House of Hawthornes

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Ditch The Urns: Creative Garden Containers For Your Porch

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Inside: Creative garden containers beyond the traditional urn

Using creative garden containers for your porch this summer is a great way to shake it up. Ditch the urns - use repurposed, rustic and thrifted planters.

Believe me, I have my fair share of garden urns. Tall ones, short ones, metal ones, concrete ones. They’re a staple on every front porch in America.

But sometimes it’s nice to go in another direction.

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A direction that takes you down a junkin’ path, past some garbage setting on the curb or into a favorite thrift store.

I say, let’s ditch the urns and use some creative garden containers instead!

UpTick Cream And Red Coreopsis

And in those funky creative garden containers, I find that planting a few well chosen BRIGHT, BOLD & BEAUTIFUL plants is a super quick & inexpensive way to add an instant pop of color to my porches.

Like this one. It’s a porch that comes off the garage.

Using creative garden containers for your porch this summer is a great way to shake it up. Ditch the urns - use repurposed, rustic and thrifted planters.

Not quite big enough to entertain on (and who likes to smell gasoline and motor oil when you’re eating anyhow), but it’s just big enough to put some container planters on to liven up the space.

I started out by dragging my supplies to the porch and then set about arranging them.

Hauling gardening supplies in a wagon

I used an old wooden stool for height and added a galvanized bucket full of geraniums on top.

Pink geranium in a galvanized bucket

BOOM, instant wow factor and we just got started!

Then put some plants in simple (and cheap) clay pots and placed them in an old crate I found for a buck the other day.

Flowers in an old wooden crate

Add a fern in an old Heinz tomato basket and some other plants in a old crusty clay pot and we’re good to go.

Farmhouse style planters

Creative Garden Containers For Your Porch

  • Wooden boxes or crates
  • Tool boxes
  • Crocks
  • Baskets
  • Wooden or metal stools

How To Plant In Metal Containers

I’ve had some people ask about planting in metal buckets. I rarely actually plant directly in my vintage buckets. I do have a few that are old and rusty on the bottom, so I will plant directly in those, but generally I just set the pots down inside of the metal buckets.

I would suggest replanting your store bought pots in larger pots so they have room to spread their roots a bit. And then put a cheap plastic saucer in the bottom of the bucket to catch water runoff and then plunk your pots of flowers on top of the saucer in the bucket and they’re good to go. Just dump any excess water that fills up the saucer or bottom of the bucket every few days if needed, so it doesn’t attract mosquitoes or get stagnant.

If you want to plant DIRECTLY into your metal container you should make sure there is adequate drainage. If your bucket is not rusty and holey to begin with, you should drill holes in the bottom. In my article titled Container Gardening Made Easy I walk you through how to do that.

The Plants I Used

I purchased all my plants at Lowes. They’re Monrovia plants so you know they’re going to be fresh and healthy (and knock your neighbor’s socks off colorful).

And don’t forget, last month when I showed you my 5 Easy Steps To Beautiful Garden Planters, I mentioned that Monrovia let’s you buy plants online from them and have them shipped to your local Lowes!!!

So if the crazy lady in the plaid shorts is buying up all the peonies in site at Lowes, you can just pop on the Monrovia site, buy your own peonies and have them delivered.

BTW, my plaid shorts are not tacky in the least.

Minifamous Double Calibrachoa in purple by Monrovia

Minifamous™ Double Calibrachoa (Calibrachoa Minifamous™ Double Series)

Tips For Growing Calibrachoa

  • Full sun
  • Blooms spring through fall
  • Grows 10-15″ high
  • Likes semi-moist soil (moist, not soggy)
  • Big, double blooms for bold color.
  • May be lightly trimmed in mid-season to rejuvenate

Cumbanita Deep Rose Geranium by Monrovia

Cumbanita Deep Rose Geranium (Pelargonium ‘Cumbanita Deep Rose’)

Tips For Growing Geranium

  • Full sun to partial sun
  • Blooms spring through fall
  • Grows 12-18″ high
  • Low watering needs
  • Mounding plants with large, double flowers are a staple in the garden
  • Pinch off faded flower stems to promote continued blooms

Caribbean Jewels Scilla by Monrovia

Caribbean Jewels™ Scilla (Scilla Peruviana Caribbean Jewels™)

Tips For Growing Scilla

  • Full sun
  • Blooms spring
  • Grows 12-24″ high
  • Likes semi-moist soil (moist, not soggy)
  • Stunning sapphire blue flowers
  • Great for planting in containers, borders and flower beds

UpTick Cream and Red Coreopsis by Monrovia

UpTick Cream & Red Coreopsis (Coreopsis ‘Balupteamed’ PPAF)

Tips For Growing Coreopsis

  • Full sun
  • Blooms summer & fall
  • Grows 12-14″ high
  • Low watering needs
  • Compact, mounding plant with large red and cream flowers
  • Cut off dead blooms for a neater appearance

Using creative garden containers for your porch this summer is a great way to shake it up. Ditch the urns - use repurposed, rustic and thrifted planters.

