Forget the Trip: Self-Watering Pots Tested for 10 Days For ten days, the garden was a quiet experiment in convenience-a test to see if we could outsmart the tyranny of daily watering. The HC Companies 20-Inch Caribbean Planter, with its sleek Cottage Stone design, was a sturdy base for herbs and flowers, its lightweight plastic making it easy to move around the apartment. But it required a manual check, reminding me that sometimes plants do need a human touch. Then there was the Window Box Planter, a set of eight dark green rectangles that promised a lush, window-sill-ready garden. Their drainage holes and trays were a lifesaver, but like the Caribbean planter, they leaned on the gardener's diligence. My plants thrived, but not without a few trips to the faucet. The real stars of the show, however, were the Plant Watering Globes-a set of eight multicolored glass bulbs that seemed almost magical. These automatic wonders slowly released water as the soil absorbed it, keeping my succulents and basil hydrated without a second thought. Yet, their small size made them less ideal for larger plants, and the occasional glass shattering served as a gentle reminder that not all convenience is foolproof. In the end, the best self-watering solution wasn't about flashy design or gimmicks but a balance of efficiency and practicality. The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener might offer endless advice, but the pots themselves were the silent heroes-whether they were called "globs," "boxes," or "caribbean planters," each had its own way of turning the chore of watering into a chore-free ritual. After ten days of neglect (or at least, of trying to neglect), it was clear: some plants just want to be taken care of, even if you forget to take the trip.
