Reader Tips: Smart Spring Repurposing Ideas

Easy upcycled raised garden beds using IBC tanks

Arthritis makes gardening in low beds or at ground level difficult for Sheryl. When she saw some used industrial liquid containers, called IBC (intermediate bulk container) tanks, for sale online, she got an idea. With the help of her son, she cut one container in half to make two raised beds. A reciprocating saw or circular saw work well for cutting the metal bars and the plastic container, but even most handsaws can do the trick.

Tips to create IBC tank raised beds

Most IBC tanks are about 48×40×40 inches. Cut in half, they’re about 20 inches high. You might find that some already have a large drainage hole in the bottom, but it’s likely that you’ll have to drill five or six holes across the base. Used IBC tanks may have some remaining residue, so it’s a good idea to scrub them down with soapy water. Put the containers in place, fill them up with potting mix and plant away!

You should be able to find some of these tanks online on secondhand sites, such as Craigslist or Facebook. Search “IBC tank” or “IBC tote.” Most are sold in the $50 to $100 range. That’s a pretty fine deal for a tall, accessible garden bed!

Photo & tip submitted by Sheryl Fullner, WA

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Mess-free bird feeders

Birds can leave a big mess under the feeders hung on shepherd’s hooks in Sylvia’s backyard. So she tucked a small plastic kiddie pool underneath to catch the fallen hulls and excess seeds and prevent unwanted plants from sprouting in the garden. When the pool starts to fill up, it's easy to dump the contents into the compost pile. Sylvia has camouflaged the pool with taller perennials planted along the front of the bed.

Tip submitted by Sylvia Street, IA

Keep emerging lilies safe from rabbits in spring

A bunny’s munching habits can ruin a garden in no time. That’s why Joan came up with a way to protect her lilies as they emerge: Just grab a paper grocery bag and four plant stakes. Cut the bottom out of the bag to fit it over the plant. (It might help to leave an inch or so around the perimeter on the bottom.) Then you can drive the plant stakes into the corners inside the bag to keep it in place and prevent the bag from flopping or blowing away. Mound an inch or two of soil around the edges of the bag for extra security.

Leave the bag in place for about a week, or until the plant has grown enough that the leaves and stems are no longer tender and new. This might mean that the plant has grown several inches or a significant number of the leaves have unfurled and matured.

Photo & tip submitted by Joan Pierro, MA

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Quick Garden Tip

To remedy the splaying stems of a geranium plant, Kathleen popped some dried agapanthus (Agapanthus africanus) flower stems into her containers for support. The small prongs of the seedheads prop up floppy flowers for a tidier container.

Photo & tip submitted by Kathleen Durkee, MA

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Garden tools, like shovels, are most often made with carbon steel. Known for its strength, it's the optimal material for cutting, slicing, and digging through plant material and soil. However, the main component of carbon steel is iron, so exposure to oxygen and moisture over time will cause rust. Not properly cleaning your tools after use, or accidentally leaving a tool outside in rain or snow will cause that reddish-brown patina to make an appearance. But all is not lost. As long as the rust is still surface level, you can rid your tools of rust in a few steps.

What you'll need

Skip the trip to the hardware store and gather up these common household items:

• White vinegar
  
• Wire brush or coarse steel wool
  
• Old towel
  
• Plastic bag
  

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3 Easy steps to remove rust from a shovel

Step 1. Remove loose dirt and rust

Start the process by removing loose dirt and rust with a wire brush.

Step 2. Soak the shovel in vinegar

Wrap the blade snugly in an old towel, soak it with white vinegar (any strength will work), slip everything into a plastic bag and tie it shut. Soak up to 24 hours.

Step 3. Scour the surface of the tool with a stiff brush

After soaking the shovel, remove the tool and scour the surface with a stiff brush or coarse steel wool. If necessary, repeat the process. Once you’re done with the vinegar you can pour it down a drain.

Watch the process in our video!

See this poorly maintained shovel from our test garden come back to life after using the method listed above to remove the dirt and rust in our short video.

How to prevent rust on garden tools

To keep your tools strong, sharp, and efficient, avoid rust with some simple maintenance.

Clean your tools after each use

Removing soil and plant debris will help prevent rust on your tools as well as keep diseases, fungi, and weed seeds from spreading around your garden. A quick wash with a hose and drying with a cotton rag will often do the trick. If you're working with heavy, clay soil, a little scrubbing might be necessary.

