Creative pots for pennies

Its getting to that time of year where I start getting antsy to get planting, but the weather doesn't always cooperate with me so I start off small with container plantings that I can bring in if the nights get too chilly.

I have some great ideas for creating a little oasis of green on your deck before the trees have fully budded. One of the easiest thing is to take a plain clay pot and just paint it with strips or polka dots, or get out the glue gun and put some fun buttons around the rim. One of the favorites I have done is to use a Dollie that I tape to the rim and bottom and then dab paint on the pot, it gives a lace effect to the surface. If your feeling a little more crafty take a plain old terracotta pot, add some pieces of ceramic tile, broken china or flat glass marbles that you find in the floral section of the craft store and you will have a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Check out this You-Tube how to for more info. Remember your not limited to clay pots for planting, if you line a container with plastic you can use almost anything. Some of the out of the box ideas I have seen are Johnny Jump ups in baby shoes, Miniature roses in cast off purses, mixed flowers in tea pots, strainers lined with moss for trailing plants, Marigolds in old watering cans, let your imagination run wild.

Thinking ahead to your peaceful nights out on the porch in the summer why not have some nice candle light, a simple project to start on now is the old fashioned looking tin punched lights, just take a tin can, fill it with water and freeze it, then take an awl and hammer and punch out a design on the can, let the ice melt and then dry the can and spray it with a rust resistant paint, then your all set to put a candle in it and enjoy it for the summer. These also make great little gifts during the summer months.

If you are looking at your seed catalogs now remember that its important to plant according to where you live, my husband always sees things he wants that I have to remind him we can't start from seed here. Some vegetables that lend themselves to container gardening very well include carrots, radishes, lettuce, peppers and of course the old stand by of tomatoes. Herbs do wonderfully in containers, even if they are a little crammed for space and most of them either dry or freeze well to use over the winter. If you need seeds to start but are on a tight budget check out The Dinner Garden for free seeds, gardening advice and tips as well as some great recipes. If you buy vegetable or herb seeds from your local home store or nursery and have any left over please consider sending them to the Dinner Garden so they can be distributed to people that need them.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

C.Q.