Don’t Toss That Colander: 7 Old Household Items That Make Surprisingly Charming Garden Planters
Before you buy another flowerpot, take a look at what is already gathering dust at home. That retired colander, forgotten basket, or empty food bucket could have a second act waiting outside. The Royal Horticultural Society lists everything from old cookware to wooden crates as potential plant containers. In other words, your next garden project might begin with a cupboard cleanout rather than a shopping cart.
The idea also has solid gardening experience behind it. “I grow all my vegetables in containers of various kinds,” writes Chris Taylor, a horticultural advisor at the RHS. His collection includes large tree containers and old window boxes, and he reuses plastic pots repeatedly. You do not need a perfectly coordinated collection to start growing, but you do need containers that suit the plants going into them.
Start With the One Feature Your Plants Cannot Skip
The first requirement is drainage. A household object can look wonderful filled with flowers and still make a poor planter if water has nowhere to escape. University of Maryland Extension explains that drainage holes prevent roots from drowning and rotting. It also warns against adding a bottom layer of gravel: that familiar trick does not improve drainage and can leave the potting mix waterlogged.
Material matters, especially when you intend to eat what you grow. Maryland Extension recommends food-grade plastic for repurposed plastic containers and identifies buckets and storage containers as useful options. Fill your chosen container loosely with potting mix, leave about an inch below the rim for watering, and cover large drainage openings with permeable mesh if needed. The goal is to hold the mix in place without trapping water around the roots.
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Turn an Old Colander Into a Tabletop Planter
The colander has already spent its working life letting water escape, which gives it an obvious advantage for this assignment. The RHS specifically includes colanders among its upcycled container ideas and recommends horticultural fleece or plastic netting for containers with numerous holes. Use a permeable lining to keep the potting mix inside, then choose plants whose root space matches the bowl. Set it on a stable outdoor surface, and let that familiar kitchen shape become part of the display.
Give a Retired Cooking Pot a New Assignment
An old cooking pot can graduate from stovetop duty to garden duty, as long as you add drainage holes before planting directly into it. The RHS includes old pots and pans in its list of suitable upcycled containers, while cautioning gardeners to take care when drilling. Do not overlook placement: metal containers heat up in sunshine, which can heat the growing mix. Check moisture regularly rather than treating your former saucepan as a plant-and-forget project.
Make an Empty Food Bucket Earn Its Keep
A food-grade bucket is the practical member of this makeover crew: less whimsical than vintage cookware, but straightforward to prepare. Maryland Extension describes a simple bucket garden: drill holes in the bottom, add potting mix, and plant. It also recommends covering the holes with fiberglass window screening to keep the mix in. Choose the crop based on the bucket’s capacity, and look for compact or dwarf varieties rather than assuming every plant will fit.
Transform a Wooden Crate Into a Mini Garden
A sturdy wooden crate offers a ready-made framework for a small container garden. Both Maryland Extension and the RHS identify wooden crates as reusable planting options, and the RHS notes that wood eventually rots. Check the base before filling, and use a permeable lining where gaps would otherwise let the mix spill out. Think of this as a container with character and a limited lifespan, not a permanent replacement for a purpose-built raised bed.
Rescue a Basket From the Back of the Closet
That unused basket does not have to spend another year holding things you forgot you owned. Baskets appear on the RHS list of upcycled containers, and you can line an open weave with horticultural fleece or suitable plastic netting to retain potting mix. Match the planting to the basket’s actual depth rather than its decorative appeal. Start with a manageable arrangement, since the RHS cautions that restricted container space can limit plant growth and requires careful matching of plants to pots.
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Let Old Boots Make a Playful Garden Cameo
Old boots are another RHS-listed option, and they bring a little humor without requiring a matching pair of expensive planters. Check that water can drain from the sole, adding holes carefully where necessary, and keep the planting proportionate to the space inside. This project is for a modest plant display, not an invitation to squeeze a large specimen into a narrow opening. The RHS advises matching plant size to container space and notes that containers can dry out readily.
Turn a Retired Sink Into a Miniature Rock Garden
A sink offers a more substantial transformation, especially if you enjoy the look of a tiny alpine landscape. The RHS recommends sinks and troughs for alpine and rock plants, with a sunny, open position and a well-drained growing mix. Keep the drain open, cover it with mesh to retain the mix, and make sure the sink sits level. Sedums and silver-leaved saxifrages are among the planting possibilities the organization identifies for these miniature displays.
Keep the Charm Without Sacrificing the Plants
Once your containers are planted, give watering the same attention you gave the makeover. Maryland Extension recommends checking the growing mix with a finger and watering when it feels dry, rather than following an inflexible schedule. Plant size, container volume, sun exposure, and temperature all affect water needs. Empty saucers after watering or rain, and follow fertilizer-label instructions instead of assuming that an extra dose will produce extra flowers.
Finally, place each planter where its plants can get the light they need. Maryland Extension recommends six to eight hours of direct sun for warm-season vegetables such as tomatoes and peppers, compared with three to five hours for cool-season crops such as lettuce and spinach. Build the display around those requirements, not just the prettiest corner of the patio. The old colander may supply the personality, but the growing conditions still do the work.
