Hanging Planter

Some plants look their best when they can spill downward, and a hanging planter lets them. It turns an empty window or a bare corner of ceiling into growing space, and it keeps plants away from curious pets and small hands.

Ours are made from lightweight molded fiber and recycled plastic, so a planted pot is not a strain on the hook. The inner pot drains into a sealed tray built into the base, which means no drips on the floor below when you water.

At a glance

• Material: molded fiber outer shell, recycled plastic inner pot and drip tray.
• Drainage: inner pot drains into a sealed tray in the base.
• Hanging: braided cord, adjustable from 24 to 40 inches.
• Sizes: 6 and 8 inches across.
• Price: $22 and $28.

Which plants it suits

Trailing and arching plants are the obvious choice. Golden pothos grows long vines that look far better hanging than piled on a shelf. A Boston fern is the classic hanging plant, its fronds arching out on every side. Other good candidates include string-of-hearts, spider plants and trailing philodendrons.

Hanging it well

• Use a ceiling hook rated for at least three times the weight of the planted pot when freshly watered. Wet soil is heavier than it looks.
• Hang it close enough to a window for the plant's needs. The top of a room is often brighter than the floor, but a pot hung high and far from the glass will still be in shade.
• Set the cord so you can reach the top of the pot without a ladder. A plant that is hard to water gets watered less.
• Remember that warm air rises. Plants hung near the ceiling dry out faster, so check them more often than plants on the floor.

To water, take the pot down and stand it in the sink if you can, or pour slowly and stop as soon as the tray starts to fill.