Hang’em up! The plants of hanging planters.

Hanging planters are coolness personified – always have been and always will be. Of late they have gotten a really cool facelift with macrame planters and boho has never been cooler. Hanging planters are a great way to display plant babies and find them homes that make them look good. Put them on ladder plant stands, hang them from the ceilings with hooks, or let them beautify your balcony railings. With many people realising the benefits of having plants at home and with the need to conserve the much-coveted floor space, hanging planters are the perfect solutions.

There are many kinds of hanging planters in the market today that not only work as perfect homes for your plants but also make your home look prettier.

Types

1. Clay-based: they bring a rustic charm to the setting but they dry out faster. Although terracotta is the best for plant health. 
2. Ceramic: They hold water and work well for the health of your plants while also adding colour and sophistication to your home. 
3. Metal pots: The modern, chic, and minimal type of hanging planter. Direct planting is not possible for metal pots and they need a plastic liner pot.

Planter shape:

1. Wide containers: Good for spreading plants with delicate root systems that need to spread out before they spill over the sides. For e.g. Sedum 
2. Circular/ Oval planter: Good for almost all kinds of plants, they are also easy to hang. For e.g. Philodendrons 
3. Tall/Vertical planters: Good for plants that have a deeper root system and need more soil for healthy growth. For e.g. Bird’s Nest Fern 

Style file:

1. Hanging jungle: Create a green oasis in a well-lit corner of your home with hanging planters at different heights and club them with floor planters for an enviable green nook. 
2. Kokedama display: Go zen and minimal with this Japanese method of gardening. A good way to show your plant and DIY love and set you a notch above other plant parents. 
3. Hanging terrariums: If you are a proponent of the whimsical and dreamy look then glass terrariums are for you. Make sure that the terrarium has a good-sized opening for air circulation. 
4. Macrame plant hangers: Macrame hangers can turn any planter into a hanging one while adding rustic charm to your space. Want to go farmhouse chic, use jute ropes. 

Plant it up:

Some plants are made for hanging planters and trailing leaves are what dreams are made of. Hanging planters save floor space while giving you all the joys of owning a garden. Hanging planters are also a good way to utilise those dead corners that get light but have no other scope for décor.

The following are some of the best plants suited for hanging planters:

1. Peperomia: the green oval leaves of the peperomia are an eye-pleasing sight and with their trailing quality and sturdy stems they make for excellent hanging plants. Put them in narrower planters to show off their foliage to the full effect.
2. Staghorn fern: The true epiphytes. They are excellent for wall mounting and grow in unusual containers like empty coconut shells or driftwood mounts. They are survivors and don’t require any extra attention to add an unusual charm to your home.
3. Spider plant: NASA favourite for air purification. They give birth to babies on long slender stems that hang down from the mother plant in a stunning cascade. Give them any planter and they will live happily but are especially stunning in wide planters where they spread to take over the whole area.
4. Fern: Be it boston, rabbit’s foot, emina, or any other cousin of the family, ferns add the much needed tropical vibe to your space and a burst of lush green foliage that is hard to compete with.
5. Birds nest fern: With their wide leaves and rosetted pattern of growing, birds nest fern are easy to take care of in hanging planters. They are also a great option for kokedama. The best part, they tend to grow only as big as the container allows them to, so you can control the size.
6. Philodendrons: There is nothing easier and more joyous to grow than a philodendron, be it in a hanging pot or not. They are easy to grow and tame, let them trail elegantly down the planters or let them trail up the wall, there is nothing that the plant won’t do.
7. Syngonium: The arrowheads come in several shapes and sizes and look especially great in macrame hangers, with their arrow shaped leaves poking out beautifully.

While I am a firm believer of the fact that any trailing or spreading plant can be planted in hanging planters, many purists don’t subscribe to the same belief system. But, it’s your garden and you can reign it like the boss that you are, get creative and see what looks best in your home and garden away.

Happy gardening!

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