5 Portable and Beautiful Planting Schemes You Can Pick Up and Take With You – Ideal for Renters

As a renter, I have to approach gardening carefully. It would be a shame to stick lots of plants in the ground and then not be able to take them with me when I eventually move on. But, I've found there are endless portable garden ideas for renters that give me a flourishing garden without digging into the ground.

You'll be surprised by just how many ways there are to garden in a rental property, and it isn't just in containers. From vertical gardening with no-drill trellises (like this freestanding wooden trellis with a planter box from Wayfair) to portable greenhouses, there are so many non-permanent gardening options for renters.

The best part is these ideas can all be done on a budget, too, so you can have an abundant garden without breaking the bank and you'll be able to walk away with all your hard work when your rental agreement comes to an end. Here, I talk through five portable ideas to consider.

5 Portable Garden Ideas for Renters

Before jumping in with portable garden ideas for renters, you should keep in mind what is and isn't allowed in your rental agreement.

Don't forget to also take some 'before' photos so you have a reference point of how to return the garden at the end of your tenancy and so you have proof of the condition of the garden when you moved in.

1. Make a Container Border

If your rental garden has garden border space that looks quite bare and you're not able to plant directly into it, you can fill it with a container garden to create the appearance of a full border while keeping things portable.

Likewise, you can create a faux border by lining up containers, like in the photo above.

To avoid it looking sparse, pack them closely together to create dense planting. The best part about this is that each plant is separated in its own pot, so you don't have to worry about getting spacing right when planting.

I like to use a mix of terracotta planters to keep things looking uniform (you can actually get a starter pack of terracotta pots on Amazon), but you can customize vessels to your taste. If you want pops of color to come through, use glazed ceramic planters (like this blue one from Wayfair).

Our guide to low-maintenance pot plants that thrive on neglect has more ideas on what to plant up here, but try to treat it as you would a border: taller, structural plants at the back, compact plants at the front.

When it's time to move on, you can simply move the containers as they are to their new location.

2. Use a Freestanding Trellis

A vertical garden is one of the best-space-saving gardening solutions, and you can use a freestanding trellis to make this portable.

Freestanding, no-drill trellises can be placed carefully to cover walls, fences, and the sides of sheds with greenery and florals.

They have feet to stand stably without needing attach to surfaces. This brown metal trellis from Amazon doubles as a patio garden screen.

You can then grow climbers up it. Annual climbers can be a good choice if you have a 12-month contract at you rental property, so it will grow, bloom, and fade by the time you're getting ready to move.

You can also get trellis raised planter boxes (like this wooden one from Wayfair), which make it easier for planting up, keeping plants contained, and transporting.

3. Incorporate Plant Stands

Another way to create eye-catching planting displays in your yard without putting down roots is by incorporating outdoor plant stands.

A-frame ladder plant stands (like this wooden one from Amazon) in particular have a rustic feel to them, and look extra charming when adorned with different plant pots. You could even DIY one with wooden boards (from Lowe's).

Or, use tiered plant stands (like this beautiful leaf design metal one from Wayfair) to embellish your patio and outdoor seating area.

To repurpose old planters in the yard or things like wooden crates (like these from Amazon), you can stack them up to create a plant stand along the lines of the one in the image above.

4. Install a Portable Greenhouse

When I first moved into my home, I thought kitchen gardening might be off the table for me as I couldn't put in a proper veg patch. But, I then discovered portable greenhouses.

These non-permanent greenhouses are usually made from PVC and are lightweight. They don't require any construction to install, simply use tent pegs to secure them down.

They also come in a wide range of sizes, from slim mini portable greenhouses (like this one on Amazon) to walk-in portable greenhouses (like this one from Lowe's). You can even get wooden cabinet ones (like this portable greenhouse on Amazon) which can make your yard look more expensive.

It's easy to ventilate these greenhouses, as they have doors and windows to open. Essentially, they work just like more permanent solutions, but are unheated, easy to disassemble and move, and they're much more affordable.

For something smaller and even more space-saving, you can use portable types of cold frames, like this wooden portable cold frame on Amazon.

With this in place, you can start growing a vegetable container garden.

5. Plant into Raised Beds

Raised bed gardening is another great portable garden idea for renters.

If you're able to place them on top of the lawn (bear in mind you'll probably need to put some grass seed down to help this patch recover afterwards), these lightweight beds can be positioned easily, filled with compost, and planted into.

You can grow both flowers and crops in raised beds, with these vessels offering plenty of drainage and some protection from pests like slugs and snails (especially steel raised beds, like these pretty green ones from Wayfair and these smaller square steel raised beds from Vego Garden).

Our guide to plants that actually grow better in raised beds has more inspiration.

For hard surfaces, like a patio, it might be better to opt for a raised bed with a solid base. For example, this wooden raised bed on legs from Amazon has drainage holes and a bottom shelf for extra storage – it's even on wheels for easy manoeuvring.

If you have a 12-month rental agreement, focus on planting fast-growing flowering annuals and crops in your raised beds. By the time it comes to moving, they'll be at the end of their lifecycle and your beds can be cleared out.

FAQs

What Are the Best Flowers for Renters to Grow?

There's so much choice when it comes to flowers to plant if you rent. If you're only staying are the rental property for a year, focus on annual flowers that will grow in one season and then fade away.

This includes zinnias, marigolds, and sunflowers. This pack of annual wildflower seeds from Amazon gives you a large variety.

If your rental property only has a smaller garden, there are several container gardening tricks you can use to make a small patio feel expensive.

Love inspiring garden ideas, outdoor advice, and the latest news? Sign up for our newsletter and get the latest features delivered straight to your inbox.