Now is the perfect time to spruce up your outer space with some much-needed greenery and natural flair.
In fact, if what you call outer space is a patio or a balcony, then railing planters are your best friend.
They are easily available in a fantastic variety of colors and sizes and are the easiest to install.
What’s more, you can add almost any plant you can think of in a railing planter to adorn your balcony with a gorgeous pop of color.
If you are more about symmetry, then place the planter evenly spaced out at the edge of your balcony or along the railing.
On the other hand, if you want to achieve an abstract aesthetic, place the planters in different colors in a random order as you may like.
The best part about this is that it with not cost as much nor take a hassling amount of time to fix. Bringing some color and nature to your balcony is a well-rounded idea.
10 Best Railing Planter Ideas for Your Balcony
Hence, to make things easier for everyone who wants to add some railing planters but is skeptical about some design innovation on how to install them, we have created a list of ten fantastic railing planter ideas that will definitely help you spruce up your balcony in no time.
All of these designs are easily available online, and in your conventional shopping spaces, so you won’t have trouble putting them to good use.
So, without any further ado, let’s get started!
Hanging Shelf Planter
When you think of a railing planter, the one that instantly pops into your mind is known as a hanging shelf planter.
It is available in many different materials and colors that you can choose as per your liking or the theme of your balcony décor.
However, a shelf planter doesn’t host plants directly. Instead, you can place many different individual plant pots in it like a little planter shelf that hangs on your balcony railing.
Many people create different shelf planters for different types of plants like succulents, flowerpots, vegetables, etc.
Flower Basket Planter
Another railing planter idea that might not host the plants directly but with individual pots is a flower basket planter.
It is exactly how it is named – which is basically a flower basket with a hanging hook attached that you could hang and tighten to your railing.
Next, you can place as many pots as it can hold, do one each or two each depending on the size as it is a “basket,” so it is very minimalistic and looks great in a bunch of three with bigger flowering shrubs.
You can find these in metal and even in straw-like material that makes them look like an actual basket.
Vertical Planter
A vertical planter looks fantastic in a vertically shaped balcony that is longer towards the ceiling but narrower from the floor.
You can attach it to an adjacent empty wall on your balcony, much like a picture frame or a shelf.
However, adding plants to a vertical planter is a nuisance as they have to stay put in the space given to them while you grow, nurture and water them.
Also, it is way easier to overwater because of the vertical positioning of the planter and exposes every plant to root rot that may crowd up the whole planter.
Plastic Pocket Planter
Faux leather pockets or plastic pocket planters are amazing, minimalistic planter designs that serve well under the test of time and weather.
You can hang them on your railings, windows, entrance doors, etc. The best part about these planters is that they can serve their purpose well in a temporary setting.
This means that if you ever want to move or replace them, you can do so with much ease in comparison to other options on this list.
In addition, you can find them in many different materials, sizes, types, and layers of your plants inside.
Terra Cotta Bloom Planter
A traditional terra cotta planter in a contemporary design gives you the terra cotta railing planter.
However, as gorgeous as they look, they are heavier and require steadier ways to hang over the railing.
Hence, instead of hanging, many people consider buying metal trays to line their railings and place terra cotta planters over them.
Now you can directly plant any flowering shrub of your choice, as terra cotta is highly suitable for such plants.
You can also layer a draining mat under it to keep the water flowing.
Adjustable Deck Planters
Typically made out of straw, rattan, or plastic – adjustable deck planers are woven. So this way, you can open them according to the desired length and size to hang on to your railing.
Apart from being adjustable, the biggest plus point of these planters is that they are incredibly lightweight, and you can easily tie them to your railing using a high-quality rope or wire.
Many people even use these for faux plants and tie them on the outdoor space dividers to create a thematic all-natural look for their balconies.
Rattan Hooking Planter
One of the best choices for outdoor plants is a rattan hooking planter. Rattan is waterproof, so any sort of weather damage doesn’t necessarily hurt your plant.
Similarly, they are incredibly lightweight, easy to hang and place, and can be found in a variety of colors.
However, many people like rattan’s natural texture and color scheme and choose to buy organic rattan accessories to go with their rattan planters.
You can even get rattan lawn chairs and fixtures to stay on point with your balcony décor and follow a color theme.
Identical Metal Railing Planter
Many people like to follow the aesthetic vibe of their balcony, which is more mid-century modern.
This means romantic vintage metal balcony railings, typically in dull gold or black color.
So why not get an identical metal railing planter that matches the aesthetic you want to achieve with your balcony décor?
The best part is that you can ask your railing commissioner to make you an identical planter, whether to hang manually or pre-permanently attached to the railing.
Now you can add whatever plants you like to it accordingly.
Rounded Wooden Planter
A rounded wooden planter may look more like a half-cut barrel than a planter but trust us that it looks cute and vibey on your balcony.
We recommend that you add flowering shrubs to it with tire layering.
This way, the wood of the planter would not get ruined as early, and it will also keep the plants from being over water saturated and being up for potential root rot.
Moreover, you can add flowering cacti and succulents in a wooden planter, and they would not only look great but also thrive and won’t even require that much water to ruin the wood.
Multi-Tiered Planter
One last idea that we have for you that we are certain would look great on your balcony is a multi-tiered planter.
Depending on how much space you have on your balcony, you can choose a two-tier planter or even a three-tier railing planter.
Also, note that these planters are vertically tiered and can be placed on the edge of the ceiling, following across the railing if it doesn’t disturb the balcony view.
Otherwise, you can hang them from the railing down, especially if it is your own home and there are no neighbors that you be disturbing.
Care Tips to Maintain Railing Planters
As you know, railing planters are a little different than your regular planters or pots that you place in your garden or as decorative items outdoors or even indoors.
Hence, you must take care of them appropriately.
Otherwise, you risk ruining your plant life, and even the planter quality would be affected, shortening its life span.
Therefore, here are some effective care tips for maintaining railing planters:
- Provide Sunshade – If your railing planters receive an unnecessarily prolonged exposure to the sun, then you must arrange a sunshade for them. Otherwise, your planter would fade, and plants would simply scorch down in the heat.
- Careful Watering & Adequate Drainage – It is crucial to take care of how you water your plants in a railing planter as you run the risk of root damage due to water logging. Hence, ensure adequate draining so that you water your plants rightfully and it drains the water as required.
- Check Where the Water Goes – You certainly don’t want the water creating a puddle underneath the railing planters or messing up the space under your balcony. Therefore, check where the water is going and create a system for carrying the water properly.
In Conclusion,
Railing planters are traditional yet contemporary, innovative yet exactly how you want them to be, and easy to install, purchase and use however you like.
All these qualities make them the perfect way to add plants to your balcony and spruce up your outer space.
Hopefully, all railing planter types and ideas we have shared will help you come up with your own outdoor space design to add to your home balconies.
Cheers!