It’s the time of year when you just want to find a cozy nook to curl into…and we can help with that! Railing planters are the perfect way to turn your home into a showstopper from the street, while at the same time creating a cozy corner to relax in on your front porch, balcony, or deck. A row of railing planters instantly dresses up a house, putting gorgeous greenery and flowers at eye level and above. Your house is like a dress, and your railing planters and window boxes, the accessories, which give a “finished” look to a house.

What Are Railing Planters?

Railing planters are basically flower boxes, or window boxes, that you can mount to a railing, whether that’s a fence, deck, balcony, or otherwise.

Why Use Railing Planters?

There are many reasons to add railing planters to your home exterior. They are an excellent way to give your home an instant “facelift,” adding dimension and color to an otherwise plain area. They provide partial privacy if you have a lot of traffic, nosy neighbors, or simply prefer to relax on your porch unobserved. And it’s much easier—especially on your back—to garden at a height; railing planters give you an elevated garden that’s literally at your fingertips.

How to Use Railing Planters for Your Fall Décor

Choose your railing planter

You’ll want railing planters that work with your home’s overall aesthetic. Thankfully, Hooks and Lattice offers railing planters in every style.

Our wrought iron railing planters, like the Parisian Railing Planter, give a European vintage vibe, with their intricate scrollwork and Old-World beauty. Handcrafted and powder-coated to withstand any weather, these lovely flower boxes give the air of walking down a Paris street and gazing up at the flower-filled terraces above you.

Less into the Old World? Our Modern Railing Planters have a simple, streamlined look that gives you clean lines and a more contemporary curb appeal. Made from fiberglass, these planters are built to last season after season without cracking, chipping, or warping. (Plus, they are the perfect background for an ultra-modern fall plant mix of all green, or maybe with a touch of silver and white peeking out.)

And who doesn’t love the look of wood, with its simple beauty and granular details? The Cedar Lattice Rail Flower Box gives you that rustic charm, with its lattice front and raw, unfinished beauty. Paint it any color, or leave it unfinished, for the look you’re after. Naturally rot- and insect-resistant, this cedar railing planter is ready for planting. 

Go from one season to another

Did we mention how easy it is to switch out seasonal plants and décor with railing planters? Take your railing planters (and window boxes, for that matter) from summer to fall by replacing the summer blossoms with autumnal flowers, grasses, and greenery. Depending on where you live, and the state of the summer flowers, you may even be able to keep some of your summer annuals, deadheading and trimming them to fit in with your summer display. But even if you want to start afresh for the autumn with all new plants, it’s so easy to plant them with railing planters.

Try these fall plant mixes

Don’t know where to start with your fall planters? First, keep in mind the “rule of three” for planting; this rule suggests that three groupings of different plants, rather than one or two types, provides visual balance to the display. With that in mind, here are some of our favorite fall mixes in threes:

• Sweet potato vine, mums, and coleus
• Marigolds, crotons, and creeping Jenny
• Coral bells, hostas, and black-eyed Susans
• Zinnias, sweet alyssum, and ivy

Make it easy—go artificial

When you think of artificial plants, are you picturing those dusty flower arrangements in your grandma’s house? Not anymore. This next generation of faux plants is outdoor-rated, fade-resistant, and lifelike enough to fool the neighbors.

So why go artificial with the plants in your railing planters? There are many reasons. First, artificial plants are always beautiful, never wilting or dying. You don’t have to water, fertilize, or prune them. You can go away on an autumn vacation and not have to ask friends, or hire someone, to water them. Artificial plants are also a great hybrid option for your outdoor displays; you can go live everywhere else, and “plant” them in second-story railing planters and window boxes, and other hard-to-reach (and water) places.

Artificial plant mixes to try for fall

Get instant fall gratification with these already blooming artificial plant mixes:

• Wheat grass, guzmania (any color, or mixed), and Vriesas (any color, or mixed)
• Flowering rhododendron (yellow), ruscus bush, and English ivy
• Boxwood, geranium (red, white, or mixed), and bittersweet vine
• Colorful croton, lush grass, and barberry shrub
• Dusty miller, Hibiscus (orange), and sprengerii

  

Need more info?

Not sure what hardware you need to hang your railing planters? Get help in our easy Railing Brackets Buying Guide.

Want to make your new railing planter self-watering? Get a water reservoir for it.

Need more inspo?

Shop all your fall-favorite curb appeal looks—including planters, porch decor, and more—at hookandlattice.com.

Follow us for more fall-inspired looks at @hooksandlattice

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