7 Things To Put In Planters Besides Flowers

Planters come in all different shapes, sizes, and colors, making them a versatile decor piece for your outdoor space. Typically, planters are used to hold beautiful flowers in the spring and summer months. But planters have a variety of uses, so consider some alternatives you can put in yours this year. Some ideas include:

While flowers are a visual delight, they don't typically serve a purpose beyond beautifying your space. Vegetables are another story — not only do the plants look nice, but they also provide delicious, nutritious food for you and your family to snack on.

Like vegetables, herbs serve multiple purposes. They're nice to look at, plus they add flavor and texture to a variety of dishes. Having your own personal herb garden full of things like rosemary, basil, and lavender will allow you to easily up your cooking game.

Take your planter indoors and fill it with a house plant or two, like an easy-to-grow snake plant. This works well for small planters that have drainage holes in them already. If yours don't have drainage holes, make your own.

Instead of planting seasonal flowers in your planter, turn it into a year-round decor piece by filling it with decorative stones and/or moss. If you already have a rock collection, this is the perfect way to put it on display.

Ornamental plants are those cultivated for their aesthetic value and nothing else. Flowers are excellent examples of ornamental plants, but they aren't the only versions. Bonsais, ferns, and palms are a few examples of non-flowering ornamentals. There are even ornamental cabbage and kale species that will add a colorful touch to your space.

If gardening isn't your thing, but you love greenery, faux plants are always an option. While some faux plants can look obviously fake (and maybe even a bit tacky), there are plenty of realistic faux plants on the market. Fill your planter with a faux plant for a stylish, maintenance-free home accent.

Succulents — think aloe, cacti, and the like — are some of the easiest plants to care for. If you want a real, but still low-maintenance plant, get a succulent. You can place multiple in one large planter or a single succulent in a smaller planter. Succulent roots don't like to stay wet after watering, so make sure your planter has drainage holes.