Creativity starts with great initiative, and in times where we must turn our pennies, we need to be extremely inventive and use our grey matter to be able to make ends meet. There is absolutely nothing wrong with reusing material if it serves a good and practical purpose.

Being creative with pots or old containers of any kind, turning them into usable plant containers adds a lot of character, providing artistic flair to one’s garden. One does need to be aware of becoming too kitsch, so choose your material wisely. I have often seen such great resourcefulness in repurposing containers in gardens, such as the always-popular old wheelbarrows.

Others are equally loved: Vintage milk containers, old, galvanised buckets or watering cans, tin coffee mugs. The latter are particularly suited to small succulents. Old wine barrels have long been a favourite. Even beautifying worn concrete containers with mosaic – those bits of broken porcelain and clouded glass – is a great and fun way of recycling bits and bobs in the garden.

Wooden containers that are fashioned from pallet wood provide custom-made containers for the herb and veggie garden. Whichever container one uses, the same principles count for all: good drainage, quality potting mix and sufficient indirect or direct sunlight.

Plants that do well in containers are:

Succulents, e.g. Echeveria, Howorthia, Lithop, Sedum, small aloes, Sempervivum, Senecio, Crassula, small cacti, Lampranthus (vygies) and Bulbine fruit-escens.

Herbs of all kinds do well in containers.

Vegetables succeed in deep containers providing deep soil, and herbs such as parsley also flourish in deep soil.

Annuals do well in containers as well as hanging baskets. Think of Petunia, Lobelia, Antirrhinum, Salvia, Alyssum, Portulaca, Dahlia, etc.

Small perennials and small shrubs:
Coleus, Argyranthemum, Chrysanthemum, Lavandula, Gaura, Coreopsis, Cuphea, Evolvulus, Euonymus, Buxus, Gardenia, roses, Azalea, Hydrangea, Nasturtium, and many more.

Even indoor plants for example Asplenium or birds’ nest ferns, maiden hair ferns and Phalaenopsis orchids do great in an old copper container or even a wooden cheese mould or something with distinct character, gaining a whole new and exciting purpose.

With just a bit of tender love and care, one can elevate vintage, forgotten objects and reuse them as rejuvenated plant containers providing a homely or eccentric appeal to the home or garden.

Pupkewitz Megabuild:
Eugene le Roux
Horticulturist
Cell: 081 124 6965