Self-Watering Pots

Pots with a built-in water reservoir in the base. You fill the reservoir, and the plant draws water up through the soil as it needs it - so instead of watering every second day, you top up once a week or so. That single change is what keeps most office and holiday-home plants alive.

They suit anyone who travels, works long hours, or has killed a plant by overwatering rather than under. The reservoir also means water reaches the roots rather than evaporating off the soil surface, which matters in Indian summers when a small pot can dry out in a day.

Best for money plant, peace lily, syngonium, pothos and most foliage plants. Less suited to succulents and cacti, which prefer to dry out fully between waterings. See also office and desk pots and indoor planters. Read Self-Watering Planters: How They Work first.