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5 Unique Container Gardening Ideas to Make Your Home More Colorful

Your future garden may have abundant flower beds and garden beds, paved paths, and bird baths, but all you need is a pot, potting soil, and some seeds to start a garden today. Container gardens can add color, fill awkward spaces, plant more plants when garden space is scarce, and reflect your personal style – and they don't have to cost much.

Whether you're carving out space on a balcony, small terrace or yard, or on an indoor windowsill, go beyond basic terracotta and turn your potted plants into the focal point with these unique container gardening ideas.

raised garden bed

Super Tuva slot

If you're looking for DIY container gardening options, try the ultra-tuff trough. You should be able to find these materials in home improvement stores — Portland cement, perlite, peat moss, and polypropylene. You can build your own garden beds with these.

Hypertufa troughs mimic the appearance of weathered concrete, but at a much lower cost and weight. Plus, you can make a container that is exactly the size needed to fill a specific space. Hypertufa troughs tend to be shallower than traditional pots, so stick with smaller plants like fairy garden plants – maybe try some creeping thyme or sedum.

Tank container garden

Galvanized metal storage tanks, traditionally used by farmers to supply water to livestock, are ideal upcycled garden beds for modern farmhouses. They are deep enough to double as a raised garden bed or even as an entry-level water garden.

Tanks come in a variety of sizes. They're available at hardware, home improvement and farm supplies stores – or you can get a vintage one at antique stores, farm estate sales, or even social media, depending on where you live.

Recycled rubber planter

If you like the look of a natural stone container but have a more budget for a 5-gallon bucket, consider a recycled rubber planter. They look like high-end stone, but the price and weight are much lower. In addition, rubber planters help keep tires out of landfills, making them an environmentally friendly option.

Place recycled rubber pots on the front porch or patio for an immediate aesthetic boost. Fill them with flowers to add more curb appeal.

Recycled pots come in a rainbow of colors and countless shapes and sizes to choose from. You can find these containers in garden centers, home improvement stores, nurseries, and many online retailers.

Lifting container garden

If you have blank walls or privacy fences to cover (or have officially run out of horizontal planting space), use hanging pocket containers vertically. These ingenious containers consist of lightweight and durable fabric and numerous pockets to fill soil and seeds or fermented plants.

Trade your old sneakers for saints. You can simply use the out-of-door shoe organizer available at many houseware retailers – just make sure to keep it in a place you don't mind getting wet to prevent water resistance. Alternatively, buy pocket gardens designed specifically for plants, which you can find at many garden centers and online retailers.

Hanging pocket container gardens are best for smaller plants – imagine a wall of your favorite herbs or colorful annual flowers – and then you can relocate them into larger containers, like raised garden beds, as they grow.

raised garden beds


Suction cup planter

Suction cup pots are ideal for indoor gardeners who do not have wide window sills or empty table tops, allowing you to glue the container directly to the window. These containers are usually made of lightweight plastic or glass. As you might guess, they work best for smaller plants like herbs, succulents, or African violets.

You can find these quirky container gardens at various retailers, including Amazon and Etsy. Or, try creating one yourself with a suction cup holder from a houseware store. Just glue it to the window and place a small and light container on it.

When it comes to unique container gardening ideas, pots can play as important a role as plants. Whether you're upcycling an old container or finding a fun new one that meets your needs, you can create an eye-catching container garden that adds color, texture and interest to your home.