This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Home Depot.

Remember a few weeks ago when I told you how excited we were to begin our spring planting? About how much we love to entertain outside during the spring on the patio around the charcoal grill?

Yeah. It’s still not spring here in Kansas. I mean, it’s really, really not spring.

We’re so far removed from spring that Doodle’s class field trip to our Botanical Gardens was cancelled last week due to the cold temperature and high winds. It was in the 30’s here last week, and we were actually under a freeze advisory Friday morning.

But since I’m too impatient to wait much longer to start planting, I convinced the Tall Boy to take me to The Home Depot to get some new planters for our entertaining patio.  We’re hopefully on the upswing to warmer temperatures, but I decided I could get a few planters started…and if the temperature drops too much, we can pull them in for the evening.

As you can see, our entertaining patio is in definite need of some TLC {and the deck could use a good restaining, but that’s a project for another day!}.  Fortunately, I’m working with The Home Depot this spring to get this space jazzed up…and since I’m not really much of a gardener, undertaking a project like this called for some research on my part.

I decided I’d share what I learned along the way, and if any of you have suggestions for me, I’d love to hear them!

I almost always plant wave petunias; they are my absolute favorite…or at least they are until we have eleventy-bajillion over 100-degree days in a row and every bit of landscaping material in our yard croaks. This year I’m determined to keep my plant material alive and looking good all summer. Who can relax in an outdoor living space when you have pots full of dead plants staring back at you??

Here’s what I have happening now.  It’s pretty sad looking!

So, I started by researching exactly what type of planter would work best on our entertaining patio.  Here’s what I found:

• Terra Cotta pots, while relatively inexpensive, absorbs water from the soil, drying it out.  The last few summers here have been horribly hot and dry here, so I’m unlikely to use a pot like this on our west-facing patio.  Plus, terra cotta is prone to frost damage…also not Kansas friendly!

• Wood and Baskets are frost-proof, porous and a good insulator for plant roots.  However, to keep wood planters looking good, you’ll have to paint or treat them.  Baskets also offer a natural look, but will last only a few years before deteriorating.
• Metal planters are often popular choices because of their versatility.   However, thin metal containers provide roots little insulation, making them prone to overheating and frost damage. Steel containers will corrode and can leave rusty stains on light-colored paving–not something I want to happen to our paved patio!

• Stone and concrete planters are frost-proof, insulating and durable.  They are less porous than terra cotta, so they won’t dry out your soil as quickly.  They’re super heavy, though, so if you’re planning to move your pots to different locations after planting, these might not be the best choice.  But their stability works great for growing tall, top-heavy plants.

• Synthetic planters include plastics, polymers, fiberglass and resins. These planters come in the widest range of colors, from natural shades to vibrant neon pinks and blues. Synthetic pots are frost-proof and not easily broken, so they are ideal if you have children or pets who may knock them over.

I’m not going to lie: price is a major factor for us in selecting our landscaping materials and planters.  We’re getting our house repainted in a few weeks, so the majority of our outside space budget is going to that much needed improvement.  So, I made sure to grab my coupons from The Home Depot Garden Club before heading out on our shopping excursion!

You can shop online below for some of the container options available at The Home Depot.  You can even check availability in-store before making your trip!

It’s home improvement time, and The Home Depot has everything you need to #DigIn for Spring. No matter what projects you want to tackle, they have great values on all you need. They’re ready to help you with renovation ideas and expert advice, too.

Get over $300 in email exclusive savings each year, sneak peeks on new products, monthly lawn & garden ideas for your region and access to The Home Depot’s gardening experts. Click here to join the world’s largest garden community today! Or go to https://gardenclub.homedepot.com/ to see some of the many benefits of membership.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Home Depot.