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Welcome to the world of cheap container gardening, where you can create stunning green spaces on a budget. Cheap container gardening is an innovative approach that allows you to cultivate a variety of plants without the need for a large outdoor garden or expensive equipment.
With clever techniques and thrifty resources, you can transform small spaces into flourishing havens of beauty and tranquility. In this guide, we will explore the wonders of cheap container gardening and provide you with valuable tips to create your own affordable and captivating garden oasis.
Here are 35 DIY Cheap Container Gardening Ideas for any gardener:
Wood Pallets
Using pallets for your herbs is a cheap and space-saving gardening idea. Pallets can be found anywhere for free or for only a few bucks. The pallet only requires a few modifications, and you have a garden in your backyard.
The garden is even less expensive if you leave the pallets as they are with an earthly feel and only concentrate on the plants—no special skills required, just the pallet and space for the soil and plant.
Fabric Grow Bags
Another cheap gardening idea is using fabric grow bags. The bags are more affordable, made from thick-breathable material that allows air to circulate in the soil. The bags come in different colors, creating a beautiful backyard décor. Much more, these bags come in all sizes, great for small and large gardening ideas.
You place the bag anywhere you need it. They are perfect for vegetables, flowers, and fruits as the bags allow enough oxygen for expansive rooting. What more! The bag lets water out and can be placed on your patio or deck. It is an excellent recommendation from the eco gardener. Even without a backyard, the apartment balcony is still a perfect fit for these cheap gardening bags.
Reuse 5-gallon Buckets
Another fantastic cheap planting option without a garden is thrifting or reusing buckets. Food storage mums from Northern UTAH show a step-by-step guide for bucket garden ideas on your balcony.
The buckets are inexpensive, as they require no modification to use. You only find the soil, place your seedlings, water, and wait to harvest. Not much bending and land tilling, you can place them in a raised ground- cheap and easy!
Plastic Dishpans
Do you have overused dishpans in your home? Please don’t throw it away; it is a perfect cheap container for gardening. Plastic dish pans are an inexpensive way to own a kitchen garden. The containers have a wide, rectangular opening, creating a perfect surface for growing several vegetables.
The containers should be made from polyethylene material for flexibility and durability. They are available cheaply at thrift stores and yard sales.
Whiskey Barrel
Used whiskey barrels are also cheaply obtained, either whole or cut. A cut whiskey barrel is a great gardening container. The container is filled with soil and placed in the backyard. The containers are great for flowers, fruits, and vegetables.
DIY Old Tires
Old truck tires are an inexpensive gardening option. The tires are cut and placed on the ground to create an open garden space. These cheap gardening containers come from old garage collections.
You can opt to paint the tires just for aesthetic purposes. The tires are cheap, require less water, and are thus easy to maintain as a garden option. https://www.diyncrafts.com/101345/repurpose/30-creative-ways-to-use-old-tires-in-your-garden .
Fabric Pots
Fabric pots are another great and inexpensive gardening option. You can buy the containers from the internet cheaply. It is even cheaper when you buy the pots in bulk. If your friends need them, you could ship them more cheaply.
Painted Metal Tins
This is a simple and cheap fence flower planter. Reuse the tins from the kitchen or easily collect them from the trash. They create a cheap garden appearance on the fence.
Recycled Water Bottles
Plastic water bottles are another cheap and handy gardening container. You cut them to the shape and size that fits your gardening idea. They are obtained from used-up bottles at home. The best part with water bottles is you can do them with the kinds- they will love the adventure.
Repurposed Pots
This Starke Ayres garden center photo has old teapots repurposed as gardening containers. The options are inexpensive as it is a way of decluttering the house and creating room for other valuables. The pots are placed on the patio or small balcony spaces. They provide an aesthetic look and an easy way to access fresh herbs.
Reusing Baking Tins
What do you do with old baking tins? The baking tin is also a handy and inexpensive gardening option. These old bread tins are converted into a herb garden without an extra container cost.
Soda/ bottled Water Containers
Plastic bottles are great for use as herb and flower containers. They are shallow budget containers that could create a hanging garden in your front yard. You must assemble several and make an easy-to-use, inexpensive, aesthetic garden.
DIY Old Footwear
Shoes are hollow and spacious enough for cheap, small gardening ideas. Everyone has old shoes that they do not use anymore. It is an excellent home decluttering method and a cheap gardening container.
DIY Mosaic Planter
The mosaic planters are a combination of cheap and beautiful plant pots. Do it yourself with old plastic pots and broken tiles. It is a lovely way to up-cycle your plastic containers.
Old Wicker Baskets
You probably own an old wicker basket in your home. It was a great shopping bag option when it was new, but it is now old and no longer fancy to carry around.
The basket will be an inexpensive flower garden option. It will provide an aesthetic look to your garden. Even if you do not own one, you could find one at a nearby thrift shop for less than a dollar.
DIY Concrete Containers
DIY concrete pots using plastic containers as models are an easy way to create an attractive garden. Home Made by Carmona shows ways to save a few bucks with concrete planters.
You use oil-based paint to create a feeling of art and beauty on your pot. You never go wrong with self-modeled gardening ideas. The pots are great for your succulents and herbs. (https://homemadebycarmona.com/diy-concrete-planters/).
