Grow fruit and vegetables anywhere
The Grow Up team
I need to find something to grow fruit and vegetables in...
Growing your own food does not mean that you need to have a lots of space or own an allotment. You can genuinely grow fruit and vegetables anywhere, and using anything. You don’t even need to spend money on specific pots or planters at your local garden centre. Creative gardeners can grow wonderful crops in things that others would have sent to the skip or to landfill. And you can do this too!
I find that plants grow surprisingly well in most containers. As a matter of fact, as long as they have good drainage and some large stones or gravel at the bottom you can use pretty much anything made of ceramic/ wood/ plastic.
As more and more people become interested in sustainable living, upcycling has become a real buzz word. Upcycling is the process of taking old, unwanted items and turning them into something new and useful. One great way to upcycle is to use old furniture and other items to grow your own fruit and vegetables.
As yo may have noticed, we’re passionate about upcycling. Upcycled planters also give a garden a really eclectic look. They also provide great talking points, and the best thing of all is that it won’t cost you lots of money. My heart always does a little happy dance when I see the creative solutions that people come up with to plant food in.
Here, we’ll explore some of my favourite ideas for using upcycled furniture to create planters for a beautiful and productive garden.
What simple stuff can I use to grow fruit and vegetables anywhere?
Create a Herb Garden from Old Tins
If you have old tins lying around, consider turning them into a herb garden or somewhere to grow smaller food plants. Simply drill holes in the bottom for drainage, then add soil and your favourite seeds or seedlings. Water, then place them in a sunny location and you’re all set.
Large food tins are perfect for balcony and window sill gardeners. I ask schools and restaurants if they can keep their industrial-size cans for me and they are brilliant. You can even spray paint them if you wanted to add style or colour.
This creates a compact and attractive herb garden that can be easily moved around anywhere as needed.
Use an Old Ladder as a Trellis
If you have an old wooden ladder lying around, you could consider use this as a nice vertical growing space. Simply lean the ladder against a wall or fence and tie the plants to the rungs. Alternatively, drill some holes into the steps to sink pots in, then you can use these for growing your fruit and vegetables.
Stacking those food tins (from above) on an old ladder is a great space saving way to display them ands creates a unique and functional vertical garden that adds visual interest to your growing space. You can find ladders like this at car boot sales and vintage sales.
Something a bit bigger...
Use Old Dressers or Drawers as Planter Boxes
If you have an old dresser or chest of drawers that is no longer in use, then you can turn it into a unique and functional planter box. This creates a vertical garden that can be easily moved around and allows for a variety of plants to be grown in one space. Old chests of drawers make great places to grow your herbs and plants.
Below is another that I made during lockdown to hold my herbs. I painted this one with blackboard paint so that I could write which herbs were in each drawer.
Make sure you paint the outside of the chest in shed paint to protect the wood from the elements. I also lined the drawers with rubble sacks to make sure any moisture from the pots didn’t affect the wood.
Old butler sinks, basins and even your old washing-up bowls!
These are fabulous as they have a plug hole already in them so the drainage is sorted. I think they also look great and are robust against the elements.
Turn an Old Bathtub into a Garden Bed
If you have an old bathtub that is no longer being used, consider turning it into a garden bed. The deep, wide shape of a bathtub provides ample space for growing a variety of fruits and vegetables. Plus, the porcelain finish of most bathtubs is easy to clean, therefore making it a great material for a garden bed.
Use Old Pallets to Create a Raised Garden Bed
If you have access to old pallets, then consider upcycling them to create a raised garden bed. Simply stand the pallets on their sides and fill them with soil and plants. This creates a unique and functional garden bed that is easy to move around and provides ample space for growing a variety of fruits and vegetables.
We’ll be publishing a specific guide for these in the coming weeks, so please keep an eye out!
Next steps
So there you go – a few easy ideas for you to upcycle old items to enable you to grow fruit and vegetables anywhere. Make sure you have a look at what you have lying around in garages, attics or even forgotten behind the tool shed before running out and buying anything new. Fruit and vegetables can food can be grown anywhere in so many cool, quirky objects.
In addition, upcycling old furniture and items is a great way to create a beautiful and productive garden. It’s a real joy to create unique and functional spaces for growing your own fruit and vegetables.
So, the next time you’re looking to get rid of some old items, consider giving them a new life in your garden! And don’t forget to tag The Grow Up in anything you’re proudly sharing on social!
Love Lynne x
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