A vegetable garden is a serious working space for growing fresh food, but it also should feel like a lush natural oasis. Why not have some fun making your garden more alluring and singularly yours, so it says “Hey, friend” when you appear? For very little money, these simple projects will make your garden a happier place to be.
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Cherry tomatoes and pole beans mingle on an old wooden ladder
1. Make a Simple Ladder Planter
Shall we start with vertical accents that draw the eye upward, giving any garden more height and depth? I loved growing a ladder garden, made from an old wooden ladder painted dark red. Wood ladders are often considered too rickety to be safe, so they are easy to find for free. To keep a ladder-turned-trellis from toppling over, the legs must be buried in the ground, and the ladder must be tethered to secure stakes or tied to heavy sandbags.
To hold containers firmly on the ladder’s shelves or rungs, install large screws facing up, so they poke into the drainage holes in the pots placed over them. Strings tied between the ladder’s uprights provide plenty of support for rambling vines.
I grew cherry tomatoes and climbing beans, but mange tout with calendula and a pot of chives would make a smashing combination for spring. Cucumbers would also love this trellis, especially in the company of nasturtiums and dill.
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Pink rules in this combo of polka dot plant, annual vinca and rosemary
2. Recycle Old Wood Into Planters
You can make planters from wood pallets, and use them to disguise plastic plant pots nestled inside. If you’re looking or other pallet projects, check out Ben’s herb planter from pallets that nestles plants in little slings.
Feeling more classic than rustic? Use a purchased stencil to paint a decorative pattern on your planter, or decorate small pieces of wood that can be attached to fences or planters. Start with a simple design and experiment on paper to gain confidence. Don’t fret about little smudges, because you can go back with the base paint and touch up problem spots.
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A tower in a pot made from maple twigs supports cypressvine morning glory
3. Weave Prunings Into Garden Features
We have several great articles on using twiggy branches to make twig towers for containers, wattle fences, and bed frames woven from willow. These are all easy projects, with fabulous results at very little cost. Don’t worry if you don’t have a proper weaving wood like willow. Green sapling wood pruned from fruit trees is quite usable, and I have wreaths made from a wild grapevine that have lasted for years.
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Adaptable sedums bring new life to an old pair of boots
4. Plant Up Old Boots
It’s hard to say goodbye to an old pair of boots, so why not plant them with sedums or other drought-resistant flowers? This is a great use for footwear that the kids have outgrown, because leaks and tatters are welcome. Drill a few drainage holes in the soles and fill the toes with stones or gravel to add weight before planting. Low-care houseleeks and creeping sedums are perfect plants for this project, or you can ramp up on summer color with portulaca.
5. And…Relax!
Every garden needs a sitting chair or small bench in the shade, because resting between tasks often allows the mind to find a better way to do something. Outdoor chairs can often be found in thrift stores. Why not let your seating do double duty by delivering a pop of colour and painting it to suit your garden's color palette? Soft colours are generally more relaxing than bright ones, but there are no hard and fast rules. Do look for a chair or bench that’s heavy enough to stay put in strong winds, but light enough to move about for mowing.
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A pale lilac chair unifies the red and grey-green tones of red cabbage.
Salvage yards are great places to look for funky accent pieces like empty window frames, doors, large picture frames or small mirrors. Or, check with your area’s “buy nothing” online group, and work with what you find. Do be mindful of lead paint, which was commonly used in decades past. Most of it has long since chipped away, but the more raw wood you can see on a vintage piece, the better.
You get the idea here, because a gardener’s creativity is not limited to growing plants. Painted rocks, bright plant markers, or a sign pointing to your sweetcorn or potato patch are all game when it comes to making your garden a more enjoyable place to be.
