For going green to save our environment, I'm teaching a class soon on "Container Gardening - Thinking Outside The Box" and needed to come up with some unique ideas for containers for my plants. Some I came up with are:
I took an old metal fan apart and unscrewed the wire basket parts (had one on each side of the fan), then placed cocoa liner I'd bought inside the wire basket, and placed wire hangers on the basket to hang it, filled it with soil and planted low hanging vine plants in it for 2 nice hanging baskets.
I took an old vase with barnacles on it my family had found while snorkeling, drilled 3 holes in the bottom, put in soil and planted succulents inside.
I took an old metal teapot, drilled 3 holes in bottom, filled with soil and planted pansies in it.
These pots are unique and did not cost a dime, recycle some items and see what you can come up with for your garden this year. It is fun and they sure last longer than those ugly plastic pots you'd buy.
RE: Container Gardening - Thinking Outside The Box
By John.J.R.P. (Guest Post)
16-3-2008 Hi ALL, if you want to see how I grow things in over 8,000 waste plastic containers to help reduce them going to landfill sites in the UK, please visit my website www.recycling.moonfruit.com if you realy do want to see some outside the box ways of doing things, which you might like to try out for your self, if you want to know more please e-mail me. John.J.R.P.
I plant petunias every year in my sons old work boots, they look lovely. Also I planted creepers in an old cement mixer found at the dump. I have also used a potty which is a real talking point! When ever I go to Trash sales I look out for unusual things to plant in.
I belong to a "Garden Junk" forum at another site and I'm amazed at the cool planters people have come up with - old shoes with holes in them, a retired bike helmet, old sinks and bathtubs, wringer washers, wheel barrows and even an old row boat. I've seen something as simple as 5 gallon buckets someone got free from a restaurant to an old barbeque grill found while curbside shopping. Someone even used an old freezer that they laid on its back. Pretty much anything you can stick dirt in will work.
Here's something I'm doing: I am growing potatoes in a 55 gallon trash can that is broken. I duck taped the splits, and fill in with about 6 inches of dirt. put the potatoes in the soil, and cover with about 1 inch of soil. The plants will grow up and potatoes will form along the stem. The stems just need to be covered with dirt as they grow. When they get over the top of the trash can, they can just continue to grow. Potatoes can be picked all along the stems.
Login using the form on the top of the page to post feedback (if you are a registered user). If you have not yet registered, click here to do so. It's FREE!.
