I have a dozen or so mature, treasured plants in large/very large, basic style plastic pots...which are incredibly ugly. I would love to buy some big stone or frost proof terracotta pots but they are probably always going to be beyond what I can afford.
Has anyone ever found something...spray paint maybe or something else?... that successfully improves the look of plastic pots? Mine are the bog standard, heavy duty plastic in a horrible fake terracotta colour and a nasty green and even though quite old now and a bit green/mossy in places, they still scream plastic.
I literally just posted a thread up about free containers as I can't afford to keep splashing out on fancy pants planters so today I made one and it didn't cost a runner bean
This was just an old wooden palette that I got at the garden centre for nothing!
Give it a go, the great thing about a palette is that you can make planters as big or as small as you like. Just a couple of hours of work and you're all set
With weight restrictions, clay pots are a distant dream. I have to admit it's pretty dire and takes forever just to get any plastic style pots. I have my eye on the following as I saw them in a garden centre recently and they were not bad at all.
For smaller plants, trying to get old used coffee tins and large style used tins. Pierce holes in the bottom. Can paint and decorate the outside to make it more interesting.
I was passing a pizza restaurant recently and saw old gold coloured tins being used as storage for knives and forks and other stuff. Thought they looked quite nice. I was thinking something similar for plants, so searched around on the internet and got the idea from there. I can imagine sun not great, but maybe adapting the insides with a lining of some sort.
Thank you for so many lovely and inspirational ideas. I always thought of myself as a (little) bit creative and resourceful... I've obviously been overestimating myself.
I'm going to try the timber first, just because it's already sitting here. Well, I say I'm going to....
I painted a black plastic dustbin with limestone coloured textured paint meant for painting rendered houses. Looks like stone, but can't quite hide the dustbin shape.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
Ceramic classes at your local community college? Learn to throw your pots, and then add drainage holes before they are fired. The college I used to work at in Richmond Surrey had a scheme where retired folk got heavily discounted tuition deals, as well as for others in certain circumstances. You could make your pots as large as the kiln allows, saving yourself a ton of money over purchasing them from the GC.
Am gradually getting rid of, (or hiding mine) planting up black plastic pots, popping them into nicer pots, got quite a few concrete, white, and "old" terraccota, on e bay, cheap as chips.
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This was just an old wooden palette that I got at the garden centre for nothing!
Give it a go, the great thing about a palette is that you can make planters as big or as small as you like. Just a couple of hours of work and you're all set
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CARAMEL-WOOD-Small-Large-Plant-Pots-Round-Plastic-Planters-Indoor-Outdoor-Garden/253267762549?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&var=552404940614&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649
For smaller plants, trying to get old used coffee tins and large style used tins. Pierce holes in the bottom. Can paint and decorate the outside to make it more interesting.
I'm going to try the timber first, just because it's already sitting here. Well, I say I'm going to....