Gardening Tips

Gardening is a passion that many people love but for which few of us have much room in our tight budgets. Luckily, the frugal person with a green thumb can find ways to practice this rewarding hobby without spending much money. We swap plants with friends, buy bulbs at the end of the growing season for next spring, and make our own compost instead of buying fertilizer. However, the problem still exists of how to afford planters. The only bargain containers are made out of plastic, which offers little variety for creative gardeners. If you are resourceful, you can find plenty of items around the home that lend themselves beautifully to harboring vines, flowers, and even trees.

Looking For Planters

Plants can grow in virtually any sort of container as long as they have adequate drainage. Many of our collected possessions that have been laid aside as trash can be recycled to serve this purpose. Line the base of your rediscovered pot with gravel and introduce your plant to its new home. Cracked or broken kitchenware makes a unique planter, for example. Maybe you have a chipped teapot or gravy boat that you could not bring yourself to throw away. Filled with violets, it could be a unique decoration on your coffee table. Random pieces of pottery, broken jewelry boxes, and unused candy dishes will be happy to be of use again. If you choose a container that is not waterproof (like wood, for example) line it with a thick piece of plastic before filling it. Alternately, you can plant your greenery in an old yogurt cup or margarine tub with holes punched in the bottom. This will catch drained water so that it does not pool in the bottom of your visible planter. Place the plastic lid at the base of your fake container and set the plastic pot inside.

Some plants have root systems that are far too large for a tiny plastic tub. In these cases, you may have to be a bit more creative to come up with a pot. Coffee cans make excellent planters when lined properly, although they require some decoration to fit in with home decor. Old baskets can also be converted into flower containers. To make them leak-proof, densely stuff sphagnum moss into the base followed by a layer of plastic. This way, the lining will not be visible from the outside. Sprinkle a base of gravel into it before planting for drainage. If you feel adventurous, you can even enlist old clothing items. For instance, old boots (especially galoshes) are handy for housing deep root systems. Old wheel barrels, when properly lined, provide enough space for a miniature garden that can be placed at the entrance of the driveway. As an incentive, they require less weeding than a conventional flowerbed and are portable.

Hanging and Elevating Plants

Instead of paying for macramé plant hangers, consider recycling what you already own. Old birdfeeders, perched from trees or porches, can hold creeping herbs or ivy. Likewise, basin-shaped lampshades can be suspended from ceilings for exotic planting. To elevate small plants, you can position a small potted plant on top of a candleholder. Wire baskets, which can be bought for a dollar or two, make ideal planters when lined with moss. Suspend baskets of various sizes from fences and trellises with wrapped pieces of wire. Many gardeners with limited space have created inexpensive window boxes in this way. Simply drill holes through which to pass the wire or screw metal hanging loops into the desired surface. This way, you can optimize window space, dangling flowers and herbs everywhere that sunlight reaches.

Decorating Containers

Of course, not every potential planter is aesthetically pleasing at first. This is where the gardener's creativity will come in handy. For every surface, there are paints and faux finishes to enhance beauty. Old mason jars can hold plants, but they will reveal dirt and roots. To solve this problem, paint them to match your home interior using craft paints. Some create the effect of crackling or etched glass, which will hide the jar's unsightly contents. Another attractive option for decorating glass is to apply faux stained glass, the supplies for which are available at most hobby shops. There are also paints designed for application on metal, wood, and ceramic that will disguise your old belongings into artful pieces. Experiment with paints that mimic terra cotta, chrome, and other attractive finishes. Consider staining or applying high-gloss polyurethane to weathered wood. Use a hot glue gun to attach ribbons, fake jewels, and dried flowers to the exterior of planters. These imaginative touches will transform old junk into beautiful antiques and better-than-store-bought masterpieces.

These are but a few of the many ways you can put your old belongings to work again to create stylish planters. While you may not have much cash to spend, your love of gardening can provide with all the needed encouragement to be inventive. After rummaging through the attic, you may find a plant display that will outshine anything the stores have to offer. Let your imagination be your guide and you will soon have a fortune's worth of hand-made plant containers that cost you nothing to make.