15 June 2012

Upcycled Container Gardening


This post is written by contributing author Deborah Jean.


Hi everyone! Gardening season is in full bloom by mid-June with the first of many blossoms making an appearance from now until late summer. I love watching the changes of color and foliage in my established garden beds which are filled with mainly flowering shrubs and perennials. But, I also enjoy finding new and different ways to grow annuals in pots that I can place near the door or on our deck so they can be enjoyed close- up! Let's face it, the cost of buying new pots, soil and plants can add up quickly, why not plant in containers that have nine lives?



I'll share a few of my favorites with you today, then it's your turn to share some of your clever ideas for upcycled container gardening!




This antique teapot has a little story... I found it on a biking trip with my husband and friends in the small town of Genoa, Nevada. I've been planting flowers in this old thing for more than 20 years. I love it so much I brought it with us when we moved East 10 years ago!  Last year this little teapot brewed nasturtiums all summer long! did you know you can eat them? They are lovely tossed into a green salad or sprinkled on top of cream cheese as an edible decoration.



















How about a sink garden? My husband brought home this vintage pedestal sink with the idea in mind that we would use it in one of our bathroom remodels, but we planted it in the garden instead! The first year I planted it with Sweet Potato Vine and Snow in Summer. Last year I chose some Pinwheel Petunias and white Snow in Summer.

And this year more white snow in summer and Laguna ~ Sky Blue

Literally anything that can hold dirt can be a planter. This little red number was a rusty brown magazine holder until I spray-painted it red and filled it with flowers! 



Upcycled Container Garden ideas:
  • Pallets
  • Horse Trough
  • Wheelbarrow
  • Wooden Flower Cart
  • Galvanized Bucket
  • Hollow Log
Baskets and more! Head on over to my friend and blogging sister Shery Jesperson's  MJF Ranch farmgirl blog  for a good look at more unique redeemed container garden ideas! Just so happens that's what she's writing about today too! Hmm. Must be a farmgirl thing!

Okay, now it's your turn! 




Here's to a wonderful growing season full of bright, beautiful blossoms!


Deborah Jean writes from a little yellow house near the shores of Cape Cod Bay in America’s Hometown. It wasn’t her dream house in the beginning but the dandelions that grace her front lawn each year have taught Deb many important life lessons. She blogs about them from her homemaking blog aptly named Deborah Jean’s DANDELION HOUSE where she shares creative seeds for your homemaking hands, heart and soul. Deb's world is centered around her husband, two teens, their beloved Corgi Max and "her girls" - The Cottage Hens!   Stroll  her gardens (weeds and all) and enjoy fresh, wholesome, organic cooking from her kitchen.  She’s no stranger to making do, recycling and upcycling. She loves giving pieces of the past a new look and purpose!  Connect to Deb via pinterest and facebook.


16 comments:

  1. These are all fantastic ideas Deborah! I particularly love the magazine holder!

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  2. Thank you Laurie! The possibilities really are endless!

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  3. everything looks wonderful! I've even seen people use toilets...but that's a little too much for me. lol
    Debbi
    -yankeeburrowcreations

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    1. Haha, toilets, really? On second thought, why not! As long as they're clean ;)

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    2. Yep, I've seen the planted toilet as well... :) In the right place and if it's clean... why not indeed?

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  4. dude, I love that sink planter!

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  5. Thank you for sharing your garden! :)
    I love the idea of creating a planter out of sinks, or tubs...

    Something I've noticed about putting the planters on a chair: the back of the chair can be used to filter the sunlight a little. This definitely helps my plants, since they can't handle sun all day but I still want them to be outside. :)

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    1. So cute, you talk of your flowers as if they were pets! Our kindness should be transferred to our plants indeed.

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    2. Yes, I found that worked well too... those little nasturtiums would have fried if they were out in the blazing sun with out a little shade! Sonya, of course they are pets...I call mine sprouts, beauties, little guy's etc...depending on the plant I'm talking to and my mood!

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  6. wonderful ideas!

    thanks for posting:)

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  7. The magazine holder is fabulous! Never would have thought to turn that into a planter, but it works perfectly.

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    1. Here's how it happened.. I took it outside to spray it off with the hose and that's when it hit me it would make a cute planter! Glad you like it!

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