I was sat here thinking after reading the post about pricey pots. I am a
skinflint when it comes to paying for things.
I also do most of my growing in containers because it is easier than
digging the heavy clay here, and it helps stop the rabbits and guinea pigs
and chickens which free range:from nibbling whatever I'm growing.
So, I wondered what others used instead of paying for pots.I have the usual
car tyres turned inside out but with a twist as my local garage chap
scallops the edges so that they look like larke flowers. Very pretty and
only £2 each. I spray them pretty colours with cheap spray paint. I have
also grown lobellia in an old wellie boot hung on a wall. Cut a hole near
the toe and had some hanging out there too. Have used the cheap black
buckets from the £1 shop, also polystyrene boxes given by aquariums and fish
shops. The latter are good at insulating roots and when they start to look
grubby you can break them up and use as drainage in the base of pots. This
year, I came across some aluminium walls ice cream containers about 14" high
18" wide and 10" deep. I must look on the internet first to make sure they
are valuable or collectable before I put holes in them.Also an old water
cistern from a toilet, black bakelite type material, an old steel bath and I
have used a toilet pan before too.(for sweet peas perhaps)
I think I might have *one* purpose bought pot somewhere which is large
enough to grow a tomato plant in, but otherwise it is all 'make do '. I have
an interesting garden plus I am recycling.
I also stack up car tyres and fill the centres with compost to grow
potatoes.
So, what other unusual, cheap or free containers do people use themselve or
what have you seen someone else using?
--
purebred poultry
www.geocities.com/fenlandfowl

Not in your league for reusing things as pots but I have used Pot Noodle
pots with holes cut in bottom of them and I also use the cardboard roll in
the centre of toilet rolls as "bio-degradeable" pots for my runner beans.

Roger


"w.g.s.hamm" wrote in message
...
I was sat here thinking after reading the post about pricey pots. I am a
skinflint when it comes to paying for things.
I also do most of my growing in containers because it is easier than
digging the heavy clay here, and it helps stop the rabbits and guinea pigs
and chickens which free range:from nibbling whatever I'm growing.
So, I wondered what others used instead of paying for pots.I have the
usual
car tyres turned inside out but with a twist as my local garage chap
scallops the edges so that they look like larke flowers. Very pretty and
only £2 each. I spray them pretty colours with cheap spray paint. I have
also grown lobellia in an old wellie boot hung on a wall. Cut a hole near
the toe and had some hanging out there too. Have used the cheap black
buckets from the £1 shop, also polystyrene boxes given by aquariums and
fish
shops. The latter are good at insulating roots and when they start to look
grubby you can break them up and use as drainage in the base of pots. This
year, I came across some aluminium walls ice cream containers about 14"
high
18" wide and 10" deep. I must look on the internet first to make sure they
are valuable or collectable before I put holes in them.Also an old water
cistern from a toilet, black bakelite type material, an old steel bath and
I
have used a toilet pan before too.(for sweet peas perhaps)
I think I might have *one* purpose bought pot somewhere which is large
enough to grow a tomato plant in, but otherwise it is all 'make do '. I
have
an interesting garden plus I am recycling.
I also stack up car tyres and fill the centres with compost to grow
potatoes.
So, what other unusual, cheap or free containers do people use themselve
or
what have you seen someone else using?
--
purebred poultry
www.geocities.com/fenlandfowl

w.g.s.hamm wrote:
:: I was sat here thinking after reading the post about pricey pots.
:: I am a skinflint when it comes to paying for things.
:: I also do most of my growing in containers because it is easier
:: than digging the heavy clay here, and it helps stop the rabbits
:: and guinea pigs and chickens which free range:from nibbling
:: whatever I'm growing. So, I wondered what others used instead of
:: paying for pots.I have the usual car tyres turned inside out but
:: with a twist as my local garage chap scallops the edges so that
:: they look like larke flowers. Very pretty and only £2 each. I
:: spray them pretty colours with cheap spray paint. I have also
:: grown lobellia in an old wellie boot hung on a wall. Cut a hole
:: near the toe and had some hanging out there too. Have used the
:: cheap black buckets from the £1 shop, also polystyrene boxes given
:: by aquariums and fish shops. The latter are good at insulating
:: roots and when they start to look grubby you can break them up and
:: use as drainage in the base of pots. This year, I came across some
:: aluminium walls ice cream containers about 14" high 18" wide and
:: 10" deep. I must look on the internet first to make sure they are
:: valuable or collectable before I put holes in them.Also an old
:: water cistern from a toilet, black bakelite type material, an old
:: steel bath and I have used a toilet pan before too.(for sweet peas
:: perhaps) I think I might have *one* purpose bought pot somewhere
:: which is large enough to grow a tomato plant in, but otherwise it
:: is all 'make do '. I have an interesting garden plus I am
:: recycling. I also stack up car tyres and fill the centres with
:: compost to grow potatoes. So, what other unusual, cheap or free
:: containers do people use themselve or what have you seen someone
:: else using?

