Self watering containers from recycled soda bottles are gaining in popularity because they work and are inexpensive!

You probably have soda bottles right now in your pantry or in the recycle bin that you can use to make "free" planters.

 

I was recently asked  to appear on Yahoo! Shine's entertaining web show, "More Family Fun"   to demonstrate how these sub irrigated planters are made.

The show focuses on projects that are fun, educational and that kids can participate in.

 

This is not an original idea of mine, I just  added my creative spin to decorating them!

 

Want to get your kids interested in gardening?

Tell them to grab an empty soda bottle and meet you at the crafting table!

Adults should take the lead in cutting the plastic soda bottles as it will require a very sharp blade or scissors to do effectively.

 

 

Yahoo! Shine "More Family Fun" host, Julie Zwillich and Shirley talk "self watering containers"

 

Materials for Soda Bottle Planters

Gather the following materials:

• Plastic Soda bottle- label removed, washed and dried
• Cutting blade and scissors
• Felt material
• Potting Soil
• Seeds or plants in small 4" containers
• Decorative tape
• Decopauge solution
• Foam brushes
• Art work cut from magazines, seed packets, gift wrap or other source

 

 

Sharp scissors or cutting blade is the most important tool you will need for this project!

 

Watch the Video!

 

 

Read the Instructions

1. Mark a ring around your bottle about two thirds of the way down.

2. Start cutting the bottle using your blade and finish with sharp scissors.

3. Take the upper section of the bottle, (the part with the neck) and pierce with blade to create drain holes. (Remember, this part of the bottle will be turned upside down and inserted into the bottom half of the bottle.)

4. Take a small piece of felt material and shove it into the bottle opening so that it protrudes out of the hole a little but is secure and won't come out. The felt  material will act as a wick and absorb water into the bottle and move it to the plant roots.

5. Fill the upper section of the bottle with lightweight potting soil-(the one you just cut drain holes into and placed felt material) and insert inside the bottom half of the bottle. The felt strip should make contact with the bottom of the bottle.

6. Plant seeds or a small plant from a 4" container into the soil.

7. Water, the "customary" way by adding water from the top of the plant.

8. Excess water will drain through the drain holes and fill the resevoir. As your plant needs water, it will draw water up from the bottom of the planter.

9. In about a week or so, the plant may need to be watered again as indicated by an empty reseviour.

Check by lifting the planter. If it feels lighter than usual, it may be time to fill the reseviour with water again.

10. Decorate your self watering container with stickers, decorative tape or decopauge. This is a great art project for the kids!

 

 

These planters are best used for indoor plants or for starting seeds in my climate zone.

I'm concerned about the perennial sunshine degrading the plastic after a while.

 

I followed the instructions set by Bob Hyland of  InsideUrbanGreen.org and I encourage you to visit his blog, AFTER watching my video and reading my blog post.

You might not want to return!

Bob has the most extensive collection of articles on soda bottle planters that I've encountered and an excellent photo tutorial on Flickr for  making these "SIPS" (sub irrigated planters) as he prefers to call them.

 

Grab your soda bottles and start gardening!

 

If you enjoyed this blog post and video, please share it with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, your blog or even on Pinterest!

Don't forget to subscribe to EdenMakers Blog for updates on new blog posts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many of my container gardens are made from repurposed materials, plant cuttings, anything that strikes my fancy at the moment.

Here’s a little “eye candy” and design ideas  for the container garden enthusiast!

 

Create a vignette using inexpensive “Coca Cola” glasses from the dollar store, filled with gravel, sand and succulent cuttings.

The mosaic bottle unifies the look.

 

 

A repurposed  muffin pan filled with moss makes a creative container display for succulent cuttings.

 

 

Orange tumbled glass adds color to my bromeliad while I wait for it to bloom!

 

 

Metal Figure Model + Common Annuals= Uncommon Combo!

 

 

“Sacred Succulent Gardens” add sculptures or figurines to your pots

 

 

“Simply Sorbet!” Don’t be afraid to add containers within containers.

Contrasting colors are striking.

 

 

Earthy Textures and Statuary for Your “Meditation Garden”

An art statement!

 

 

Zinc Planter Trio- “A Garden Within a Garden”

 

 

Just add the bunny and make this simple planting combination, special!

 

 

Design Tips

Use statuary and garden decor in your containers to add personality or to create a mini-themed garden.

