Since spring has arrived we will all be spending more time in our yards and gardens. So I thought it would be fun to share things you can do in your garden that do not cost a lot of money. It is easy to have a beautiful garden when you have a large budget, however, when money is tight it takes a very creative person with a good eye to make an enticing garden with found or disgarded objects. And before you read any further, I am not talking about the basic old toilet as a planter kind of yard art. I want to share things with you that I think are clever, imaginative, attractive and most of all CHEAP or FREE. If I wouldn't put it in my own garden, I will not put it on this blog.
I think we have all seen articles on recycling items into our gardens. Here are a few of my favorites off the top of my head. I love old shovels painted up as signs and old rakes turned upside down in a planter and used as a stake or a trellis. Old ladders make a great place for a morning glory or a clematis to climb up. I also enjoy seeing old wheelbarrows made up as planters. Same with all sorts of containers turned planters. A pair of old boots filled with flowers by a garden gate, an old galvanized wash tub or bucket now containing plants, a bottomless chair turned planter, a dresser with the drawers pulled out and flowers spilling out from one drawer to the next. Old bed frames containing a flower or vegetable "bed" or a set of bunkbed headboards or footboards used as a trellis or a small fence. One can never have too many old watering cans sitting around a garden, planted or not. If you want to add some whimsy to your garden, then start looking around your house for items you can use as a planter. This is an especially great way to have a container veggie garden.
When considering an object to use as a planter, you have to think about drainage. All it takes for many items to be turned into planters is a few minutes with a cordless drill. Drilling a few holes in the bottom of an object is usually the easiest way to go. However, should you want to plant in an object that you are unable to drill drainage holes into, just put a layer of styrofoam peanuts inside the object before you add the dirt. The styrofoam peanuts will allow the water to drain out and keep your soil from becoming soggy.
In my mind, old items in a garden give it a sense of antiquity and age. When I think of gardens I admire, they are usually the ones that are very full and overgrown and look like they have been around for many, many years. Nothing is prim and proper and perfect. The garden bench has peeling paint, the clay pots are covered in moss and the ivy runs wild up the trees. It would also have many hidden areas that one has to discover as they walk through it. Using arbors, garden gates, evergreen plants, trellises and outdoor furniture can give your garden a sense of having rooms. The perfect garden to me is not one where you can see the whole garden from standing in one spot. It should have to be walked through, touched and discovered.
Another benefit to having a garden is that it will attract the local wildlife. Adding birdbaths, feeders, houses and plants that will protect or provide food for animals are all items that should be included in your garden plan. Nothing is more enjoyable or calming that sitting in your garden listening to and watching the antics of the birds and animals that have taken up residence in your yard.
So today let's talk about turning an old wooden chair into a planter or if you have young children or grandchildren, a fairy chair. First thing you need is an old chair of course. This can be an old wooden dining room chair, an old wooden rocker or a wicker chair. The most important thing is that it has no seat or if you are handy that you can cut a round hole in the seat. Prep your chair by sanding, priming and painting it if desired. Proper preparation will help your chair to last longer out in the elements. Once the chair is preped, you are ready to start on your planter.
There are a variety of methods to do this. The most common one is to use chicken wire or hardcloth. Form a basket out of your desired material that will fit into the missing seat area of your chair. The top edges of this wire basket will then be stapled or nailed down with U nails to the rim of your chair seat. This will create your planter. Be sure you attach your wire basket very securely to your chair as the soil will be heavy.
There are also a couple of other ways to do this if you don't prefer using the wire and staple method above. You could use a wire basket with a coconut liner to hold the soil. These baskets can be found a places like JoAnn's and most big box stores. Remove the chain hanger and then secure it to the underside of the chair.
The simpliest method is to find a basket that is the same size as the hole in your chair and push the basket down into the hole. No matter how you do it, you will accomplish the same basic look.
Next you need to line your planter. You can use a layer of newspaper or for a more natural look, go with sphagnum moss. Simply line your basket with the moss until it is about 2" thick and then add nice rich soil that is amended with compost. Your chair is now ready to plant whatever you wish in it. Some ideas are herbs, flowers or ivys. Trailing or climbling flowers like petunias and morning glories always look great. Just remember to plant according to the amount of sun your chair will get. When finished, water thoroughly and add mulch. Remember to water your chair regularly as it will dry out quickly. You will soon be rewarded with a beautiful new element in your garden.
Go ahead and try this project and let us know if it works out for you. We would love to post pictures of our customer's garden projects throughout the summer months. If you have any ideas for garden projects, we would love to hear about those as well. Feel free to leave a comment or drop us a line at info@pcwd.org.
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