If you love gardening but struggle with choosing the right plants for your deck, you’re in the right place! The type of decking you have can determine your best options for plants and gardening.
It’s essential to consider which plants will be most likely to survive without causing your deck any issues. Keep reading for a list of some of the most popular and easy-to-care-for plants that would make wonderful additions based on the deck you have installed!
1. Basic Wooden Decks: Desert Plants
Genuine wood decks may be difficult to identify. Consider checking with professionals such as https://landofelite.com/ to ensure that your wood deck is genuine, and ask them what you can do to take care of it so it lasts as long as possible!
Most wood decks are susceptible to warping if exposed to water over long periods of time. Even with waterproofing techniques, wood can still suffer when water sits on the surface for extended periods of time. This is the main risk of gardening on your deck; on the day you water, the drainage will pool around the pot and sit on the surface of your deck.
This is why, for wooden decks, we recommend desert plants that don’t require very much water. These species will do just fine with a thorough watering roughly once per month (maybe more in the summer).
Some drought-tolerant, sunlight-loving species include:
• Echeveria
• Crassula ovata
• Graptopetalum paraguayense
2. Vinyl Decks: Tropical Plants
Vinyl decks are designed to have the same appearance as wood but have more durability, as they are made from vinyl polymers. This type of plastic is also more resistant to water damage and makes tropical plants an easy choice for you!
Tropical plants tend to want water more frequently, potentially as much as every two weeks, and need very little direct sunlight. Some great options for your vinyl deck could include:
• Golden pothos
• Dieffenbachia
• Alocasia
3. Covered Decks: Shade-Friendly Plants
Covered decks open up a wide world of shade-tolerant plants! Typically, species that prefer the shade would normally grow under the canopy of large trees and are used to bright (but indirect) light. These species can have a wide variety of watering needs, so make sure you double-check the details provided below.
Here is a list of some shade-friendly friends that would do well potted on your covered deck.
• Zamioculcas zamiifolia – little watering required, at least once every 10 days
• Monstera deliciosa – frequent watering required, at least once every 2 weeks
• Caladium – little watering required, at least once every 2 to 3 weeks
4. Multi-Tier Deck: Tall Plants
If you have a multi-tier deck and are looking to add some greenery, choose taller plants to accent the space. Tall plants can be found in every botanical family, and they can all have a variety of needs, so make sure to research your tall plant and check the details here before you add it to your collection!
Some common options are:
• Strelitzia reginae – frequent watering needs, at least once every 10 days, bright direct sunlight
• Kentia palm – moderate watering needs, at least once every two weeks, bright indirect light
Final Thoughts
Finding the right plants to adorn your deck without causing mass plant casualties is a struggle for most individuals! Don’t worry if it takes a few tries to get your plant-care skills just right and keep trying.
Using the guide above, you can get to a better start by adding in the plants most suited for your space. This little head start will get you on the right path to having a lush garden on your lovely deck.