Gardening On A Budget

[Forest]

I live in an apartment complex on the third floor. I have a small outside balcony that would be very nice to have several plants on. The problem is, I don’t have a lot of money to invest in expensive decorative pots which are very pretty, but also very expensive. I don’t like the looks of the plastic pots; they just seem cheap and I feel will not last for more than a year or so. What are some alternative garden pots that are both nice looking and affordable and will last for several years before I have to replace them? I want pots that I can use for very large plants as well as garden pots that I can use to grow flowers in. What are your favorite picks that you prefer to use in this situation? You might also advise me on the type of garden pot that hangs on the railing of the balcony; I’ve seen several of those and I thought that would be great to possibly grow herbs or even small tomato plants. What do you think?