There are thousands of free plantpots about, you just need to know where to
look for them, one of the best places is in cemetries, in the wire baskets
full of dead flowers and wreaths there are hundreds of plant pots of all
shapes and sizes, by removing them you are recycling and also making someone
else's life a bit easier as these bins get composted....you may need to
visit half a dozen baskets and it helps if it's a fairly large
cemetary....people take pot plants to gravesides and either plant them out
or just leave the pot with the plant in it and then remove it after a few
weeks and throw the pots away, now is a good time as Mother's day was a few
weeks ago and people are getting the graves cleaned up and planted out for
summer.


--
"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we.
They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country
and our people, and neither do we."
- George W. Bush, 5.8.2004

On Fri, 8 Apr 2005 12:31:16 +0100, "w.g.s.hamm"
wrote:

So, what other unusual, cheap or free containers do people use themselve or
what have you seen someone else using?

Not in the same league as you, but a lot of margerine tubs and some
yoghurt pots have transparent lids and so make excellent seed trays
for sowing bedding etc. Just melt a few drainage holes in the bottom
with a hot wire or soldering iron.

=================================================

Rod

Weed my email address to reply.
http://website.lineone.net/~rodcraddock/index.html

w.g.s.hamm wrote in message
...
I was sat here thinking after reading the post about pricey pots. I am a
skinflint when it comes to paying for things.
I also do most of my growing in containers because it is easier than
digging the heavy clay here, and it helps stop the rabbits and guinea pigs
and chickens which free range:from nibbling whatever I'm growing.
So, I wondered what others used instead of paying for pots.I have the
usual
car tyres turned inside out but with a twist as my local garage chap
scallops the edges so that they look like larke flowers. Very pretty and
only £2 each. I spray them pretty colours with cheap spray paint. I have
also grown lobellia in an old wellie boot hung on a wall. Cut a hole near
the toe and had some hanging out there too. Have used the cheap black
buckets from the £1 shop, also polystyrene boxes given by aquariums and
fish
shops. The latter are good at insulating roots and when they start to look
grubby you can break them up and use as drainage in the base of pots. This
year, I came across some aluminium walls ice cream containers about 14"
high
18" wide and 10" deep. I must look on the internet first to make sure they
are valuable or collectable before I put holes in them.Also an old water
cistern from a toilet, black bakelite type material, an old steel bath and
I
have used a toilet pan before too.(for sweet peas perhaps)
I think I might have *one* purpose bought pot somewhere which is large
enough to grow a tomato plant in, but otherwise it is all 'make do '. I
have
an interesting garden plus I am recycling.
I also stack up car tyres and fill the centres with compost to grow
potatoes.
So, what other unusual, cheap or free containers do people use themselve
or
what have you seen someone else using?
--
purebred poultry
www.geocities.com/fenlandfowl



Many of my pots are bought or are presents (I like good-looking ones for the
front porch). However, I save chicken poo containers to use as buckets, and
use my old fish tanks and spider vivaria as mini-cloches.

Spider

On Fri, 08 Apr 2005 14:13:40 GMT, "Phil L"
wrote:



There are thousands of free plantpots about, you just need to know where to
look for them, one of the best places is in cemetries, in the wire baskets
full of dead flowers and wreaths there are hundreds of plant pots of all
shapes and sizes, by removing them you are recycling and also making someone
else's life a bit easier as these bins get composted....you may need to
visit half a dozen baskets and it helps if it's a fairly large
cemetary....people take pot plants to gravesides and either plant them out
or just leave the pot with the plant in it and then remove it after a few
weeks and throw the pots away, now is a good time as Mother's day was a few
weeks ago and people are getting the graves cleaned up and planted out for
summer.

Another good source is the local dump (sorry, 'amenity site'!). I get
plastic pots of all sizes there. They charge about £1 for a mixed
sackful.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

"Rod" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 8 Apr 2005 12:31:16 +0100, "w.g.s.hamm"
wrote:

So, what other unusual, cheap or free containers do people use themselve or
what have you seen someone else using?

Not in the same league as you, but a lot of margerine tubs and some
yoghurt pots have transparent lids and so make excellent seed trays
for sowing bedding etc. Just melt a few drainage holes in the bottom
with a hot wire or soldering iron.
Rod

My best finds were some very large plastic containers in a skip!
They had some kind of foodstuff in them that they use in Chinese restaurants.
They are about 70cm high and about 50 in diameter. Grey coloured with red
Chinese markings. I've got roses in mine and they re still doing well ten years
down the line.
Skips are great places for finding all manner of things :~)
Jenny