Container Gardening on a Budget

It's never too early to start thinking about what we'll do in our gardens, come the spring. Ignore those snowdrifts and cold winds, settle into your coziest chair, and start planning your patio and deck containers.

Brilliant burgundy coleus glows amid
the lush textures of common sword fern
and chartreuse sweet potato vine (ipomoea).

Article and Photographs by Toni Leland

     Brilliant begonias nestled among schefflera and vining philodendron; purple fountain grass cascading over gazania or gerbera daisies; red and green-leaved caladium paired with sparkling white impatiens. Beauty and movement expand the corners of a porch or deck. Filling your living space with gorgeous planters and eye-catching arrangements doesn’t have to cost a fortune. With a little ingenuity, you can have a garden space that will only look expensive.

Container Options

Simplicity is the word for this chimney
pipe planted with ornamental pepper
and black sweet potato vine.

     From new to used to refurbished, the choices for planting containers are myriad, but the goal here is to bring beauty into your garden, patio, or deck for only a modest financial outlay. Before purchasing patio pots or planters, take stock of what you might already have on hand. Are there any that could use a face-lift to make them presentable again? Today’s paints and textured stains are wonderful for turning faded, worn containers into beautiful decorative pieces. Once you’ve chosen some from your own collection, expand your search to yard sales, thrift shops, and “dollar stores.”

     If you like unusual containers, consider using items that weren’t meant to be planters. An old copper cook-pot makes a nice outer container for golden yellow chrysanthemums. A child’s toy wheelbarrow is adorable filled with petunias. Try bright red geraniums in a pair of discarded work-boots. A cracked birdbath is the perfect planter for “hens & chicks” or other rock-garden varieties that need little water. Even an old ceramic chimney pipe planted with trailing sweet potato vines can be a conversation starter. For the more adventurous gardener with plenty of space, fill an old-fashioned bathtub with tall annuals such as snapdragons, cosmos, and zinnias. Virtually anything that will hold soil can be used as a planter–be creative and you’ll stretch your gardening dollar.

From Old and Faded to New and Beautiful

For spectacular eye appeal: purple bleeding

heart and deep throated petunias showcase

the base of a banana plant.

     Strong sunlight plays havoc with plastic and resin items that spend the season outdoors, but a trip to a paint department will remedy the problem. Krylon® produces an entire line of paints made specifically for outdoor plastics and resins. The range of colors is enticing, with many designer colors not usually available in outdoor spray paint, plus four colors with a textured look. One can of paint will refinish 4 to 5 small pots, or 2 medium to large pots, or 1 extra large pot for between $5 and $7. The colors will stand up to the elements for about two seasons.

     For plaster or concrete containers, most spray enamels will work quite well as long as the piece is well prepared before painting. Metal containers should be painted with Rustoleum® or similar products for outdoor use.

Portulaca thrives in dry heat and
loves this strawberry pot.

     Regardless of what your container is made of, the key to a successful refinishing job is preparation. The most important step is cleaning the item thoroughly. Use dish detergent and a nylon scrubber to get the surface of plastic squeaky clean. For textured surfaces, follow the first scrub with a stiff bristled brush to get at the crevices. Any residue of mildew or dirt will cause the paint to pop off in that area. Clean the inside of the pot from the rim down about 4 inches. The rest of the area will be below the soil line. Now, rinse thoroughly, wipe the surfaces with rubbing alcohol, and set aside to dry.

     When you are ready to paint, spread newspaper or a drop cloth in your work area, then set a cinder block or something similar in the center of the protected area. Now, spray the inside top four inches of the pot first. Pick the pot up and turn it upside down over the cinder block and let it “hang” there for the rest of the process. Using an even sweeping motion, apply a thin first coat to the outside of the pot. Allow it to dry according to the manufacturer’s directions, then apply the second coat and allow to dry completely. It’s a good idea not to touch or move the pot for about twelve hours while the paint cures.

Tip: when stacking these pots at the end of the season, put newspaper between them to protect the paint.

Favorite New Guinea impatiens require
partial shade, but sparkle amidst yellow-
green creeping jenny and variegated
chameleon plant.

Planning the Masterpiece

     The cost of planters isn’t the only factor in the economics of container gardening. A visit to a nursery or garden center can quickly escalate into a very large outlay of money. The next step in your budget project is to assess where your planters and patio pots will be located. Why? Because what you plant in them will depend on the conditions the plants require. A huge variety of annuals and perennials are available that provide color, texture, height, and depth to a garden. Most of these varieties require one of the following conditions in order to flourish: full sun, partial sun, full shade, partial shade, warm temperatures, cool temperatures, high moisture, little to no moisture, rich organic soil, or average soil.

A planter for hot spots: two varieties
of marigolds, an asparagus fern, and
vinca vine.

     Your choices for each container will have to be complementary to successfully grow together. Plants that require shade and lots of water, such as impatiens, cannot be included with plants that need full sun and dry soil, such sedum—neither will flourish as you’d like. Consult a good gardening book or your extension office if you’re unsure what to use. A wealth of information is available on the Web—do a search for the conditions you’ll need; i.e., “shade-loving plants” or “plants for full-sun.”

The Final Touch–Plants!

Shade-loving wandering Jew emphasizes the smooth leaves
of purple heart and the stripes of upright Dracena.

Four varieties of coleus pair beautifully with chartreuse
and black sweet potato vine.

     Let your imagination soar when choosing colors and textures for your containers. Consider unusual color combinations such as purple and orange–not something you’d necessarily wear, but absolutely gorgeous together in nature. Some foliage plants such as coleus or caladium accentuate their blooming partners. Textures also play an important role in the success of a container planting. Mix feathery foliage and broad leaves and, where possible, add some vining varieties. Try pairing some hosta slips with snapdragons, or a beautiful daylily with multicolored coleus. At the end of the season, plant the perennial in the garden, and discard the spent annuals. Cut your plant costs in half by utilizing your house plants in a few containers. Most house varieties like low light, so these are perfect for a shady porch or secluded corner that never gets direct sunlight. Dracena or philodendron make a nice addition to a pot of scarlet New Guinea impatiens or non-stop begonias. Your house plants will love their vacation outside, and be healthy and vigorous by the time summer is over.

    Now, put away your bankroll and create something beautiful!

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©2011 Toni Leland. All rights reserved. This article first appeared in Country Living, May ’10. No portion of this work may be reproduced without written permission of the author. Links to this article are welcomed, with proper full credit.