Unusual containers for seasonal gardening

If you like container gardening, you probably like to fix up seasonal displays. Especially with seasonal container gardening, it is good to think outside of the box -- or outside of the pot, in this case. Rather than just choosing a plastic or terra cotta pot, try something a little different, keeping in mind that almost anything can be made into a container for your plants.

For example, in the fall, many people buy a bale of hay on which they will arrange pumpkins and gourds and maybe some pots of chrysanthemums. Instead of using the hay bale as a plant stand, use it as a planter instead. All you need to do is hollow out a space large enough to hold the root ball of the plant your planning on using, place the plant in the hole, and fill with dirt. (Note: If you live in an apartment and would like to be able to grow your own tomatoes on your balcony or porch, this is a great way to do so. You can also plant marigolds in the hay bale along with your tomatoes.) Do not limit yourself to chrysanthemums, though. Try planting seasonal grasses, ornamental kale, and pansies, too.

This past summer when my husband and I were driving around various neighborhoods looking at other people's gardens, we saw the funniest container gardening that I have ever seen. On a privacy fence between two houses hung a pair of knee-high boots filled with petunias and sultanas. There were also a couple of purses filled with flowers. Between the purses and the boots hung a pair of jeans with flowers billowing out of the waistband and even a rip in the knee. Above the jeans, which is what really made me laugh, was a bra filled with petunias. It was all quite tastefully done and extremely clever. It also illustrates that anything can be made into a container for your plants.

I have tin boxes that I like to use for containers. You can either drill holes in the bottom for drainage or place some gravel or broken pottery shards in the bottom. I usually just place pots containing my plants in them. (I use the black plastic pots in which plants come from the nursery.) I then hide the pots by covering them with some sphagnum moss. (By doing this, I can also quite easily change my floral displays.) I know other people, who use old breadboxes and mailboxes for containers. You can also use old metal pails. Old watering pitchers work great, too, especially if you have left a plastic one outside over the winter, causing the bottom to bust. (I did this one year. The watering pitcher is now a planter with the hole in the bottom providing drainage.)

Use your imagination when it comes to choosing planters for your garden or for seasonal displays. As I mentioned, old tins work well. Around Christmas, you might want to plant a poinsettia in a Christmas tin, for example. (Not all containers need to go outside, by the way.) Chipped pieces of china or pottery need not be assigned to the trash heap either. These make great planters, and you will be helping the environment by recycling. Dead tree stumps can be used to plant some flowers. Old wheelbarrows make great planters, too. Just be creative and have fun with container gardening.