Apply a little oil to your best garden tools

For your highest-quality tools, you might consider the extra step of applying oil to further prevent rust. Exposure to oxygen can still cause rust, even when tools are carefully washed and dried, and appling oil will create a barrier that stops them from oxidizing. There are several products available for this purpose, but mineral or vegetable oil are also good options.

Original Question submitted by Pat Alvarez, IN

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Build an easy raised garden bed with upcycled pallets

A pallet planter is an eco-friendly, time-saving approach to growing flowers and vegetables side by side. They cut down on the time spent weeding and make plant identification a snap. The instant rows created by the pallet slats give weeds no place to grow and are the perfect place to write plant names. Wood pallet garden frames require no assembly, are readily available and are also usually free. Although sizes vary somewhat, the standard pallet is 48×40×6 inches. Check your local recycling center for information on where to find wood pallets.

Benefits of a pallet raised garden bed

Raised beds are great for keeping your garden neat and tidy, and using wooden pallets makes building them as easy as laying them out on the ground and adding soil, compost and plants. Even strawberries grow well in pallet planters, helping them stay clean and easier for you to pick.

How to choose the right pallet

Make sure to choose pallets that are in good, sturdy condition and have not been treated with chemicals like pesticides. Ones that are safe to use will be marked with these initials that tells how they were treated:

• HT (heat-treated)
• DB (debarked)
• KD (kiln-dried)

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How to create a pallet raised garden bed

Once you have acquired your pallets and made sure they are not treated with any chemicals, there are just a few steps to create your pallet raised garden bed.

1. Enclose the bottom and sides of the pallet by stapling a double layer of burlap or landscape fabric to prevent soil from falling through.
2. Add garden soil and compost to create a nutrient rich growing medium in your pallet raised garden bed.
3. Add desired plants, water them in & watch your garden grow!

Stack pallets for a taller raised garden bed

Want to save your back? Try stacking two or three pallets together to make your raised bed taller, like the one in photo above. If you decide to stack the pallets, you only need to enclose the top pallet with burlap or landscape fabric for planting as outlined above, the others below are just to add height. Want to go vertical? Check out another pallet planter idea here.

Plants that will do well in a pallet raised garden bed

Avoid plants that require a deeper root system like potatoes, carrots and beets and instead plant those that grow upward with a shallow root system. Good candidates for a pallet planter include:

• Annuals
• Lettuce
• Peppers
• Strawberries
• Herbs
• Cucumbers

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DIY garden edging

Like everything else in the world, garden hoses have a limited life. While your first thought may be to haul your old garden hose out to the dumpster, you may want to hang on to it. Using upcycled garden hoses and cable ties, you can transform all those old garden hoses into a great-looking edging that will last for years. Before you begin the project, allow the hose to lie in the sun to soften for several hours to make it easier to work with. Our garden edging features both standard rubber hoses and soaker hoses for a color-coordinated look. But you can opt for a solid color theme or create a patchwork effect with a variety of different colored hoses. Let your hoses be your guide. Watch our video above to see how it all comes together!

Materials

• 20 ft. of 1-in. thin-wall conduit pipe (2 10-ft. lengths)
• Fiberglass garden stakes (4 4-ft. lengths)
• Worn garden or soaker hoses
• 8-in. black cable ties, 60 total

Tools

• Hacksaw
• Miter box
• Clamps
• Garden pruners
• Tape measure
• Permanent marker
• Pliers
• Rubber mallet
• Metal cutter
• Metal file

Cutting list

• (10) 24-in.-long thin-wall conduit pipe
  
• (14) 12-in.-long fiberglass garden stakes

Garden hose edging construction diagram

• On each end, a pair of cable ties secures each row of garden hose to the conduit pipe
• Leave the top 2 inches free so garden hose won’t slip off the conduit pipe
• The 12-inch long fiberglass stakes (purple) are inserted into the ground 1 inch, just enough to keep them upright
• Criss-cross a pair of cable ties around a few conduit pipes for a decorative touch

Step 1: Cut conduit pipe and fiberglass stakes

Cut conduit and fiberglass stakes to the lengths shown in the materials/tools list above using a hacksaw and miter box. Hold them in place with clamps for cutting, and if needed, file edges of the conduit pipe to smooth any sharp edges.

