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Gardening can get expensive very fast. Between buying tools, pots, stakes, netting, raised beds, trellises, and garden decor, it’s easy to spend a small fortune on a garden. But if you’re willing to be creative and think outside the box, you can find tons of useful garden supplies in plain sight.
Look around at flea markets, yard sales, thrift stores, garbage dumps, or even the side of the road. That old ladder someone tossed out? It’s perfect for a vertical planter. A beat-up chair with a broken seat? Instant flower display. You’d be surprised how useful things like broken pallets, leaky watering cans, chipped teapots, or rusty tools can become in your garden.
In the video below, GrowVeg shares 13 repurposed items that can be used in the garden. These are things that normally get thrown away, but as you'll see, you can easily upcycled them into gardening supplies and decor. I included a few screenshots from the video, but you'll have to watch the whole thing to see their many ideas.
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Household Items as Plant Pot
There all sorts of everyday items that can be repurposed into planters. Old buckets, bowls, basins, baskets, crates and any other container that's at least 6 inches deep (or more depending on what you're growing) can be a planters. All you have to do is add a few drainage holes.
For shallow-rooted plants like strawberries or salad greens, old rain gutters =work really well. Deeper containers like old cattle troughs can be used for a full vegetable garden. Again, just make sure there's good drainage.
Old Bricks for Herb Wheels
If you have a pile of leftover bricks, you can lay them out in a circular pattern to create an herb wheel. These look good and make it easy to organize your herbs and keep them contained.
Scrap Wood for Raised Beds
If you have scrap wood you don't need, you can use it to build a raised bed. The size of the raised bed will depend on the length of the wood, but even if the raised bed has to be kind of small, it's still worth effort. All you need are some screws and brackets.
Wooden Frames and Polycarbonate Sheets for Cold Frames
Admittedly, most people don't have polycarbonate sheets lying around, but it's way cheaper than glass or clear acrylic sheets, and it's perfect for building cold frames. Just build a simple wooden frame and attach the polycarbonate sheet with some hinges for easy access and ventilation.
Plastic Water Pipe and Prunings for Crop Supports
If you have flexible materials like plastic water pipes and willow prunings, you can bend them into supports for vining crops like beans and peas, or you can use them to build tunnels to protect your crops.
Old CDs to Scare Birds
Old CDs are a great way to keep birds away from your plants. Just tie the CDs to some strings above your most vulnerable crops. As the discs spin in the wind, the flash of light startles the birds and keeps them away. You can also use colored or silver tape.
Pots, Bricks, Straw, and Twigs for Bug Hotels
If you have old pots, bricks, and straw, you can turn them into homemade bug hotels. Stack bricks, pots, straw, twigs, and pinecones into small shelters for pollinators like bees or pest-eating beetles. This is an easy way to keep the local ecosystem strong and healthy.
Bins and Bowls for Container Ponds
A wildlife pond is a great way to attract frogs, toads, and other helpful creatures, and it's easy to make. Just find a couple of old bowls or bins, fill them with stones, top with some larger rocks, and add water. You could also add some aquatic plants.
Old Furniture as Garden Storage
If you have some old furniture, like a chest of drawers, use it for your garden. For example, a dresser could be used for apple storage. Just drill some ventilation holes into each drawer to keep the fruit cool and dry.
Pallets for Compost Bins and Vertical Gardens
Oftentimes, you can get wooden pallets for free if you just ask around, and they can easily be assembled into compost bins or flipped upright and used as vertical planters. Just make sure they're safe to use (look for HT stamps indicating heat-treated wood).
Driftwood for Rustic Fences
If you live near the ocean, gather up some driftwood and turn it into a rustic fence. Driftwood is a naturally weathered material, and it's shape and texture will add character to your garden.
Bricks, Stones, and Paving for Patios and Pathways
Old bricks and pavers can be arranged to make lovely garden paths or patios. If you don't have enough for that, you could still use them to create borders along pathways or around raised beds.
Bricks and Wood for Garden Benches
If you have a lot of bricks or rocks, you could top them with offcuts of wood to create simple garden benches. It's nice to have a few places to sit down in the garden, and it makes the whole place look better.
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