You know that feeling in early spring when your local garden center starts displaying their new pots? It feels almost like Christmas to a gardener. What pot will look great on my front porch? Won’t three little ones be adorable on my kitchen window? I need another pot to add to my plant corner – and what about my snake plant that’s outgrown its pot? Time for something new!
For years, my parents used lobster boxes for the little garden outside of their business. Lobster boxes are like crates, about 4 feet long, and 18-24 inches high, and are used to carry lobster on the fishing boats in the Atlantic. Mom made a liner for them out of a black trash bag and filled them with potting soil which she refreshes seasonally. In the spring, she adds Geraniums and Hostas. In fall, she keeps the grass but adds annuals in bold reds, oranges and yellows. In winter, the boxes become a wonderland of evergreens mixed with red berries and pieces of birch wood.
Lately, as the seasons change to fall, I’ve been thinking more about cleaning out our front porch planters to give them a refresh – I’ll admit, the sun scorched them long ago, and I got thinking about what other containers I have around the house that could easily house a plant or two.
Here are a few upcycled planter ideas:
Jam or spaghetti sauce jars
Baskets
Wooden Crates
Yogurt Containers
Colanders
Coffee Tins
Paint Cans
Teapots
Old Boots or Shoes
It bears mentioning that these planters should be cleaned well prior to planting and have proper drainage to prevent plants from getting “soggy feet”. To do so, I usually just use dawn dish soap, hot water and a scrub brush then drill a few holes in the bottom and add a layer of small rocks before adding in the potting soil.
An exception to this is for cactus and succulents: no drainage holes are needed but be sure to use soil intended for these types of plants.
And there you have it! Buy a new plant, divide one you already own, plant a few seeds or start a cutting in a container you already have by turning it into an upcycled planter.
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