DIY planters for small spaces

Gardening in a small space shouldn’t cost the Earth – metaphorically or literally. We’re often told that sustainability is costly but, in my experience, getting the parts you need ethically is often also the cheapest way to do it. By getting creative with what you already have lying around, you can create a big impact, while saving pennies, plastic waste and emissions.​

If you don’t have anything relevant to hand, you can find second-hand items to repurpose cheaply (or even for free) on websites like Gumtree and Freecycle or ask on a digital community noticeboard like Nextdoor. It’s not just the building materials you can save on: if you’re after tools, rather than buying new, you could try a tool library. My first port of call for all these things is simply to ask my friends and neighbours!

The outcome feels so much more rewarding (and the bragging rights so much sweeter) when you can point to something you’ve upcycled yourself. Here are three ideas to get you started, depending on what kind of small space you’re growing in.

1) Tin can to plant pot

Your small space: A window ledge, balcony or small patio

Using different sized cans offers a dynamic cascade effect

If you don’t have any tin cans, this method works equally well with biscuit tins and metal chocolate assortment tubs, though you’ll need to choose shallow-rooting plants.

You’ll need:

• Old tin can (or biscuit tin)
• Screwdriver
• Peat-free compost
• Plants

How to:

1. Clean out the can thoroughly and decorate it if you like.
2. Use a screwdriver to carefully punch drainage holes around the bottom.
3. Fill with potting soil.
4. Add plants such as small
   A group of plants that have thick, fleshy leaves or stems that are able to store water. This allows them to survive in arid habitats with low moisture.

   succulents or herbs.

Plant suggestions: Create a herb garden (parsley, sage, mint, basil, chives and thyme will all work well - grow them each in separate tins) or grow your own chilli plant.

These are fleshy, rounded, underground storage organs, usually sold and planted while dormant. Examples include daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, lilies, onions and garlic. The term is often used to cover other underground storage organs, including corms, tubers and rhizomes.

2) Colander to hanging basket

Your space: Porch or balcony

Colanders make great hanging baskets as they have ready-made drainage holes

Make sure you use a metal colander, as plastic varieties tend to warp and wear out in direct sun and will start to break down over time.

You can also try this idea with a metal sieve, although they often lack handles, and are a little more liable to break. If you do use a sieve however, you can skip the coir mat part.

You’ll need:

• Metal colander
• Coconut fiber (coir) basket liner – you can even buy ready-made hanging basket liners
• Scissors
• Twine or garden wire
• S-hook
• Peat-free compost
• Plants

How to:

1. If your liner isn’t ready-made, carefully cut your liner mat into a circle a little bigger than the circumference of the colander. Fit the mat into the colander, pushing it into shape.
2. Cut your strong
   Twine is a soft, fine loosely woven string treated with preservatives for outdoor use. Used for tying in climbers and other plants to supports.

   twine or garden wire into two to four long strips (a bit longer than your desired hanging height). Attach these to the colander’s handles, or to four holes around the top of the colander. These supports will have to hold the final basket up when it’s filled with water-saturated
   Can refer to either home-made garden compost or seed/potting compost: • Garden compost is a soil improver made from decomposed plant waste, usually in a compost bin or heap. It is added to soil to improve its fertility, structure and water-holding capacity. Seed or potting composts are used for growing seedlings or plants in containers - a wide range of commercially produced peat-free composts are available, made from a mix of various ingredients, such as loam, composted bark, coir and sand, although you can mix your own.

   compost so, holding them up in one hand, press into the colander with the other hand to check they can take this weight.
3. Fill the lined colander with your compost or potting mix, leaving enough space for your plants.
4. Add your plants, press around them to firm up the compost, and water it all thoroughly. Take a look at the video guide below to planting up hanging baskets.
5. Once the planter is full of soil and plants, tie the ends of the rope or wire together securely and slip an S-hook under or through the knot.
6. Finally, hang your new basket securely from a load-bearing support.

Perennials are plants that live for multiple years. They come in all shapes and sizes and fill our gardens with colourful flowers and ornamental foliage. Many are hardy and can survive outdoors all year round, while less hardy types need protection over winter. The term herbaceous perennial is used to describe long-lived plants without a permanent woody structure (they die back to ground level each autumn), distinguishing them from trees, shrubs and sub-shrubs.

perennials

3) Bookshelf to vertical planter

Your space: Porch or balcony

Create a stacked vertical planter with a series of troughs

One way of doing this is to use a simple trough to plant climbers. Just be sure to choose climbing plants with tendrils or sticky pads, but avoid clinging stem roots, as these can break into brick and cause structures to crumble.

A more fun idea, in my opinion, is to create a stacked vertical planter with a series of troughs - like this bookcase idea! You’ll want to use a bookcase made from solid wood (not MDF) so it will remain sturdy and not warp when wet.

You’ll need:

• An old wooden bookcase
• Screws
• Drill
• Peat-free compost
• Plants
• Coir mat (optional)
• Staple gun (optional)
• Plastic sheeting (optional)

How to:

1. Measure the distance between the shelves and make a note of this.
2. Put the
   A miniature furrow typically 1–5cm deep, made with a stick, hoe or rake. It is used for planting seeds or bulbs, and ensures they are positioned at the correct depth and spacing.

   drill in reverse and unscrew the bookshelves. These will become your troughs. (Depending on their state, you might be able to reuse the screws).
3. Optional: Cut the plastic sheet to cover the inside of the bookcase and use the staple gun to secure it as a liner. This will help stop the wood from getting damp and rotting over time. You can also cut and attach pieces for the inside of each of the shelves.
4. Take a shelf and place it at the bottom of the bookcase, pulling it out about 1.5cm (about ½ inch) from the back board. This gap between the shelf and the backboard will allow water to drain.
5. Secure the lower, back edge of the shelf in place by drilling into it on both sides, from the outside of the bookcase. Don’t do this too tightly just yet, you want the shelf to pivot.
6. Raise the front edge of the shelf up at an angle (about 40 degrees) to create the trough shape.
7. Secure the front, top edges of the shelf tight, and then tighten the screws at the lower edge.
8. Using the original distance between the shelves, measure this distance up from the lower, back edge of the first trough you made, and use this as the placement for the lower, back edge of the next trough, above it.
9. Repeat the steps above until all the troughs are in place.
10. Fill the troughs with compost and plants, and water thoroughly.
11. Place the back of the bookcase planter against a sturdy wall.

Plant suggestions: Create a vertical kitchen garden (e.g. strawberries, thyme, parsley, calendula) or medicinal garden (e.g. catnip, tulsi, lemon balm).

Whether it’s an empty paint can, a leftover colander, or a disused bookcase, there’s always a way to bring life (literally) into everyday objects. These ideas are just a springboard for your own - so look around your home, get creative, and see what ‘trash’ you can turn to plant-filled treasures.

Happy planting!