So let’s recap:

  • Don’t even begin to think that you need to buy urns or fancy pots for your flowers. Not for one second.
  • With a little thought just about anything can be a “planter”. Hello, old bucket.
  • Buy BRIGHT, BEAUTIFUL and BOLD plants for your containers for a wow factor that will knock your neighbor’s socks off! If you can’t see it from the street, why bother.

Now run on over to Monrovia’s site to shop Monrovia online, find a garden center near you or sign up for their gardening newsletter.

Other gardening posts you may enjoy:

How To Identify And Treat Poison Ivy
How To Grow Limelight Hydrangea
5 Favorite Late Summer Flowers
Container Gardening Made Easy (this one has a fancy video with it)

Linking with That DIY Party, Nifty Thrifty Sunday, Sundays At Home

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Your writings/blog tickle me! And yes, I too use a lot of Monrovia plants. Was just at Lowe’s yesterday buying plants. Love the flowers and greenery after a dark, dreary winter. I like to plant in very odd containers. I use a lot of various size cans (from the grocery store). I can punch holes in the bottoms with no worries! Enjoy all the beautiful colors! Your porch looks great!

    • The cans sound cute! I have a big potato chip can around here somewhere (Charlie’s Chips I believe) I keep thinking I should plant something in. Thanks for the reminder!

  2. Thanks for always refreshing my memory of things I love to do, but having so much on my plate……….we all do……………..and now I’m on my way to Lowe’s……….and digging out the old galvanized items…..also I have about 8 old gorgeous chippy white wooden fence post with a beautiful fenial on top, I’m going to use different heights and put them in the ground in the back ground behind my plants and flowers, These will not be on or under a porch, but against a wall.
    Thanks, again, keep sending those great ideas our way.

    • The fence posts behind your plants sounds like a fun idea! Glad to have inspired you this morning 🙂

  3. Had an old rusty charcoal-er. Painted the main body country red and the two side shelves black, placed a board in the bottom, filled it with dirt and planted Petunias in it ! Have oval galvanized buckets on either side filled with other plants, like Geraniums.
    When the wind gets really strong, I pull the cover down over the Petunias to protect them.

    • Oh, I have one of those charcol-er things in my shed right now! We don’t use the charcoal grille anymore so might as well use it for something pretty!

  4. “If you can’t see it from the street, why bother.” AMEN sister!!! I love this!!

    • oh….meant to add this….and, I always plant something seen from only the front door, just for the pleasure of looking out and seeing it greet me!!

  5. Love all your hints, but sometimes have trouble on your front “page” where turquoise font is difficult to read against white background (at least for my old eyes). Makes me wonder what interesting link I may be missing…

  6. I purchased from a garage sale, one crusty milk can, 2 ash buckets, and a hand washer contraption from way back. My family thought I was nuts, I just smiled at my new jewels. 🙂 I’m thinking geraniums for the buckets, something white for the milk can, and something tiny they vines for the washer, plunger, thing’y. Any suggestions for the white and the tiny viney?

  7. We’re on the same wavelength b/c I love creative pots! I still need to get my porch decorated, but that’s in the plan. I didn’t know Lowe’s carried Monrovia, so I’m glad to know I can get them there. Beautiful vignette with your plants Pam!

  8. Great post and your flowers and containers are amazing. I love using unusual pots for the patios and porches.

    Have a terrific week.

    Mary

  10. What bright and beautiful blooms! I have often used galvanized buckets, but never thought of using a wooden box. I have several old butter boxes that would fit the bill! Thanks for the inspiration 🙂

  12. I love these ideas, I am building a new home with a court yard and these idea are so perfect for my future court yard. I want to add garden containers and create something unique and You fit on the nail for me.
    Maria

  15. The flowers and containers look great!
    It is always fun to mix it up each season.

    M : )

  17. Hi Pam,

    Really cute containers and plantings! I am in love with coreopsis since seeing them on the drive down to my daughter’s over Easter! I still love urns, though {miss my big one I left with my friend Sandy in California… 🙁 }, and due to the heat here, I need another thick clay pot for some herbs just given me by a friend. Was thinking of a low urn… or a cool wooden barrel.

    Love how your side yard turned out,
    Barb 🙂

  18. Love, love, love your porch blogs! I’m slightly crazed for galvanized ANYTHING right now. I’ve been playing in the dirt for the last few days and I have to say, my porch and gardens are full of lovely, rusty junk and it makes me happy. I live in town so lets just hope the neighbors don’t ask me to move. This year I’m on the hunt for a metal dollhouse but like you, I like a good deal. I’ll find one, I’ll just have to be patient. Thanks for sharing all your wonderful, inspiring ideas!

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