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Step 2: Cut garden hose

Using garden pruners, cut 10 lengths of garden hose 108 inches long. This 10-row pattern measures 10 inches tall and 8 feet long, but you can customize yours with more or fewer garden hoses.

Step 3: Secure ends of garden hose

Use a mallet to pound the first conduit pipe into the ground so 12 inches remain above ground. This height will be the same for all other conduit pipe. (Note: A rubber mallet keeps the top edge of the conduit uncurled while a hammer will roll the edge.) Working from bottom to top, begin securing each garden hose with a pair of cable ties. We used an overlap of 6 inches of hose at each end. Flatten the end of each garden hose around the conduit before securing the cable tie. A small clamp helps flatten the garden hose tight and keeps it snug. Once all rows are secure at one end, lay them out and repeat this step at the other end of the edging. This design curves, which means you’ll need to eyeball it as you go and leave slightly more slack in the line than if it were taut and straight.

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Step 4: Pound conduit pipe into ground

Begin weaving by threading the remaining conduit through the alternating hoses. Partially pound each pipe into the ground a few inches to secure it and to establish the spacing. Once you’ve established the edging’s shape, pound in the pipes until about a foot remains above ground. This will leave the top couple of inches free of garden hose to prevent it from slipping off.

Project tip

Placing a scrap piece of wood on top of the pipe and hitting it will give you a larger surface to strike and help prevent the pipe edge from curling.

Step 5: Weave stakes and add details

Repeat the process by weaving two fiberglass stakes between each pair of pipes. Push the stakes into the ground no more than an inch deep, which is just enough to keep them upright. Add personal touches like solar path lights or criss-cross the cable ties like you see in the photo above right for added visual interest.

From plant markers to hot water bottles under row covers and even bottle-cap pot feet, you’ve probably already found clever, yet simple, ways to upcycle plastic bottles in the garden. But we have even more ideas for you! Rinse out and peel the label off a bottle. Then grab a pair of scissors or a box cutter to cut, a nail to punch holes and try out some of these seven handy ideas.

1. Make a bird feeder

Keep the neighborhood birds well fed with the easy-to-make feeder above. Be sure to punch a few drainage holes in the bottom pie tin to let rain and melted snow drain out. We filled this feeder with a general seed mix, hung it from a tree branch in our test garden and had birds eating there within minutes!

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2. Garden pest traps

Use this technique to make a couple of different garden traps. Start by cutting the neck off a bottle a quarter to a third of the way from the top. Remove the cap, reverse the top part and insert it into the bottom. Whether you’re trapping slugs or wasps, when your trap has done its job, pull the “funnel” out, dump the contents and reload.

To attract and trap slugs

Pour beer into the trap and place it under plants slugs are fond of. Tilt it slightly, like in the photo above, to keep the beer from running out. The slimy critters crawl in through the opening, fall into the beer and drown.

To attract and trap wasps

Pour a couple of inches of a stale sugary soda with a few drops of dish detergent into the bottle. Set it upright in a sunny spot where you have spotted wasps. They fly into the trap to get the sugar and drown. Soap breaks surface tension so when they land on the water they quickly sink.

3. Upcycle plastic bottles into seed-starting pots

If you start a lot of seeds, here’s an economical how-to for making your own seed-starting pots:

1. Cut the bottom off of a 2-liter bottle so you have a cup 2 or 3 inches deep.
2. Use a nail and poke a few holes in the bottom.
3. Fill the cup with seed-starting mix.
4. Moisten the mix before you sow seeds or stick cuttings.

Create a mini greenhouse

For a mini greenhouse, use the top of the bottle to make a dome that will fit over the cup. Use the cap to help regulate heat and moisture. On sunny days remove it so you don’t cook the plants. Replace the cap at night to hold in heat and moisture.

4. String light covers

Bottles can be decorative, too. Cut 1 to 2 inches off the bottom of a 12-ounce bottle. In the photo above we used the molded pattern near the bottom as a cutting guide. A band saw made a smooth, even cut.

Poke a ¼-inch hole in the center of each soda bottle bottom with a nail, making it large enough that the fixture holding the light fits snugly into it. Or use a drill to make the hole.

