Creative and recycled gardening containers

[SpringBreeze]

Hey everyone!

So, I'm interested in just about everything alternative. And what's been catching my eye lately is the creative use of non-garden-related and recycled objects to grow flowers and plants. It's very different and creative. Here's are a few objects I've seen people turn into planting pots:

1. Shoes/Boots
2. Egg shell
3. Detached tub... I saw a beautiful claw-foot tub with walls decorated in mosaic tiles or glass.
4. Wood dresser
5. Tin can... A friend painted several in the same color, so they'd match, and add color and color-coordination to her garden.
6. Toolbox
7. Old car
8. Tea pot
9. Large tea cup
10. Old chair with a pouch for a seat
11. Shopping Cart
12. Cement block... I've seen this used as a 2 in 1. You use cement blocks to create a low retainer wall. And the very top cement blocks are left unfilled and open. In those square holes you plant small plants.

Do you have any creative garden containers in your garden? Any ideas you want to share? Seen anything interesting lately? Please share...

 

[sissy]

I use concrete block I had left from the house build and planted pickles in them with a piece of fencing I had left and some rebar and it made a nice place for them to grow up .These days everything has to be looked at with a different eye .I use a satelite dish for a bird bath and bird feeder

 

[loopyloo]

I have found people using tires. They stack nice and make great raised areas. My concern would be growing food items around them. They are a great idea for potatoes but if they leach toxins into the soil its not such a great idea anymore. I love the concret block idea. Plainting small plants in the voids would be so cute. It would also help plants such as herbs that like to spread and take over everything to stay put.
Im trying to get my garden to be both beautiful to look at and edible. Food costs are going throught he roof and growing your own is a great way to combat that.

 

[ChanellG]

I like the idea of reusing stuff this way, but I am a bit concerned about what kinds of chemicals some of these things can leach into the soil. I have seen great bathtub gardens though, and I think these could be ideal for growing food plants since you could have a garden anywhere and you would have control over the soil; it's the ultimate raised bed!

 

[AndroidGirl89]

I definitely like the ideas of bathtub gardens! Plenty of depth without having to buy a bunch of materials. I was looking around online and some people even use old refrigerators!

 

[SpringBreeze]

Thanks everyone for sharing! There are just so many great ideas out there. Hmmh... I wonder if anyone has done a book on this subject. The pictures would be so great, especially one with a refrigerator in it. hahaha, that's so cool! I'd really love to see that.

Sissy, your satellite dish as a bird bath/feeder = wow!

Loopyloo, great point about the toxins in tires. Here's an article I just found on it: How to Recycle Tires in your Garden.

Thanks again everyone. Please keep on sharing.

 

[claudine]

Wow, this is an inspirational thread, I love it . I've found some interesting pictures and I want to share:

How about drawers?

Bottles might look interesting too:

 

[ChanellG]

Claudine those are great! I especially love the suspended bottles. Where did you find it? I have a bunch of empties I am planning to turn into containers for herbs and small plants.

 

[loopyloo]

Some people and their imagination surprise me. I would not have thought to use bottles like this. Its a perfect used of not very usable space. The other huge benifit is that herbs tend to spread like weeds and these are perfectly contained. They are all accessable too. I wonder if it is a hard task to water them all or if one plant drips to the next so you only need to water the top plant most of the time. I dont have the space to fill a wall like this photo shows but I could definately make a row or two along my fence.

Thanks for the great find Claudine.

 

[ChanellG]

I did a search last night for gardening in small spaces and found some great images of how to get the most out of the space you have. Recycling bottles seems to be a popular idea. I have a bunch of bottles saved and I can't wait to get started on my own vertical garden project.

Here's a link to a site that shows how to use soda bottles as hanging planters:
http://greenopolis.com/goblog/canar...s-make-hanging-planters-small-space-gardening

 

[AndroidGirl89]

Wow, this is an inspirational thread, I love it . I've found some interesting pictures and I want to share:

How about drawers?

Bottles might look interesting too:

Love both those ideas! Those drawers look pretty awesome! I think some of these ideas are pretty awesome at making use of small spaces as well!

 

[SpringBreeze]

Hey everyone! I did some more searching and take a look at the treasures I found...

Gutter Gardening:


DIY Vertical Herb Garden with a Shoe Organizer


And now... drum rolls please...

The Toilet Garden Planter




Again, thank you everyone for posting your finds!!! This has been such a beautiful week looking at all of these wonderfully creative pictures. I'm having so much fun. Yay!!!

 

[ChanellG]

DIY Vertical Herb Garden with a Shoe Organizer

I like this one best! It seems the least likely to have any toxic repercussions, as long as the bags were canvas. You could grow herbs quite well this way as long as you watched out for flowering and cross pollination.

 

[ChanellG]

Just found this online (looking for that canvas shoe bag garden) and had to share!!!

Here's a link to the site it came from: http://blog.makezine.com/2010/01/28/apartment-sized-vertical-herb-garde/

 

[Shirleyc Cox]

There are lot of things can be used as a planter. You can use Bed frame, Dresser drawers, wooden chair, toy box, coconut shell, soda bottle, coffee bag and can, cooler, wheelbarrow and mailbox.

I got some pics from a website greenpolis.

Coconut shell planter

Furniture Planter

Wheelbarrow