Shop like a pro: Perfect planters

Shop like a pro's Angela Koszuta (shoplikeapro@hotmail.com) rounds up the perfect planters to add structure, charm and sophistication to container flowers on your front deck or in your back garden.

Galvanized metal Huson planter, $26.99, available at Ikea.

Madison planter in six sizes and various colours, $55 and up. Available at Barracuda Home & Garden, 527 Parliament St., 416-923-7789.

Freda urn, $215. Available at Barracuda Home & Garden, 527 Parliament St., 416-923-7789.

Fleur de Lis planter box in two sizes, $35 (17") and $50 (24"). Available at Barracuda Home & Garden, 527 Parliament St., 416-923-7789.

Eye planter in blackberry, $275. Available at Barracuda Home & Garden, 527 Parliament St., 416-923-7789.

Etruscan urn, $140. Available at Barracuda Home & Garden, 527 Parliament St., 416-923-7789.
 

Estate square planter, $380. Available at Barracuda Home & Garden, 527 Parliament St., 416-923-7789.

Ellis weathered terra cotta box, $340. Available at Barracuda Home & Garden, 527 Parliament St., 416-923-7789.

Stratford Planter in polyresin with mounting brackets, $49.50, from Lee Valley Tools, 1-800-267-8767.

Bronze tapered planters, shown in two sizes, $59.95 and $79.95. Available at Crate & Barrel.

Comments

[Erin]

No need to buy planters. It is so easy to make them from recycled or found objects like old coffee cans, scrap wooden boxes, pails and buckets of all kinds. With a little paint, stenciling or other creative ideas you can add some flair without spending so much money or bringing more plastic junk into your garden.

[S]

...except that most found object planters are hideous, and you can't hide the basic design flaws (including tendencies to crack)by repainting them. Though I wouldn't spend hundreds of dollars on a single planter, it's hard to feel guilty about buying them because they can be used year after year after year.