10 upcycling ideas for the garden

by Tara NolanComments (0)

One of the things I love to do is take old objects that no longer have a purpose and turn them into something cool for the garden. In my new book, Raised Bed Revolution, I made a few raised beds out of items I’d found at a local antique market—an old wooden suitcase, a metal washbasin, a small dining table, etc. I figured this was the perfect topic to celebrate Earth Day, so I’ve gathered a few photos that will hopefully inspire you to get creative and come up with your own upcycling project for the garden.

Here are 10 upcycling ideas for the garden

upcycling ideas for the garden: washbasin — This old washbasin was the perfect depth to hold a few root veggies. My dad created a base on top of two old sawhorse legs he had in his shed that supports the washbasin when it’s placed on top.

upcycling garden ideas: burlap-covered pails — Old buckets make great garden containers. You can pretty them up by wrapping them in burlap. * image by Donna Griffith

upcycling garden ideas: pallet — I saw this hanging pallet garden outside a cafe. I’ve seen lots of pallet projects, but I really like the size of this one and how it’s been hung on a fence.

upcycling garden ideas: suitcase — I found this old, wooden suitcase at an antique market. I simply took the lid off, drilled some holes and added threaded gas pipes as the legs.

upcycling garden ideas: cider press — I think this might be an old cider press. I took the photo on a trip to Washington state last fall and thought it was a great example of upcycling.

upcycling garden ideas: cold frame from an old window — One of the projects for my book involved taking an old window and making a cold frame base to fit its dimensions.

upcycling garden ideas: salad table — I’ve written about this lettuce table quite a bit on Savvy, but it’s one of my favourite upcycling projects!

upcycling garden ideas: stock tanks — Stock tanks have become a popular item to upcycle into a garden. They are nice and deep, so you can plant virtually anything in them. These ones have been used to add privacy to a little patio area. *photo by Proven Winners

upcycling garen ideas: colander — This is simply an old colander I found in an antique shop and fill with different herbs and flowers every year.

upcycling items for the garden: recycling bins — And how perfect is this shot to close the story? Potatoes grown in recycling bins—the ultimate upcycled project! * photo taken by Paul Zammit, Nancy Eaton director of horticulture at the Toronto Botanical Garden

What have you upcycled for your garden?

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