DIY Metal Buckets
The metal buckets are low budget flowerpots. Make drainage holes, put your soil in, and add your plants- water whenever necessary! There you gave a cheap flower garden!
The buckets are perfect at the balcony window seals and patio.
DIY Corrugated Paper cups
Your takeaway coffee and teacups could find use in your garden. You also buy them cheaply in the supermarkets. The corrugated paper cups are great gardening containers for succulents that do not require a lot of watering.
DIY Glass Lampshade
Turn that old lampshade upside down for a cheap and perfect plant container. The salvage stores offer bulk sales of old lampshades that you could purchase on a low budget.
The glass lampshades still play the plant container role perfectly. Reuse them too!
DIY Basic Plastic Containers
Plastic containers from used home products such as ice cream and yogurt make a cheap mix of gardening containers. You only need to drill holes and place different sizes and colors together to create an enticing garden. You could hang or place them on the window seal with an attractive arrangement.
Terracotta Pots
Terracotta pots are another cheap container option for gardening. They are great for indoor plants as they are breathable and easier to manage.
They come in different shapes and sizes. They are low-budget options obtained for people with busy schedules and without time for DIY options.
DIY Wooden Boxes
Similar to pallets, wooden boxes are obtained cheaply from yard sales and other thrift options. Better still, the wooden planter boxes are easily made from pallet wood. They provide a more practical garden option.
Keep them low or raise them to desired levels. They create an excellent option for backyard vegetable gardens.
Reuse Old Cookware
Pots and pans are inexpensive containers to use for gardening. Repaint your old saucepan and use it at no extra cost. The pans and pots no-longer in use offer endless plant container options.
DIY Egg Cartons for Seedlings
Cardboards are a strong paper option that could be used to start a seedling garden. They are cheap gardening options obtained from old egg trays.
They are fantastic seedling container options as they are subdivided into portions to separate the seeds. Also, the cardboard quickly decomposes, and removing it is unnecessary before replanting.
DIY Small Yogurt Cups
Another inexpensive container for seedlings is a single-package yogurt cup. Place the cups together in series to create a small seedling garden. Do not forget to drill drainage holes at the bottom. The cups do not decompose. Wash and reuse after transplanting.
Toilet Rolls for Seedlings
Toilet rolls are made from biodegradable cardboard material. Paper rolls have long-standing popularity in the DIY world for their diverse use. They provide cheap gardening containers for delicate seedlings.
Similar to egg trays, do not remove the tolls when transplanting. Just plant the seedlings with the rolls in the soil.
Thick Cardboard Boxes
Cardboard boxes are low-budget seeding gardens. They create a low-maintenance space to plant and care for seedlings. They are a great way to hold seedling containers like yogurt cans. Line the cases with plastic bags, and tidy the containers to prevent them from wetting.
Old Cloth Fabric and Handbags
Old handbags and clothes create a cheap and colorful gardening option. Using plastic lining in the fabric helps to keep it in shape and unstained over a more extended period. The material creates an expensive-looking garden along the fence or on the balcony.
DIY Sack Garden
Sack gardening is a cheap way to grow organic foods. The sack provides an option for top and side planting. It creates a simple vertical garden that saves space and maximizes produce. Use available options at home or buy cheaply from thrift shops.
DIY Sink Garden
Upcycle old sinks that are no longer in use for outdoor gardening. The sink sitting in the backyard is an easy way to have an attractive flower pot.
DIY Paint Buckets
No more paint in the buckets? You can repurpose the paint buckets as cheap gardening options. Use yarn and glue to create a simple look for your buckets. They are great, inexpensive choices for houseplants. It changes the look of your space for a beautiful appearance.
Repurposed Drums
Drums are metal barrels that are easy to find as trash. They provide cheap gardening containers that can be cut or used whole. They are made in different shapes and sizes to handle any planting. They are durable long-term garden options. Drill a few holes at the bottom to drain excess water and get a perfect garden.
DIY Trash Cans
Old Trash Cans also allow small-space use for gardening. You can paint them or leave them as they are. They still create a beautiful garden appearance.
DIY Mail/ Feed-back boxes
Technology is slowly replacing mailing boxes for communication. Mailboxes remain standing in the yard without much use. Reusing mailboxes is a simple gardening option. The containers are repurposed and repainted or used as they are to create a beautiful flower garden.
DIY Old Watering Cans
The cheapest gardening options are reusing and repurposing what is available. Old watering cans are slowly replaced with drip methods and other water-saving options. The cans are inexpensive for vegetables, flowers, and herbs.
Gardening Can be as Cheap as You Like it!
Having a cheap garden does not mean your garden is not unattractive. You could use the least expensive containers for your garden but still have the most attractive backyard. Containers can be recycled or accessed from thrift shops, yard sales, and second-hand vendors. There are also very cheap options online. Look around, not just settle for the supermarket and expensive storage options! You will always find something more reasonable.
Learn how to find and use cheap containers for gardening in your yard or balcony. From reusing what you already own to finding the most affordable options, this article gives you all you need to learn about cheap gardening.
Happy Gardening!