Stack contrasting colored pots or pots of the same color for added dimension and drama

Use colored recycled glass as a mulch for your container plants for year-round color.

Anything that can hold up to water without rotting or leaching toxic chemicals into your container can be used as a decorative figurine.

Don’t be afraid to experiment and add your personal style to your garden!

This blog post is part the Garden Designer’s RoundTable group blog event today.

Please visit these other talented designers for more inspiration!

Please feel free to join in with a comment here, on our Facebook Page, or on the individual blogs themselves; your thoughts and experiences add to the conversation in such a nice way (and we like to know you’re there!)

 

Enjoy.

 

This month’s bloggers!

Christina Salwitz : Personal Garden Coach : Renton, WA Debbie Roberts : A Garden of Possibilities : Stamford, CT Jenny Petersen: J Petersen Garden Design : Austin TX Jocelyn Chilvers : The Art Garden : Denver, CO Laura Livengood Schaub : Interleafings : San Jose, CA Rebecca Sweet : Gossip In the Garden : Los Altos, CA Rochelle Greayer : Studio “G” : Boston, MA Lesley Hegarty & Robert Webber : Hegarty Webber Partnership : Bristol, UK Scott Hokunson : Blue Heron Landscapes : Granby, CT

I’m always looking for new ways to display plants in the landscape or in container gardens.

When your “day job” is as a garden designer, it’s par for the course.

Here are two my my latest unconventional succulent plant displays that I hope will inspire you to think outside of the box in your garden!

These also make great gift ideas from the garden.

Mosaic glass bottle and “mini Coca Cola glass” succulent planters make an interesting vignette.

 

The mosaic glass bottle has an interesting story behind it.

I bought it at a store for $50 dollars where it was sold to raise funds for the homeless artist who created it!

How could I go wrong with a proposition like this?

It was “win/win” my friends.

I ended up with a  beautiful ornament for my garden and a talented  homeless mosaic artist,  (who hopefully won’t be homeless for long) made some money!

 

The Coke glasses are filled with gravel, a little washed sand, moss and succulent cuttings. The Dollar Store and Me!

 

One of my favorite “garden centers” is the Dollar Store!

Okay, it’s not really a garden center but they sell lots of items for under a dollar that I can convert into planters.

My latest find was a collection of miniature Coca Cola glasses that were priced  “two for a dollar!”

Trust me, the idea of drinking from these iconic glasses never occurred to me.

I had a vision of my sculptural succulent cuttings crowning the top of these puppies the moment I laid eyes on them!

 

My only concern was drainage.

I solved that issue by filling the glasses with gravel and topped them with a “nest” of moss that I filled with washed sand.

 

The succulent cuttings were taken from a variety of plants in my garden and were already calloused and ready to plant into the pre-moistened moss and sand combination.

I water once-a- week.

The succulents were free.

I had sand, moss and gravel in my shed.

I paid only for the glasses!

 

My total investment (minus the mosaic ornament) was $2 for, four, creative succulent planters!

Just about anyone can afford a couple of dollars right?

 

Repurposed Muffin Pan

I teased my audience on my show, the “Garden World Report” …”Wait till you see what I do with this muffin pan! ”

If you haven’t watched my show, you should!

 

The succulent cuttings look better in this muffin pan than the calories from the muffins would look on my thighs if I had used the pan to  actually bake sweet delights!

 

A repurposed muffin pan displays a variety of succulent cuttings!

 

Another one of my “mad ideas” is the “muffin pan as container” for shallow rooted plants.

I already had the pan in my kitchen and I just drilled a small hole in each pocket for drainage.

I was more concerned with moisture pooling against the metal than against the glass because metal corrodes.

 

As I did with the Coke glasses, the muffin holders were filled with pre-moistened moss and sand and succulent cuttings inserted.

Obviously, I won’t keep the succulent cuttings in the pan for a LONG time because they will outgrow their allotted space.

 

For now, I’m happy with it.

If you don’t want to repurpose your muffin pan as a planter, you can always use it as a creative way to share your cuttings with friends.

Make your garden cuttings look like a gift!

Presentation means a lot and your friends will appreciate the thought you put into it.

 

Don’t have a muffin pan?

They cost a dollar at the Dollar Store!

 

Watch this video of “succulent diva” Debra Lee Baldwin on my Garden World Report Show as we tour a “succulent pavillion” at the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show.

 

Do something different in your garden this week and share your photos on my Facebook page with me!