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5. Self-watering planter

This technique uses a wick to pull moisture up into the soil. As long as the reservoir is filled and the wick is in the water, there will be a steady supply for plant roots. Start with a 2-liter bottle and cut off the top third. Then follow these steps:

1. Take off the cap and drill two ¼-inch holes in it.
2. From the inside of the cap, poke the ends of a short length (ours was about 4 inches long) of ¼-inch cotton rope through each hole. The ends should be long enough that when you screw the cap back on and put the planter in place they will reach the bottom of the reservoir.
3. Leave a loop of rope inside the cap so it will stick up an inch or two into the soil.
4. Once you have the lengths adjusted, screw the cap back on.
5. Add water, and slip the top of the bottle into the bottom part as you see in the photo.
6. Fill it with potting mix and add the plant. You can lift the top portion out when you need to add water, or cut a small hole in the side of the base so it’s even easier to refill.

6. Slow waterer

Drip irrigation is a good way to provide water to plants, but the systems can be expensive to buy. You can get a similar slow waterer if you poke a ⅛- to ¼-inch hole on the side of a large bottle, as close to the bottom as you can get. It’s less likely to get plugged with silt that way. Fill the bottle with water and set it next to a plant.

With the cap off, water seeps out and soaks directly into the soil. Use this same method to make a waterer that will encourage roots to grow deeply. After you poke the hole in a large bottle, bury it near the plant you want to water. But leave the neck just above the soil line so you can fill it with your hose or even a water-soluble fertilizer solution.

7. Affordable garden edging with upcycled plastic bottles

A good edging defines the bed and slows grass as it tries to creep into your plantings. This one will creatively do both of those jobs. Gather many of the same kind of bottle. Count on two 2-liter bottles to make about 10 inches of edging. To make the edging, follow these steps below:

1. At the widest point below the neck of the bottle, cut the tops off.
2. Fill one bottle with sand, gravel or soil for weight and push the other one over it to form a capsule, as you see in the photo above.
3. Cover the bottles with a paint recommended for plastic and let them dry. Repeat until you have enough capsules for your project.
4. Dig a trench and lay the bottles end to end. They should stick up above the soil an inch or two.
5. Make sure they’re low enough that they won’t be nicked by the lawn mower.
6. But if one gets damaged, simply make another capsule and tuck it in.

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Go vertical with pallets

With only minimal modifications you can stand a pallet upright and turn it into a planter getting colorful flowers up at eye level. Fill an empty wall or mount it on stakes to add height to borders.

How to make an upcycled pallet planter

1. Cut a double layer of landscape fabric to fit in between the pallet boards.
2. Attach landscape fabric with heavy duty staples placed every few inches.
3. Fill the troughs with lightweight potting mix and add your favorite plants.

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What to plant in your pallet planter

Trailing ground covers, such as perennial geranium (Geranium spp. and hybrids) and sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima) planted above, or those with a mounded habit look the best in a planter like this because they cascade over the edges of the board. Those that grow really tall or upright, such as some ornamental grasses, aren’t a good fit for this situation.

Other great plant options

• Bacopa (Sutera cordata)
• Gold moss sedum (Sedum acre)
• Lantana (Lantana camara)
• Lobelia (Lobelia erinus)
• Moss phlox (Phlox subulata)
• Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)
• Perennial geranium (Geranium spp. and hybrids)
• Sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima)

Check Out Our Flowers & Plant Guide

Make an upcycled hanging planter

A glass lamp shade can be just the right size for a charming hanging planter and has drainage already built in. Here we have started with a 9½-in. diameter glass lamp shade.

Supplies:

• Glass lamp shade
• Spray paint (optional)
• Chain by the foot
• S-hook
• Split rings - 2 sizes
• Potting mix
• Canning lid jar
• Paper coffee filter or piece of wire mesh

Tools:

• Awl or screwdriver to drive holes through canning lid jar

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How to make an upcycled hanging planter

A) Spray paint the inside of the glass lamp shade if you don’t want to see the potting mix. Carefully plant to avoid scratching it. You’ll need to repaint every year.
B) Hang the basket with chain by the foot. Attach at the top with an S-hook.
C) Attach the chain to split rings in two sizes and colors from the craft store.
D) Form the base with a canning jar lid with holes punched in it for the split rings.
E) Place a paper coffee filter or piece of wire mesh in the bottom to keep soil from spilling out.

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What to plant in your hanging planter

Firecracker flower is a tropical plant that likes the heat. If the pansies start to fade in hot weather, you could replace them with purple verbenas (Verbena hybrids). Give these plants full to part sun.

Glass gets hot in the sun so provide some afternoon shade for your planter so the potting mix doesn't dry out as quickly.

