You’ve seen them — those odd planters that look like buildings with windows and balconies on their sides. Maybe you’ve planted strawberries in them. Or maybe you’ve just never understood them.
Typically made of terracotta, the pots are usually tall and urn-shaped, but shorter, wider options are also available.
They are, in fact, strawberry pots, and those windows are intended to hold soil and strawberries, keeping them off the ground as they grow and,
therefore, protecting them from rotting. But think outside the pot, and you’ll find they make lovely (and efficient) displays for other plants, too.
The fenestrated containers can be planted with succulents like hens and chicks. Consider the orange and yellow ‘Gold Nugget’ or the silver-haired ‘Cobweb’ varieties for an eye-catching display. In colder areas, the whole pot can be brought indoors for winter; just ensure the succulents get ample sunlight, and avoid overwatering.
Or create a space-saving culinary herb garden by filling the “balcony” pockets with cooking essentials like parsley, sage, thyme, mint and oregano, placing the smaller species at the bottom of the pot and larger ones higher up. Then plant a tall herb like rosemary or basil in the opening at the top and — voila! — you’ve created an instant centerpiece. You might even incorporate a few dwarf marigolds for color.
Herbs, too, can be brought indoors and grown (and used!) in the kitchen over winter.
Trailing flowers and vines make a statement as they spill from the containers’ openings. Keep it monochrome, or plant a rainbow of colors for a dazzling display.
Trailing geraniums, petunias, and chartreuse or purple sweet potato vines can be alternated around the sides of the pot. A dramatic grass, like Cordyline ‘Festival,’ can be planted at the top of larger planters, black mondo grass in smaller ones.
Nasturtiums, million bells, trailing verbena and sweet alyssum also lend themselves nicely to the pots. Green ivies provide a more understated aesthetic.
If you don’t have a lot of sunlight, consider combining different varieties of caladium and coleus for a colorful display.
Regardless of what you’re planting, ensuring water reaches the roots of every plant in a strawberry pot can pose a bit of a challenge — but there’s an easy solution.
Cut a piece of PVC piping slightly longer than the pot’s height, then drill holes 2 inches (5 centimeters) apart along its sides.
At planting time, add potting mix up to the pot’s bottom openings, then position the pipe vertically in the center. Insert plants through the holes (from the inside out), add more potting mix to reach the next level of openings and add more plants. Repeat until you reach the top of the pot, packing the soil tightly as you go.
Water and fertilize through the pipe, which will be hidden as the centerpiece plant grows.
Strawberry pots are available in various materials, but the traditional versions are made of clay, which can crack in freezing temperatures. If your area experiences cold winters, bring them indoors in autumn, either emptied of their annuals, cleaned and stored, or still housing tropicals, evergreens or herbs, and treat them as houseplants over winter.
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Jessica Damiano writes regular gardening columns for The Associated Press. She publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter. Sign up here for weekly gardening tips and advice.
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For more AP gardening stories, go to https://apnews.com/hub/gardening.
