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Container Gardening Small Spaces / Urban Gardening Home Repair

Ideas on how to get my 1960's built in indoor planter box functional?

2 years ago

I have a 1960's home with an indoor planter box. It is lined with metal that is rusting with a hanging light over it. It is located in the entry way of my home. It's the first thing you see when you open the front door! I am not sure how to get it up

and running again. How to reseal or replace the metal inside and how to set up again so it can work efficiently. I would love to do an indoor garden and herbs. It also has a south facing window about 5 or 6 feet behind it. Any help or creative ways to fix it would be awesome. Nothing too hard its just me fixing it. I have 2 little girls so want to keep it safe.

Featured Answer

Jilly

2 years ago

Along the lines of what gardengal said, this is a neat idea for holding the individual pots (scroll down):

https://www.familyhandyman.com/project/build-an-indoor-planter-box/

Some plant ideas mentioned:

https://www.westernliving.ca/6-gorgeous-indoor-planters

I love these vintage planter boxes, it’s nice seeing someone who wants to use it! :)

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Comments (10)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
2 years ago
The easiest thing to do would be to fill it with several good sized potted houseplants that appreciate lower light conditions. 5-6 feet away from a south facing window is not ideal. And not anywhere close to what herbs need.

Don't try to plant it. Just use it as a large cache pot to set the individual pots in. You can disguise the tops with a layer of moss if you like.

Using the plants in individual pots will make it easy to take care of them re: watering, fertilizing, repotting, etc.

I'd pick plants with some contrasting forms.......sansevieria, peace lily, maybe a fern
aziline
2 years ago
I have no idea but i Love LOVE your floors!
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Lysa Swain
Original Author
2 years ago
I was thinking of a way to seal the base then inverting a planting box or double layered planting box and for plants that need an extra light get a lightbulb of sorts to put in the hanging light above! I really want to be able to do tomatoes!
Lysa Swain
Original Author
2 years ago
Thank you!!!!
Linda Dornan
2 years ago
Tomatoes would just look silly growing in the entryway, IMO
KW PNW Z8
2 years ago
I agree with @Linda Dornan that tomatoes would look silly - and messy too as well as not enought light. Love @gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9) suggestions of how and what to plant in this really nice feature in your entry. Love the light over the box too!
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
2 years ago
Not only will tomatoes look silly, they simply will not grow to any productive maturity in that situation. Unless you have a greenhouse or similar light, temperature and humidity controlled environment, you will not be able to successful grow outdoor crops/plants indoors!

As a novice to this situation, stick with houseplants. Not only are many intended to be grown in low light indoor conditions, they will actually thrive and become a decorative aspect as well.
Stacey
2 years ago
I had one and I put 3 Boston Ferns in pots with drip tray underneath. Looked very full and pretty.
Lysa Swain
Original Author
2 years ago
Thank you guys so much!!!

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