Painted cans on wall photo:

Nine Unique Container Gardens

Everyone needs a plant in their life. They give you clean air and bring a smile to your face. You might be thinking, “Great, but I kill every plant I touch.” Don’t worry, there are plenty of low maintenance plants that anyone can keep alive!  Now, when you decide to get a plant, what will you put it in?

If you are into upcycling and repurposing, you’ll love these ideas for plant containers.

Containers for Small Plant

1 Egg Cartons – Eggs are a staple that we use often, so why not use their carton to start some seedlings? Any egg carton will do, but cardboard egg cartons can be put right into the ground since they will decompose. Just tear apart the sections and plant them in some dirt and you’ll have your own baby plant from seed!

Suggested plants to start from seed:

  • Vegetables
  • Flowers
  • Herbs like oregano, thyme, or parsley

2 Shells from the Beach – If you’ve been to the beach and collected some shells recently, or if you plan on it, those would be a great, unique container for some small plants.

Suggested plants:

  • Small succulents
  • Mini-African violets
  • Mini wax plant
  • Any other tiny plant you can find. There are usually sections of tiny plants at plant nurseries.

Containers for Mid-Size Plants

3 Empty Yogurt Cups – Personally, I love yogurt and eat it almost every day. The cups that yogurt come in are perfect for small plants.

4 Steel or Aluminum Cans – Similar to yogurt cups, cans are also a very common kitchen item. You can paint both yogurt cups and cans as a fun craft and poke a hole in the bottom, so the plants get proper drainage!

5 Thrifted or Unused Mugs – There are so many cute mugs out there, but I think most of us have too many. If you have any you’re not using, plants could be put in them. If you don’t have any extra mugs laying around but you like the idea, there are usually plenty at any thrift store. Make sure to put some rocks or another drainage solution at the bottom before you put the plant in, so the plants can breathe in the mugs!
Suggested plants:
• Spider plant
• Chinese money plant
• Peperomia
• Nerve plants
• String of pearls
• Herbs

Photo of herbs in plastic containers

 

Containers for Large Plants
6 Coffee Container – Coffee ground containers are a common kitchen item for most people. Like yogurt cups and cans, you can poke a hole in the bottom for drainage.
7 Colanders – These would be great for any outdoor plant, especially since they have naturally great drainage. Use a colander you have that’s old and rusty or find one at a thrift store and put a plant in it!
8 Old Basket – A basket would be an adorable home for a plant. If you have any old or damaged baskets, those would be perfect for a plant or two, depending on the size of the basket and the plant.
9 Tires – Tires make a great gardening container; they are sturdy and relatively easy to find. I would recommend only using tires outdoors as they can be quite dirty. You can get creative with old tires and paint them any color you want. Tires are also easy to stack to make whatever design you desire.

Photo of plant in tire:

Suggested house plants:
• Pothos
• Philodendron
• Snake plant
• Ferns
• English ivy
• ZZ plant
• Hoya
• Calathea
Suggested outdoor plants:
• Croton
• Lantana
• Caladium
• Million bells
• Foxtail ferns
• Pelargonium


Unique gardening containers are anything you want them to be, from an old shoe to tires. Use your imagination and have fun. You might be surprised by what wonderful creations you come up with.

Inspired by the upcycling ideas for plant containers? Check out these ideas for repurposing everyday items.

Household Repurposing Ideas!

Gardening tools

Spring Yard Prep: Pruning Plants and Weeding

Spring is here, and I couldn’t be more ready to watch some things grow! In the next couple of weeks, depending on where you live – last frosts will mark the perfect time to plant outdoors. Whether you’ve already got seedlings going that are ready for transplant, or you’re ready to put some new plants in the ground – there’s going to be a bit of prep work. I’m going to talk about pruning plants and how to take care of those pesky weeds. Hopefully, this can help you prep your yard/garden for the year and new plants.

Pruning:

According to the Spruce, early spring – in between the time plants drop old growth and before they grow new ones is the best time to prune. You’ll need some small or large pruning shears, depending on what you’ve got in your yard. Then, you’ll need some gloves and a bag or compost area to put your trimmings. If you‘re unsure if your plant is ready to be pruned, just try to evaluate how it’s doing: Is it bare? Does it have some immature growth? It’s probably okay to prune. Has it already started new blooms? Is it full? It may be best to leave it alone this pruning season.

When pruning trees and shrubs, select areas that look dead or possibly diseased and remove them. It is suggested to cut them at a bit of an angle like a diagonal cut. You can also use this time to shape them a bit, too. When dealing with perennials, you can pinch off flowers and trim areas that aren’t growing. Be sure on both to check the bottom of the plant, not just the blooms or ends.

Get those flowers ready for another year of growth!

Weed Maintenance:

The Farmer’s Almanac is an amazing resource for anything gardening related, and weeds are no exception. There are three kind of steps for weeds: prevention, identification, and maintenance.

Prevention is tedious, but worth it. Try:

  • Weeding new growth and cut them below the soil line
  • Clean tools as they may spread seeds
  • Keep up with mowing
  • Add more mulch

There are plenty of other ideas, these are just a few.

Did you know there are perennial weeds?

Identification of weeds is not something I ever thought of, but it’s an important thing to do, especially when dealing with persistent weeds. There tons of different types of weeds and species within those types. The Farmer’s Almanac identifies 13 common ones and tells you how they act and how to control them.

Maintenance is a bit of trial and error. Some weeds can just be pulled out by hand, while others require a tiller or shovel to get deep into the roots. Many of the things used to prevent weeds can also be used to get rid of them. Trying to prevent seeds from spreading is a big help, too. Weeds love shaded areas. If you can free up more light or seed an area with grass seed it may help. Wood chips can help as well. You can try covering in plant fabrics, as well as landscaping an area that is waterlogged for better water flow and less weeds. You can also use chemicals, but these can harm good growth and may not be the best for your families’ or pets’ health.

More Spring Maintenance!

I hope that this gives you motivation to get out into your yard an get everything in order for the new growing season. May you make way for new growth and love all the blooms of Spring!