Which planter is right for your garden?

Eight planters, one workshop. This page is the short way to narrow them down: start with where the planter will stand, then check what you want to grow in it. Every product page carries the same specification table, so once you have a shortlist you can compare the numbers line for line.

1. Start with where it will stand

  • A balcony or a small patio — a footprint of 60 cm or less, light enough to carry through a flat. Check the Access needed row before you order.
  • A patio or courtyard — on paving, drainage and drying matter most. These all have an open base and feet or a lifted bottom rail so the timber is not left standing in water.
  • A larger garden or driveway — the bigger pieces, for an open position where the planter is meant to be seen. Heavy, so plan the last few metres.
  • An allotment or kitchen garden — deep, open-based beds that sit on soil, gravel or paving and let roots reach the ground beneath.
  • Against a wall, fence or boundary — long, narrow or trellised, for a low screen or climbers trained up a boundary.

2. Then think about what you will grow

  • Vegetables — potatoes, brassicas and root crops want depth and volume.
  • Herbs and salad — shallow rooting, picked often, so easy reach counts for more than depth.
  • Climbers — clematis, sweet peas, star jasmine or a trained rose need something to climb.
  • Shrubs, trees and topiary — bay, olive, box, acers and hydrangeas need the deepest, heaviest planters we make.
  • Bedding and bulbs — seasonal colour, replanted a couple of times a year.

3. Three numbers worth checking

Every product page lists these in the Full specification table.

  • Planting depth (approx.) — the usable depth of compost, not the outside height of the box.
  • Compost capacity — how many litres you need to buy to fill it. Our capacities run from 35 to 200 litres.
  • Access needed — the clear width, length or height you need to get the planter to where it is going. Everything arrives fully assembled, which is a blessing once it is in place and a nuisance if the side gate is narrow.

A rough guide to depth

Rooting depth varies with variety and how often you water, so treat this as a starting point rather than a rule.

Cut-and-come-again salad leaves About 15 cm and upwards
Most kitchen herbs About 20 cm and upwards
Bedding and spring bulbs About 25 cm and upwards
Potatoes, carrots and other root crops About 30 cm and upwards
Shrubs, topiary and small trees About 35 cm and upwards

Still deciding?