These  gorgeous, three-tier container gardens were spotted in front of the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago where I stayed this week.

The  first thing that caught my attention was the copper containers themselves and then I noticed how dynamic the plant arrangement was!

Not only are the copper containers  a feature in this landscape, but the “understory” planting of bulbs and annuals all work together for this spectacular vignette.

 

Note how the tulips, Swedish ivy and other annuals complete the look underneath the copper container garden arrangement.

 

The top  tier features the “thriller” plant, or featured plant- a strappy and billowy ornamental grass.

Perfect topper.

Underneath are lavender azaleas and spilling, Swedish ivy.

 

 

The three-tier container plant arrangement is elevated from the bottom level for prominence.

 

A metal planter stand raises the copper containers for greater prominence.

I recommend using a concrete paver to place the stand on.

It will balance that the metal legs  so they don’t sink into the soil and tilt over.

You can always cover the paver with a sheet of moss.

 

Every tier in the container garden arrangement is elevated.

 

Some Tips

When selecting a plant stand for use within another pot like this, make sure the legs sit as low to the bottom of the container as possible so that it doesn’t “sink” after filling with soil and plants.

I suggest using a metal plant stand that is powder coated so that it doesn’t rot from the constant contact with moist soil.

 

Hope this container garden arrangement inspires you to create your own!

Here are some more of my container garden design ideas.

Want some design ideas for affordable and beautiful edible container gardens?

Okay, go out and garden!

Shirley

There are many holiday gift ideas waiting for you right outside your door in the garden!

 

Use Plants and Recycled Materials!

It's another "recession Christmas" for most people but I'm not going to let this financial challenge get in the way of my gift giving this holiday season!

So, get ready my friends for your "living gifts" from the garden.

 

Here are seven of my favorite projects and crafts that I've culled from past Eden Maker blog posts to inspire you!

 

 

1. Mixed Lettuce Bouquet (or other seasonal vegetable)

 

 

I put together this mixed lettuce bouquet from my garden as an unconventional hostess gift.

I picked the lettuce thirty minutes before leaving the house to preserve as much freshness as possible.

The  lettuce leaves were washed and rolled in a moistened paper towel and aluminum foil.

Read the rest of the post: "Unconventional Hostess Gift: Mixed Lettuce Bouquet

 

 

2. Palm Frond Recycled as a Succulent Planter!

 

 

 

Is the wind blowing palm fronds onto your street?

Don't be so fast to throw away this debris.

I was impressed with some clever succulent planters that were created by a group of  Los Angeles Arboretum volunteers using re purposed natural materials like palm fronds and hollowed tree stumps..

Read the rest of the post  "Succulent Planters: Would You Believe Palm Fronds?

 

3. "Living Tapestry Pillow"

This succulent pillow is a  Shirley original, as far as I know, (a vision came to me for it while watching Citizen Kane ).

Inspiration comes from the most unlikely places!

 

I created the "Living Succulent Tapestry Pillow"  for my  presentation at the "Epcot International Flower and Garden Show" in Disney World last year.

Read the rest of the post  "Living Tapestry Pillow"

 

 

4. Miniature Rose Garden in a Container!

 

What do you do with those cute miniature roses that you can buy at the supermarket, big box store or discount outlet?

Take them out of their pots and make them the star of a container miniature rose garden!

Read the rest of the post "Create a Miniature Rose Garden in a Container!"

 

 

5. Hanging Edible Container Garden

This hanging, edible container garden makes a great gift.

Re-purpose kitchen items that can handle water as containers for planting herbs, like this onion hanger  from the "Dollar Store."

Read the rest of the post "Edible Gardening Containers from the Dollar Store" for more ideas like this.

 

 

 

6. "Antique Dresser Re-purposed as a Potting Table!"

 

 

Are you handy with a paint brush?

Here's an idea from one of my garden makeover segments on HGTV.

An antique dresser can make a great potting table.

Read the rest of the post "Garden Furniture as Art!" for a few other clever  gift ideas for the DIY'er to make.

 

 

7. "Artistic" Container Garden

Plants are inexpensive and mixed with "garden sculptures" or re-purposed decor, they can be transformed into an artistic, one-of-a-kind gift!

Read the rest of the post "Container Gardens That Catch the Eye!" for more ideas like this.

 

I hope some of these ideas provide a stimulus for your own creative gifts from the garden!

Thanks for reading and I invite you to watch my weekly, online Garden TV talk show, "Garden World Report."

