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Forget the Flowerpot! Creative Ideas for Planting Indoors
by Lisa Koosis

Description: Creative container ideas for indoor flower gardening.

The key to great indoor gardening is thinking outside the box -- or, more specifically, thinking outside the flowerpot. Though many garden supply stores stock only the traditional terra cotta, ceramic, and plastic flowerpots, there are many other alternatives for the indoor gardener with a little creativity.

Your indoor plants can be planted in a variety of containers. Being indoors gives you a bit of flexibility since you needn't worry about the extremes of weather conditions wearing on your chosen planter such cold breaking something or rain rusting it.

Why not consider a child's sand pail as a planter? They come in bright, cheerful colors and would make a great planter, particularly for a child's room or a sunroom. Leave the shovel (usually included) attached for added decoration.

For smaller plants, mugs make great planters and you can get quite creative. Mugs can be found in cute shapes such as animals, or with fun sayings and pictures. They make great planters for a kitchen herb garden and are just the right size to line up on a kitchen windowsill.

Going with that kitchen theme, why not use old pots and pans to plant in? As with any metal planter you choose, you'll need to line it with something waterproof. Most garden supply stores sell liners specifically geared to the job, but a thick trash bag works equally well. Copper pots in particular make beautiful planters.

Ceramic bowls, canisters and cookie jars are also wonderful options for planting. Items such as these make perfect homes for your plants because they're durable and often quite decorative.

Baskets, too, make pretty planters. What's nice about baskets is that you can use them one of two ways. You can set plastic flower pots right into them, clustering plants for a container garden effect, but you can also plant directly into the basket if you choose. Again, you'll need to use a protective, waterproof liner to line it with before planting. Baskets come in a wealth of sizes and shapes and you'll easily find one to fit in whatever room you choose.

Don’t hesitate to get creative. Some of the things you normally put in the recycle bin make great planters. Coffee cans, for instance, are the perfect size for a small to medium-sized plant. Why not let your kids decorate it for a personalized touch? If you're feeling creative yourself, why not try decoupage?

On the subject of creativity, plain old terra cotta pots make a great canvas for artistic endeavors. They can be made quite easily into mosaics or used for decoupage or even painted.

So why not spice up your indoor garden with a movement away from plain old terra cotta? What better way is there to incorporate your plants into your home décor and your life?

Lisa is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/, a site for Poetry Contests.

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