Over rail planters are a great addition to an apartment balcony. Many apartment balconies do not have the proper drainage to sustain lush, green plantings. But by using over rail planters and other apartment gardening ideas you can enjoy all the benefits of a well-drained balcony without the mess and maintenance. These are also great space savers as they take up less vertical space than most other deck planter boxes. Let’s take a look at how you can incorporate over rail planters in your own apartment gardening.

The first thing you need to do is get some old, rusted, or unwanted pieces of metal railings from your home improvement store. These can be bought inexpensively at a home improvement store. The next step is to set aside a few hours. That means setting aside two full days, if not more, so that you can go through your apartment building and search for old, rusted, unwanted metal window boxes and railings.

Once you have located these items, you will need to measure them to make sure that you have enough room for your over rail planters and hanging planters. For example, the railing boxes may be too tall or wide for your balcony, so you should take a tape measure the height and width of your window before you buy your railings. If you have to replace them, take those measurements along with you when you shop for new deck planters or hanging planters.

The next thing to do is decide what you are going to do with your balcony railing planters and hanging planters once they are installed. Some apartment dwellers choose to leave their railings open for everyone to enjoy. Other apartment dwellers like to use a privacy screen. Whatever your personal preference, the best way to have your railing planters and hanging planters installed successfully is to follow a DIY railing planter installation guide. One of these great guides will help you through every step of installing your new railing planters and hanging planters in your balcony, deck, or patio.

One of the most important parts of the DIY railing planter installation guide you are following should be how you measure the area where you want your balcony railing planters to go. You need to measure your balcony railing according to the specifications in your apartment building’s building plans. You also need to measure where you will place your saddle planter box, if you are going to place one there. This is because the height and width of your saddle planter box need to be measured so that it will fit into the opening in your balcony railing. There are some plans that allow you to change the angle of your saddle planter box to fit better into the opening; this is another reason why the measurements you take in your DIY balcony railings guide are vital.

Cedar garden planters and hanging planters have been a favorite with homeowners throughout the ages. Cedar has a natural aroma that is pleasing to the senses and it is resistant to rotting, cracking, or breaking, which makes it a favorite for balconies, decks, patios and other outdoor structures. As such many people who have beautiful cedar garden planter boxes hang cedar garden planter boxes and rails along their balcony railing as a decorative and functional addition to their home’s exterior.

Over-the-rail balcony railing planters and railing self-mounting planter boxes offer a much simpler and less expensive alternative to the large cedar garden planter box. In fact, over-the-rail planters and railing self-mounting planter boxes are available in a wide variety of beautiful finishes and designs. There are pre-made kits you can buy, or you can create your own DIY kit. The materials needed for both types of plans are readily available from hardware stores or online retailers. For the DIY crowd, kits are also available.

If you’re more interested in a cedar garden planter or hanging planter box that is easy to move around the deck or garden then you might want to consider a saddle planter. Saddle planters are similar to over-the-rail planter rails, but they mount onto a tripod and can be moved around the deck or garden easily. A saddle planter can be made out of wood, aluminum, plastic, or other material and are available in many beautiful and eye-catching finishes and designs.