The latest Garden World Report Show is called, "Garden Center Holiday Tour" and features tours of garden centers all over the country decked out for the holidays and more!

 

"Portable raised garden beds for the urban square foot gardener."

I don't think I've ever written such a long blog title, but it works!

 

It's exciting to be able to present some space efficient options for those of you who are short on yard space but big on dreams of growing your own food.

One of the most important characteristics of all the raised container gardens presented here is that they are all portable!

When you live in an apartment or townhouse it's helpful to have portable gardens so that you can use your patio or balcony more efficiently.

If you are entertaining and need more space for furniture, roll your gardens out of the way!

Temporarily, of course.

 

Let's take a look at some  gardening options for apartment and small space gardeners.

 

1. The Home Allotment Planting Bags by Burgon & Ball

Don't let the beautiful willow basket fool you! Soil will not bleed through the wicker slots because there is a "grow bag" inside the basket.

 

The planting bags come in three sizes for different plants: Herb Planting Bag, Salad Planting Bag, Vegetable Planting Bag & Potato Planting Bag.

You guessed it, the potato planting bag is the deepest.

 

I recommend that these allotment planting bags be set on top of a 1 or 2" inch layer of pea gravel to lift the bottom of the baskets away from standing water.

A less expensive alternative to this stylish system is to grow your vegetable directly in an open bag of soil or even a potato chip bag!

Yes, you can even grow tomatoes with their deep root systems this way.

The roots will spread laterally.

 

 

2. Self-Watering Stacking Planters by Nancy Jane

 

These sturdy stacking containers can be stacked up to 10-tiers high.

That's a lot of planting space and the system is self watering for extra appeal.

Excess water from the top levels drain to lower levels where the water is caught in a removable tray.

I appreciate the rolling casters on these stacking planters so the garden can be moved around.

Vertical gardening is a smart approach when lateral space is at a minimum.

 

 

 

 

3. Eleanor's Garden ("Just Add Water") Raised Container Gardens

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What sets Eleanor's Garden apart from the other two is this container garden comes with the soil and seeds!

The "gardener," (and I use the term loosely), just has to water the instant vegetable garden.

Eleanor's Garden is a complete, compact and portable garden kitchen that is delivered to your door.

 

Anyone can assemble the garden bed in less than an hour and the proprietary drainage system lets you garden in a variety of locations.

 

 

If you are into  modern or contemporary design, the clean lines of Eleanor's Garden may appeal to you.

 

Here is some more information on this instant garden as presented on Eleanor's Garden website:

The beds are made of durable, lightweight plastic and can be moved depending on the amount of sun your fruits, vegetables, herbs or flowers need. Eleanor's Garden Basic Kit comes complete with:

• 1 garden bed  24 x 24 x 8" that provides 4 square feet of gardening space
• 1 Quick-Start Guide  Instructions for quick and easy assembly
• Coconut Peat growing medium – No need to drag bags of soil home from the nursery
• 2 square foot dividers  provide a total of 4 individual square feet of gardening space
• 4 packets of vegetable seeds. Plant a different vegetable in each of the 4 square feet
• 4 legs  Makes raised bed gardening easy
• 1 drainage field mat Made from non-woven 100% recycled plastic, the lightweight mat creates even, thorough drainage and allows oxygen to reach the vegetable roots.No need for rocks!
• 1 drain outlet.  Allows recycling of water. Collect the runoff and use it again for your next watering
• 1 watering cup.  Makes it easy to water individual square foot sections as needed
• 1 drainage connector. Allows you to connect the drainage systems of separate boxes
• 3 drain plugs. Let you control which side of the box your water will drain. Great for balconies so you won't flood your neighbors below

Eleanor's Garden is available for purchase at independent garden centers across the USA.

 

 

This is a system that I like because of the planter design itself.

 

The square foot grid appeals to me!

 

 

Everyone should thank Mel Bartholomew, author of the "Square Foot Garden Book."

 

Mel invented the "square foot  gardening" system that allows one to plant in square foot grids to maximize crop yield.

 

Now the whole world is "square foot gardening!"

 

 

 

Visit the Garden Center TV website and community to preview new garden products from around the world and share your opinion about them!

I’m a huge fan of gardening and I’m a huge fan of eating, that’s why I created an edible landscape at home.

You can’t walk 2 feet in my yard without being able to snag some kind of fruit, herb or vegetable!

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