11 Apr '05 4:41 am Does anyone have any ideas for sourcing containers on a budget? Buying pots is turning out to be more financially testing than buying the plants!
Terracotta is the cheapest but I'm getting terracotta'd out. I even went to Ikea the other day (against my ethical shopping conscience) but the pots were too heavy for our strength-challenged flat roof. Ebay sellers are eager to cash in on the 'shabby chic' fashion so a mere galvanised bucket or old Belfast sink can go for a bomb. Mmm, back to the container drawing board.
Also, when do you use pot feet and when pot saucers?
Alice
valued member
Canberra, Australia
Sourcing Containers
11 Apr '05 5:20 pm Bex
I'm not sure of the options available in London but some of our options may also be available there.
Obviously the plastic pots are much lighter than terracotta, ceramic, cement, etc. and if you don't like the look of them, it is possible to paint them.
We find good sources of pots(second hand)available at recycling centres, trash'n'treasure markets (car boot sales), fetes, garage sales and regular days where unwanted goods can be put on the driveway and taken away for free. A chain of garden centres used to have bins for unwanted pots but when someone found a syringe in there a stop was put to that facility.
We also have free classifieds in the paper where goods are sold for under $99. Because there is no charge for the ad. then people are happy to sell things for just a few dollars or even give them away. You can even put in an add asking for a particular item.
You may have access to 20litre plastic buckets that bakers get flour in. Although they are white, you could paint them. Perhaps paint shops would have empty cans, or others shops may have empty containers of various sorts.
As I said, I don't know what's available over there, but these were just a few suggestions.
Good luck with your search.
sunshinecoastgardener
contributor
British Columbia, Canada
creative containers
18 Apr '05 1:22 pm Used wooden crates can be painted and lined with spagnum moss for planting. Ask around for them at local merchants (greengrocers for example) and some will be happy to be rid of them. If you're handy with a saw, hammer and nail, they're fairly easy to dismantle and re-assemble.
Any kind & size of basket found in stores like Oxfam can also work. Sand buckets -and ordinary buckets - stores can be painted/stencilled.
Take a deep breath and try Ikea again - for cheap wastebaskets. They have everything from bright plastic colours to metallic mesh you'd have to line but it would work.
I've heard restaurants have large pickle buckets - worth asking for! Also restaurant-sized plastic containers that contain coleslaw, etc. can be cleaned up & painted. School or hospital canteens get mayonnaise etc. in buckets and might warrant a request.
Car boot sales - you might pick up some nursery plant pots that would otherwise have been thrown out.
I have seen an old and thoroughly wrecked work boot that was used as a comical kind of planter for a patio. Really, it sounds kind of silly but it worked - planted very full and with lots of colour and was quite the eyecatcher.
Empty coffee tins come in all sizes & can be painted.
You may have gathered I check out all possible sources like this so I can spend more on plants! Let us know what you find? Good luck & have fun!
Rebekah
nominate your own title
South Canterbury, New Zealand
18 Apr '05 9:36 pm Old shoes
Bex
website manager
Camberwell, London
Creative containers!
19 Apr '05 7:22 am Thanks all for great advice
I popped down the local Saturday morning car boot sale - only to find it wasn't on. However the local store had a sale with really nice pots for £2.99 - bargain.
The recycling centre is a great plan - just have to find it. Ridiculous Health & Safety regs mean that I can't take anything used from restaurants, can you believe.
My favourite idea has got to be the shoes tho - I wonder if Eggy would miss them
Rebekah
nominate your own title
South Canterbury, New Zealand
21 Apr '05 6:01 pm There's only one way to find out...
