Best way to attach plant troughs to railings???

[eskymo]

Hi there all - I'm looking for some top tips on how to attach long plant troughs to my railing fence as I want to maximise the amount of stuff I grow and thought that troughs attached to the railing fence would look attractive and add to my growing space and I could fill them with tumbling toms and nasturtiums etc.

I'm just not sure what's the best, cheapaest, most secure way of doing it.

Attached is a pic of the garden last year which shows the type of railing fence I've got.

Any suggestions are most welcome.

[sewer rat]

Hi Eskymo
Depending on the length and therefore ultimately the weight of the troughs, you could use thick plastic cable ties, threading them through holes pierced in the back wall of the troughs.
Alternatively, you could make some hanging brackets that fit round the base of each trough, up the back and hook over the railings.

[eskymo]

what could I make brackets from?

I've been thinking of using galvanised wire and just wrapping it round the trough and railings at both ends. I do have some cable tie too, but not sure that would hold the weight and the trough might snap off.

[pigletwillie]

Howabout cutting a wooden batten the same length as your planter and then put that behind the railings, your planter this side of the railings and screw through your planter into the batten to pull it tight and clamp it up. You may need to use big washers to prevent the screws from pulling through when you fill the planter.

Cheap, easy and virtually invisible.

[JennieAtkinson]

Eskymo - have you bought metal troughs? I've been looking for some fancy metal troughs to hang on the windowsills of the house, but just haven't been able to souce any. Any body got any ideas (bearing in mind that I can't go to a B&Q etc )

[eskymo]

No I just had some old plastic ones lying around and thought I would put them to good use. I opted on using galvanised wire and wrapping this around each tough and the railing at three point [left, middle and right] and they seems to be holding up OK. My neighbours tells me the plants i eventually plant in them won't last very long as they will dry up very quickly, but I'm going to add some water retaining granules to the soil and also, as I work from home I can keep a constant eye on them, so should be OK on that front.