Anything can be a planter!!!

Category: Organic Tips for your Garden | Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 5:50 am

I have found that we gardeners, are very adept at finding things to do a job that they were not originally meant to do.
Take Bushel Baskets for instance.
They make ideal container gardens!! Line a bushel basket with plastic, slash a few holes in it for drainage, and fill it with potting soil. You should also add a handful of compost as this helps the soil to support plant growth.

Besides being cheap, the baskets are large enough to accommodate a small salad, flower and herb garden. You could start with planting radishes,parsley,
violas and onion sets in the spring and then for summer, you could plant bush beans, basil and calendulas.
If you position the basket near a railing or a trellis,you can add vines such as morning glories etc.
Not only that, the baskets are portable, they even have handles.

For best results, put something under the basket so its not in direct contact with the ground, maybe a couple of bricks, wood or concrete slab. This allows the basket to drain better and increases the air circulation and retards rot.
These baskets, taken care of, could last two seasons!!

I was also thinking they would make a nice gift for Mother's Day!!!
Till next time,
Mrs Greenthumb

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Gardenstew wrote on Mon Feb 19, 2007 9:36 am:

You are full of great tips Mrs. Greenthumb ;)

eileen wrote on Mon Feb 19, 2007 10:19 am:

I pick up woven baskets whenever I see them in charity shops and line them the same way as you say. They are excellent planters and look really lovely on the patio. I've recently picked up three for only Ã‚Â£2 - definately a great buy!!

toni wrote on Mon Feb 19, 2007 2:36 pm:

I have an old wood file drawer out front with zinnias growing in it.
I have 6 old coffee pots and tea kettles that used to contain mint but will have something else this year.
Old stew pots at thrift stores and a large black canning pot, most are empty right now but will be replanted this spring.
An old glass coffee percolater as a water garden last year, the Water Iris out grew it so some other water plant will go in next month or so.
My favorite 'odd' planters are the black plastic cauldrons that show up in stores around Halloween and are really cheap at the after holiday sales. And the small green cauldrons that are in stores now for St Patricks day, I plant Oxalis in them.
And there are the two 18-gallon recycle bins that our city doesn't want back now that we have a new container to put recyclables in for pickup, they are going in the shade garden for mints.
I have an old wheel barrow of course. I am always on the look out at thrift stores for plant containers.