survived on rainwater the rest of the summer with no attention from me.
So, does the terracotta strawberry pot need an update for the modern gardener? If you are the kind of color that yearns to add splashes of color to your container garden; the answer is yes. Bloem makes a wide-range of planters besides the Shortcake Planter in a vibrant array of colors that you cannot help but feel like smiling when you come across them. There is no mention on the website about how well these plastic planters hold up to UV rays, but I did not notice any color fading in my Shortcake Planter
even after it sat in full sun for the summer. Nor was there any breaking or cracking as is usually what happens with cheap plastic planters. And of course, there was no threat of it falling over and breaking like a traditional strawberry pot made from terracotta.
Besides the obvious, what would you plant in a strawberry pot?
I'm not convinced still looks well plasticy. I'm a bit old fashioned and do prefer the look of terracotta pots. As a planting suggestion how about filling it with the types flowers usually found in a hanging basket and create a globe of colour. White petunias for example could look good in this one.
ReplyDeleteHi Ian,
DeleteI know what you mean about preferring the look of terracotta pots best. I used to feel that way too. Your planting suggestion is really interesting. Maybe I'll give it a try next season.
Good idea, this kind of pot, I am sure it is very practical, but I love the look of an old, used terracotta pot...just in love with that style..... I use to plant herbs in it, practical to have close to the kitchen door...... Thanks for a nice blog!
ReplyDeleteHi Dab,
DeleteYeah, I think we all love the look of used terracotta. Although, I can't say I love the price all that much. LOL.
I like the idea of herbs in a strawberry pot. It would make a nice gift, too.
ReplyDeleteHi Daisy,
DeleteYou are right. It would make a nice gift when planted with herbs.
I would be excited to see how hens and chicks would look in this! I would maybe also try air plants or baby's tears indoors in it. I also think that maybe some annuals like chickabiddy or a cute mounding dianthus would be fun. I love the idea of recycled plastic and I think the look is just fine. Nice and clean.
ReplyDeleteI do think that with my watering habits, if I used this size of planter outdoors I don't think it would matter what I planted in it, it would dry out. It gets so hot and windy here that pots dry out super fast. I imagine that in Chicagoland, you experience much of the same. I've stuck to very large planters for the most part, unless they're only inside. I am getting better with pots however- as living in Minnesota means many of my favorite plants have to live in pots because I need to be able to bring them in and out as the seasons change. A dolly helps me a lot! When pots get really large, choosing pots made of stone ware instead of plastic I've found works better. Large plastic pots become too unruly and they do crack easily.