New Garden Containers From Old Materials

Find inventive ways to keep the cost down and bolster the design of your garden by recycling. Mix old with new, but make the DIY element an important feature, and concentrate on the details as well as the big picture.

Excerpted from Simple Steps: Containers for Patios
Filed under: Recycling, Container Gardening, Gardening

Be Creative

In many ways, using recycled goods is more creative than blowing a fortune on designer items. All kinds of containers, from old boots and shoes to bathtubs, pots, woks and kettles are likely contenders. If you really get the bug, go to a junkyard to find fun, quirky possibilities. You can even use an old jalopy of a two-seater sports car as a giant pot. Some containers, like the shoes, will last only one season, but no matter. All that counts is that the plants grow well, they can be easily watered and the water can drain out freely.

Plant Ladder

Stepladders make useful shelving units. Balance small pots filled with dangling flowers on the treads from top to bottom. Place the ladder in a sheltered position to protect it from being blown over, and keep the DIY theme going with more recycled containers on the walls and ground.