A) Firecracker flower (Crossandra infundibuliformis ‘Orange Marmalade’)
B) Pansy (Viola x wittrockiana Matrix™ Purple)
C) Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’)

It only takes a few simple tools to create your own pallet furniture. But before getting started put on some gloves and check for splinters, nails or staples that might be sticking out and remove them. Pallet sizes vary from 48 to 36 inches square so you may need do some cutting with a circular saw to build pieces that fit your space. Use a hand drill and screws put the pallets together and add the legs.

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Finishing touches

Lightly sand the wood so it has a smooth, splinter free surface. Use stain or paint to give your pallet furniture its one-of-a-kind look that suits your garden perfectly. Now you're ready to invite friends over to sit back, relax and enjoy the view.

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Rustic charm

Here’s an alternative to a shepherd’s hook with a hanging basket when you need height in a border. This old door is wired to a couple of metal fence stakes.

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Windowbox planting plan

All of these plants bloom best in full sun with plenty of heat, and should keep getting better as summer wears on. Check soil moisture and probably water every few days. When this many plants are packed into a tight space, they suck up the moisture quickly. Just be careful not to overwater — hibiscus will drop its buds if you do.

See more Container Planting Plans

Hibiscus tip

The hibiscus plants seen here came in 6-in. containers. Overwinter them indoors, and by next year they’ll probably be too big for this windowbox. But they’ll still be good candidates for larger pots on the patio.

Plant list (Windowbox is 27 in. long × 7 in. wide)

A) Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Tradewinds™ Carolina Breeze)
B) Ornamental pepper (Capsicum annuum ‘Medusa’)
C) Zinnia (Zinnia elegans ‘Zinnita Orange’)
D) Sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas Sweet Caroline Raven)
E) Bidens (Bidens ferulifolia Goldilocks Rocks^®)

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Ever feel a little melancholy when you see all those tossed-out Christmas trees lining the streets after the holidays? You won't have to send the tree out with the trash when you use one of these great recycling ideas in your garden!

1. Mulch tender plants with recycled Christmas tree or evergreen branches

Gardeners know how important mulch, like straw, hay or crisp oak leaves, is for protecting plants through a harsh winter. But evergreen branches add a little extra punch to your plants’ protection. Just lay the branches in a crisscross pattern over tender perennial plants. Weave the stems together to keep them from blowing away on a windy day.

Like other types of mulch, the branches moderate the soil temperature fluctuations, keeping everything nice and cold until it’s really time to warm up. Piled on top of other mulches, such as leaves, they’ll prevent the bottom layer of mulch from blowing away. And branches catch and hold snow, which is a good insulator. Branches are rigid and won’t pack down and smother the plants they’re protecting. Instead, air can circulate so the crowns don’t stay too wet and rot. Place evergreen branches over your garden anytime the ground is frozen, from late November to midwinter, after you’re done enjoying your Christmas tree indoors. Pick them up when it starts to warm up in spring. Below are five situations you might have in your garden where evergreen branches will come in handy.

5 perfect situations for evergreen branches

1. Cover perennials that have a tap root or shallow roots so they won’t heave out of the ground as soil temperatures fluctuate.
2. Create microclimates for marginal perennials. You can usually grow a perennial one zone colder than listed with a good winter mulch.
3. Protect evergreen perennials, such as heaths and heathers, from drying out by building a tent over them with boughs.
4. If you’ve mounded your roses, protect the canes with leaves or straw held in place with evergreen branches.
5. Didn’t get your perennials covered before the snow hit? Lay branches over the snow. Since it’s shaded it won’t melt as quickly and will insulate the soil.

2. Save your Christmas tree for the birds

Your old Christmas tree is the perfect winter gift for your feathered friends. Anchor the tree securely in a deep bucket of sand. The branches are enough to provide cover from the winter weather, but if you want to add treats, strings of popcorn will be popular with birds, or you could put mesh bags of shelled peanuts out, too. Cut-up apples and oranges are special treats for birds and squirrels. Hang the treats on the branches, but push them toward the middle of the tree so birds won’t be frightened by any swinging ornaments that move with the wind.

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3. Use a Christmas tree as a trellis

In spring, cut off all the twiggy growth, getting down to the “bones” of the tree. Prop it in the vegetable garden, where you can plants your cucumbers or pole beans. Train the plants up the tree, and the fruit will hang from the branches like ornaments. Who says you can’t have Christmas in July?