You don’t need a green thumb to make your outdoor space beautiful. By repurposing vintage items and salvaged materials, you can transform your garden into a unique oasis. In this guide, we’ll explore creative ways to turn old objects into eye-catching features for your yard.
Add Character to Your Landscape
Flowers aren’t the only way to infuse color and interest into outdoor spaces. You could use an old iron headboard as an elegant trellis for climbing vines or hinge mismatched interior doors together to form a movable open-air room. You could also get creative with crates or pallets by converting them into vertical gardens or outdoor furniture.
Spring Stakes
Supporting top-heavy flowers like zinnias can be challenging, but salvaged materials work well. Look for objects with spaces through which flowers can grow, such as old bedsprings or wire baskets with large mesh. The zigzagging springs from old metal patio furniture make excellent plant supports while adding a whimsical touch to your garden beds. Alternatively, you can convert unused bed frames into plant stands or artistic backdrops within the garden to maximize support and visual interest.
Herb Garden Trolley
Create a mobile herb garden using a worn wheelbarrow or vintage wagon, such as the classic Radio Flyer. With this portable garden, you can easily move your herbs to catch the sun or bring them closer to your outdoor cooking area. To enhance drainage, drill small holes in the bottom of the wagon and add a layer of gravel before filling it with potting soil. You can also paint the wagon’s exterior to match your garden’s style or add personalized labels for each type of herb.
Rustic Edging
Imbue your garden beds with character using salvaged materials as edging. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Incorporate natural elements such as driftwood or reclaimed timber to enhance your garden’s rustic appeal.
- Old iron fence sections can create an attractive boundary for flower patches if you partially bury them in the soil. This technique adds visual interest while helping prevent soil erosion and keeping mulch in place.
- You can use fragments of old stone cornices or reclaimed bricks to create a unique border that complements your garden’s style.
Metalwork Birdhouse
Attract feathered friends to your garden by making a birdhouse from salvaged materials. For instance, you can use an old oilcan, with its spout serving as a perfect perch. You can even add a birdbath using a salvaged pedestal sink and small mirrors or reflective decorations nearby to attract birds while adding a playful quality to your outdoor space. These repurposed items provide a habitat for local birds while serving as conversation pieces in your garden.
Funnel Container
Transform everyday objects into unique hanging planters by repurposing items from your toolshed. A metal funnel with built-in drainage makes an excellent container for ornamental grasses or trailing plants. Other potential candidates for hanging planters include tin watering cans and loop-handle buckets. To prepare these items for planting, drill small drainage holes in the bottom and add a layer of pea gravel to prevent soil from spilling out. Hanging these planters at varying heights using sturdy chains or ropes can create a dynamic and visually appealing display in any corner of your garden.
Chimney Pot Pedestal
Elevate a prized plant by placing it atop a salvaged terra-cotta chimney pot. This unexpected pedestal adds a sense of height to your garden and creates a focal point that draws the eye. You can also convert a chimney pot into a dramatic landscape uplight by placing it over a low-voltage fixture. This dual-purpose approach produces visual interest during the day and atmospheric lighting at night. Integrating multiple chimney pots of varying heights can also form a striking display of potted plants or illuminated pathways.
Flower Barrel
Give new life to an old open-top steel oil drum by transforming it into a large-scale planter. You can clean and repurpose these drums—often available for free from auto mechanics—to create striking garden features. To prepare the drum, use a degreaser like Krud Kutter to clean the inside and remove all traces of oil. Once clean, these barrels can also serve as rainwater catchment systems for garden irrigation. Painting the drum’s exterior with weather-resistant paint can further enhance its visual appeal and help it integrate seamlessly into your garden’s design.
Buggy-Turned-Planting Box
Create a captivating focal point in your garden by repurposing a rusted wreck, such as a broken-down carriage or vintage tractor. These large-scale items can draw visitors to overlooked corners of your garden, adding depth and interest to your landscape design. For a smaller-scale option, use an old bicycle. Partially bury the wheels for stability and fill the basket with herbs or colorful flowers to create a whimsical garden feature. You can also attach window boxes or flowerpots to the frame to maximize planting space and visual appeal.
Window Frame Trellis
If you have an old window frame missing its glass, you can repurpose it into a charming support for climbing vines. Attach the frame to an elevated planter made from scrap wood to create a vertical gardening element that adds structure and visual interest to your outdoor space. Alternatively, you can use a Windsor-style chair with vertical spindles in the backrest. Place potted plants on the seat and train tendrils around the spindles for a unique and functional garden accent. You can also expand this concept by creating a series of trellises using multiple window frames, forming an enchanting wall of greenery.
Toy Planter
Give new purpose to outgrown toys by incorporating them into your garden design. Choose weather-resistant toys with built-in containers, such as a metal Tonka dump truck, to create playful planters. These repurposed toys not only add a touch of nostalgia to your garden but also serve as conversation starters. For a different approach, use a tricycle seat as a pedestal for a box of blooms. You can even transform old wagon boxes into charming planters.
Iron Sculpture
Create unique garden art by combining salvaged metal pieces and turning them into sculptures. For example, a Victorian-era cast-iron bathtub foot can form the head of an elephant, with railroad-tie spikes as legs and a steel coil as the body. These one-of-a-kind creations add personality and artistic flair to your outdoor space. To bring your vision to life, hire a local ironwork professional to weld the parts together safely. You can explore different themes or inspirations for your sculptures, narrating a visual story throughout your garden.