12 Unusual and Creative Flower Planters for Your Garden

I love gardening and have been growing my own flowers for the past 25+ years. Every year when gardening season rolls around I’m always looking for fun, unique, and creative garden planters. Where do I find them? Well, I like to hit the local yard sales and flea markets for my best finds!

Here are some fun flower garden planter ideas to spark your own creative ideas.

1. Old Boots – You can put dirt inside old work boots, cowboy boots, rubber fishing boots, etc. Then add your flowers to the top. When I use boots I like to place 2 cups of gravel or crushed-up seashells in the bottom which helps with drainage. You could take an awl and poke holes in the sole too!

2. Metal Wash Tub – I picked up a round metal wash tub at a local flea market last year for $5.00 and it looked almost new! I brought it home and sprayed the outside with 2 coats of clear acrylic sealer to help protect it. You may like the weathered & rusty look, so skip that part. For drainage I recommend putting stones, gravel or crushed-up seashells in the bottom. Then pour in your dirt and plant your flowers.

3. Sand Buckets – Kids outgrow their sand buckets and they make great planters! I often find them at yard sales and flea markets for less than a dollar. You’ll want to add gravel or crushed-up seashells in the bottom, pour in your dirt and plant your flowers.

4. Enamelware Cooking Pots – I like to look for old enamelware stock pots and pans at flea markets, yard sales and antique stores. You can find them in a wide variety of sizes and colors. They make great pots for your flowers. Make sure you add a drainage system in the bottom.

5. Old Bathtub – Remodeling your bathroom? If so, save that old bathtub and use it out in your yard as a large planter! You can put flowers or vegetables inside it. My neighbor has one in her backyard that holds 4 cherry tomato plants! Old cast iron tubs work the best.

6. Watering Cans – You can pick up metal, plastic, and/or ceramic watering cans from flea markets, antqiue stores and yards sales on the cheap! If you prefer something fancy and new…shop your local garden store clearance section (after-season) for some great deals. I personally like the metal ones with a little bit of patina.

7. Barrels – Wood and metal barrels make great planters too! They’re a little bit harder to come by but if you’re looking for one…hit up the flea market and antique stores to find them. I was able to get an old wooden barrel from a local farmer who sold it to me for $5.00 at an estate sale. We’re currently rehabbing the barrel and looking forward to using it.

8. Old Bicycles – When you visit the coastal areas you’ll find that a lot of people will plant flowers in the baskets of old bicycles! I’ve seen where they’ve removed the seats and attached a terracotta planter and put flowers in that too. Love growing ivy? Plant some of that underneath the bicycle and as it grows thread it up through the spokes on each wheel. You can get really creative when using old bikes!

9. Repurpose an Old Car – In my neighborhood I wouldn’t be allowed to do this, so make sure you check with your local township to get permission before proceeding with this idea. With that said, I love the look of repurposing an old car and using it as a gigantic flower planter! Very cool.

10. Old Bird Baths – When we purchased our home 13 years ago it came with 2 very old bird baths in the backyard. Both were in very poor condition. We cleaned them up and patched the one up with some cement to get them looking decent again. Instead of using them as a standard bird bath…I placed soil into each one and planted flowers. One holds a nice colorful bunch of petunias while the other one has purple & yellow pansies.

11. Old Pottery – Three weeks ago I picked up an old brown glazed pottery bowl at a yard sale for a quarter. I knew immediately that I was going to use it as a houseplant planter. It’s in great condition with no chips or cracks. I placed gravel in the bottom, then my soil on top. As you can see, it’s holding 2 of my baby spider plants. Once they get a little bigger…it will be placed in a hanger on my back porch.

12. Metal Milk Cans – If you live in a rural area you’ll have an easier time finding old metal milk cans than people who live in the city. Scope out flea markets and antique stores to find them. They can be a tad pricey depending on age and condition. If you like the weathered look…leave the finish alone. If you like more of a cleaner look….give it a bath, sand off any rust and then spray it with clear sealer to help protect it from weather.

You can turn all kinds of different things into beautiful flower planters. Some look best displayed out in your yard while others look better displayed on your front porch or deck. If you live in an area of the country that experiences cold weather….shop for smaller planters that can be moved indoors when the need arises.

To gift flower bouquets to your loved ones at such special events is always a smart choice.

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