With spring fever hitting the nation, gardening is now front and center in many people’s mind. The image that is often conjured when the word garden comes up is the traditional square plot with perfectly straight lines of vegetable, herbs, or flowers. With the slow-food movement catching fire, and more homeowners growing some of their foods in their backyards, the garden has become a common site in even the most urban of neighborhoods. With the growth of gardening comes some very creative and ecologically friendly ways that people are organizing and displaying their crops.
Wooden Pallets
There are hundreds of blogs and tens of thousands of Pinterest Pins having to do with uses for pallets. To find pallets, check on Craigslist or stop by your local stores, they’re often either sending them back or throwing away the broken ones. Here are a couple of really creative ideas from SundayGardner.
Plastic Bins
Here is a great way to make an inexpensive, self-watering vegetable table. Called self-watering because by cutting the lid for a false bottom, the container can be filled with water and the plant’s roots will “suck” up the water when needed. Tall gardens like this are great for those people who cannot bend or kneel for long periods. You can make this for under $50. Here are the instructions.
Metal Stock Tanks
Due to be widely available, inexpensive, and sturdy, metal stock tanks make a simple and moveable garden bed. Paint the outside to give the tank a more personal feel. Don’t forget that they also come in many size and shapes, so they’ll work great in any size yard. Here is a great site for some more ideas
Cinderblocks
While not exactly the most attractive of building supply, there’s no debating the versatility of them. Used to simply make a shallow raised-garden bed, or a more unique vertical bed like the picture below, cinder blocks will fit many of your gardening needs for not a lot of money.
Hopefully some of these ideas have convinced you to step outside the traditional garden beds and bring some uniqueness into your backyard. Happy housing from your favorite Realtor.
