I’m embarassed to admit that Outdoor Iron sent me this planter to review quite some time ago. As you can see from the photos, it’s a very cute planter. I used colorful pots and succulents to add a little interest to a small, narrow space in my parents’ side yard. It sits right under my mom’s craft room window. She has mentioned a couple of times that the planter really makes her happy, and I do think it looks pretty nice. So, why the delay in reviewing it? I kind of felt stumped because, well, what do you say about an iron planter? The design is charming, the packaging properly protected it during shipping, the owner of the site seems like a really nice, hard-working guy…and?
I assume you guys expect more than a sentence from me, so I thought I would use the Shasta Metal Planter as an excuse to chat about how you can incorporate an iron planter in your garden.
You can fit more plants in the same space
When you have a small space, there are only so many plants you can fit into a single space. Or not. When you use a multi-tiered planter like this one, you can fit twice as many plants in the same space by putting plants in both the lower shelf and the main planting area up top. Thing about all the herbs you could grow in the relatively small space this iron planter takes up!
One small tip: if you want to use pots whose base is narrower than the space between the iron slats, you can weave thin iron rods (look for them at hardware stores) between the slats so that your pots have a firm surface to sit on.
Direct foot traffic
At my last apartment, there was a decorative piece of woodwork that hung down low, right next to my front door. If someone tried to make a beeline for my door, they’d whack their forehead on that piece of wood. That is, until I put an iron planter very similar to this one underneath the spot, forcing people to walk around it and avoid the decorative woodwork. Problem solved! You could also use a planter to block off an area with style.
Create privacy (or hide an unsightly view)
In many apartments and condos, your living room or bedroom window may look out onto a walkway that your neighbors use to get to and from their units. You could use an iron planter planted with tall, dense plants like horsetail can obstruct passersby view into your apartment. Same thing if your outdoor space is a little too exposed for your taste.
The opposite problem can also be solved by an artfully placed planter full of tall, dense plants. Let’s say that your problem is not people looking into your space, but something ugly you can see when you look out. Maybe it’s an ugly panel of utility meters. An iron planter is perfect because you can block your view, but it can easily be moved aside when a meter reader needs to take a look.
Do you have an iron planter in your garden? How are you using it?
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I received iron planter to review from Outdoor Iron. To read more about my review policy, click here.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow you have people send you stuff like this? Awesome! It is quite a beautiful piece of ironwork. I would like to utilize more myself with my succulents but alas the cost and economy prevents me from going crazy! Great post!
Hey Candy! Iron planters are not cheap, but they’re not crazy expensive either. And you know they’ll last a really long time, so at least you’ll get your money’s worth.
What a pretty cat, reminds me of one we had when I was a kid, his name was Casper (big white cat with sky blue eyes). I like the planter very much too
I just love the idea of displaying colorful pots and plants in an iron planter like this one. The entire planter just pops, no wonder your mother likes it so much. But I especially like the succulents on the bottom shelf…not that the others are lacking though. : )