Spring is just around the corner, and if you are like me, you have started to receive seed catalogs in the mail. It’s time to dream about sunshine, soil, and flowers! One of my favorite gardening traditions is finding interesting vintage pieces to repurpose as planters on our patio, in my gardens, and as window boxes. Flowers can be a perfect accent if showcased in an unusual setting. Here are some ideas that might liven up your garden spots:
·
You
can literally create a “bed” of flowers by burying an old headboard and
footboard in the garden and planting several bright flowers as the
“quilt”. A lacy iron headboard is
perfect.
·
Attach
wire baskets to the front handlebars and behind the seat of a vintage
bicycle. Line with basket liners from a
garden center and fill with flowers and draping greenery. For a colorful statement, spray paint the
entire bike, including tires, a bright color.
·
Take
the seat out of an old chair and balance a pot of flowers in the hole. The chair can sit anywhere you need an
interesting accent. The chair will look
great with chippy old paint or with a fresh coat of bright color. You can also hang chairs/pots on fences or
walls to add flower power.
·
Use
a dented, aged washtub, copper boiler, or bathtub as a planter.
·
Does
your old canoe or boat have holes in it?
Place it in a border, fill with dirt, and then add a flower garden!
·
For
an interesting potting “shelf”, paint old dresser or kitchen drawers, then hang
on a wall or fence with the handle pointing upward and the back of the drawer
against the wall. Set pots of herbs or
flowers inside. Use several at varying
heights to create a vignette.
·
Find
three old garden implements with long wooden handles approximately the same
height. Arrange them in a tipi shape in
the garden with the handles pointing upward.
Tie the handles with twine and anchor the iron parts with tent or awning
pegs to keep it from blowing over. You
now have a bean or sweet pea tower.
·
Make
a trellis out of an antique screen door.
Again, a fresh coat of paint will brighten up an old piece and make your
plants pop against an outdoor wall.
·
Nail
several brightly colored children’s rubber boots on a fence and fill with soil
and flowers.
·
Upend
an old wheelbarrow in the garden with the handles pointing upward and mound
soil in and around it to make it look like the soil is spilling out. Plant flowers in the mound.
·
Attach
a window box to the bottom of an old garden gate and hang on a wall for a fun
flower display. Add salvaged items to
the front of the box like old faucets, door handles, or keys to give it visual
interest.
This year I’m adding an antique Emerson
seed sorter with metal gears to my patio.
Nasturtiums and vines draping over the weathered red sides will look
great. What’s hiding in your garage or
shed that could achieve new life in your garden?
