Plants brighten up spaces with beauty and warmth, hence why commercial planters are popularly used in landscape design. If you are thinking of adding planters to your commercial property, there are a number of things to consider before making a decision.
Commercial planters should include:
- Plants that are durable and can withstand a lot of traffic.
- Plants that don’t require too much water, or extra care.
- Plants that bloom all year long, ensuring your commercial landscaping looks great 365-days a year.
- Beautiful plants that draw attention.
So what types of plants are beautiful, easy to maintain, and/or bloom all or most of the year? It sounds like a lot to live up to, but surprisingly there are plenty of options out there.
5 Of The Best Plants For Commercial Planters
Commercial planters offer an excellent, low-maintenance way to spruce up your business landscaping, both inside and out. Yet, if you add picky plants that are costly to maintain you might regret your decision. Great plants for commercial planters are low-maintenance but beautiful, adding to your business landscaping without taking much of your budget or time. The following 5 plants offer all of that and more!
1. Hosta Plants
Hosta is a genre of plant that includes a variety of flowers, most of which are incredibly durable. You can plant hostas and practically forget about them and they will continue to thrive. Some hosta variations require plenty of shade, while others can tolerate higher levels of sunlight. Depending on the location you plan to put your potted hosta, the right variation will change. The general rule states that the lighter the foliage the brighter the sun it requires.
Plant disease is something no corporate location wants to deal with in regards to landscaping. Thankfully, hostas have a relatively low risk for disease, especially when placed in a planter. Deer and slugs, however, do find hosta plants to be rather tasty, so if this is an issue in your area it is something to consider. (Learn more)
2. Succulents
If your commercial landscaping gets a lot of foot traffic you will have to deal with the occasional patron who thinks it’s okay to pluck blooming petals from your planters. Pretty petunias and roses beg to be picked, but there are other types of plants that don’t offer the same ‘picking’ qualities.
Succulents are hardy, come in a wide variety and don’t have the same flowering effect with buds you can easily pull and take away. As drought resistant plants, succulents require very little water and will thrive in the hottest of regions. You can combine multiple succulent plants in one planter for a unique look that steals attention.
There are SO many different types of succulents, from cacti, to burro’s tail; there are spikey plants, tall plants, wide plants and so forth. Some of the easiest succulents to work with include sedum and sempervivum.
If you live in a region that gets very cold succulents do best if they are brought inside for the winter. (See here)
3. Perennial Flowers
This popular plant is truly incredible; it is low-maintenance and blooms beautifully all year long– year after year! Perennials come in many different types, blooming in a variety of colors from oranges, purples, vibrant blues, pinks, and pretty much any color you can think of. No matter what color you want to add to your corporate landscaping, there is a perennial available to fit your needs.
A beautiful option is the Aster x frikartii, a lush purple flower that grows around 2 feet-tall and blooms 2 1/2-inch lavender flowers all year long when properly pruned. You can also plant Catmit, a vibrant green bush that sprouts a lavender-blue flower.
It is best to plant perennials in the fall or spring so they have time to start growing before temperatures peak in the summer. (Read more)
4. Daylily
You won’t be so worried about people picking your flowers if they are Daylilies, after all their unique flower blossom only lives one day before wilting away. With plenty of water, the plant will continue to bloom new petals all year long. The daylily has been breed by gardeners and horticulturalists for many years due to its striking beauty, ability to flourish all year long and its low-maintenance qualities.
When it comes to the daylily, the larger the planter the better it is for the plant. The daylily requires plenty of water when it is first planted, but doesn’t require much water thereafter. You will wait for the soil to dry out between watering.
If you live in a warm climate, morning sun and afternoon shade is a common successful pattern for this plant. The key with daylilies, and most other plants, is great soil and drainage. Self-watering planters are a HUGE aid with both of these things.
5. Topiary Trees
There is just something about a topiary tree that is so beautiful and regal. There are many different types of topiary trees for you to pick from, many of which do excellent in containers. Topiaries come in a variety of shapes, such as spirals, balls, cubes, pyramids, and more. No matter which type you pick, they all add a regal quality to landscaping and remain a gorgeous shade of green all year long.
Once the plant is established it can withstand droughts and other rough conditions. With proper water, soil and drainage these plants almost always meet their maximum growth. One of the only things that will prevent topiary from growing is chronic waterlogged soil. It is very important to provide additional nutrients during the growing season to topiary trees kept in containers.
Most animals and insects have little to no interest in eating topiary trees. Rabbits and deer will only consume this type of plant if there are literally no other options. Most commonly small insects attach to and attack leaves. Remove infected leaves and spray foliage in May to help remove insect colonies.
TerraCast Products offers the most innovative commercial landscaping materials on the market. Our planters and other products never rust, corrode or stain—guaranteed!