Go potty for lots of inventive pots
Look around and you’ll find so many items that can be turned into planters
Ispent a happy afternoon a few weeks ago converting old galvanised dairy churns into planters for my summer annuals. The process was as simple as drilling drainage holes in the sides and bottoms but it made me think about all the different ‘containers’ I’ve converted into planters over the years, sometimes through necessity and budget, but sometimes for the sheer quirkiness of it. We’ve all seen planted watering cans and old boots, but if you look around it’s surprising how many opportunities are lying right in front of us. Here are a few of my saner creations that can be made in a short time, for minimal cost!
Fruit boxes
Second-hand fruit boxes are ludicrously expensive but new ones are often less than £8 each. They’re sturdy, easy to convert and quickly take on more aged silvery tones. Converting them to planters is simply a matter of lining them with heavy duty plastic, folded in on itself at the rim and stapled to the inside of the box. They look charming on a patio or a veg plot filled with bedding or fruit respectively, but there’s a more exciting way to use them. I created an edible display garden. Central to this was a randomly staggered stack of fruit boxes, four deep. By stacking the boxes pyramid-style (but with less precision) I wound up with an impressive feature that I went on to fill with soil and plant as a near- complete herb garden.
Bird cages
I’ve picked up old wire bird cages at boot sales over the years for just a few pounds. They’re also available new online but with an aged, chipped looked and cost around £15. To turn them into hanging planters simply attach a single hanging basket chain to the top and slot in a suitably-sized terracotta pot ( the bottom of the cage normally comes off to allow for this). Sometimes the tray is deep enough to plant straight into with delicate trailing plants such as Lotus berthelotii or asarina. The completed planter can be hung in trees, on pergolas or by a front door.
Rubber balls
Punctured plastic or rubber balls are great to make hanging pots. My local foxes clearly realise this as they seem to deliver them to my garden weekly! To make a planter simply slice the top quarter off the ball and add three wires or chains. Strengthen the holes for the wires/chains with rivets or washers glued each side and don’t forget drainage holes. They make for fun, colourrich planters, which can be hung in trees, arches or from hanging basket brackets.