A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Help... Need containers cheap!

Hi,

I've recently developed a large variety of pants with more on the way. All the space I have is indoors and balcony so all my plants need to be in planters...

I am having a hard time finding resonably priced and attractive planters.... I am looking for all sizes...

If anyone knows of where I can look online or a stores or any other helpful ideas it would be great...

PS. These plants are ones that I see everyday and I don't want those standard plastic ones...

I used plastic dishes for a long time until I was able to buy pots.

I used old butter dishes...ice cream buckets...cool whip dishes...etc. I drilled holes in the bottoms for drainage...to make them look better I would wrap some ribbon or fabric around them.

I dont know where to get pots for cheap...but this will get you by until you find some, and doesnt really cost much othere than your decerations. Hope this helps.

Victoria

i have seen the same things as Victoria suggested and also some of those containers you can go to your local dollar store and buy paints and decorate that way, but they may need a coat of sealer to help the paint from runnning if they get wet

Thanks for the help, but I'm hoping to find a resource that sells them already painted at affordable prices... anyone?

The cheap clay pots can look very attractive with spray paint. I have spray painted quite a few and had many comments about them. Recently I spray painted a ugly (and I like green, but it was ugly!) green pot with yellow spray paint, then took an old sponge and kind of wiped off what I sprayed on..It now has an antique look to it. Anything is possible with alittle paint.

That is a great idea comfrey!! If you spray paint them do you need to use a sealer? Hey flower I like this idea could be a fun weekend idea!!

Yep... I guess I'm going back to ac more and going to have the kids all over to help me out... Only problem is I have 6 plants to be delivered tomorrow . Perhaps I can con the kids into doing an "easter project" hehehe... what are big sisters for after all!

How about any ideas for clear liners... I found 2 nice white pots at AJ Wright but they are kinda like wrought iron sticks coming up so the gaps are to far apart... They would be a great size for my mini trees coming if I could find a way to keep the soil in...

You could usa a shower curtain and glue it that is what I did with 2 of mine.

No I don't use a sealer...another good thing about spray painting clay pots is that they hold the moisture in the pot alittle better also.

I went to AC Moore yesterday and they have beautiful large pots reg price $7.88 on sale this week for $3.94!

I wanted a bunch of them, but becuase I just became unemployed and have no income until my unemployment comes thru I had to resist. I hope they still have them in a couple of weeks when I get some money!

some of the dollar stores have painted pots - they don't always have large sizes tho.

i've gotten lucky at Big Lots - they had some really good stuff last summer - both ceramic and plastic and really, really cheap - considering they were larger sizes - 6 inches and larger. just a couple of bucks...so i obviously stocked up!!

Try the salvation army, and thrift stores. Many times they have decorative glass and ceramic items that can be used as pots with alittle cunning.

Another idea for getting pots...If you don't mind driving in the alley...I have found some nice pots where stores had potted plants that have died and then the set the pots out the back door beside the building to get rid of them.

Yard sales and 'junk shops' will often have something that's a little different. I have a bunch of standard clay pots on unusual plates and saucers for color.

hjo

how about Church cemetaries.. THey sometime have a pile of throw aways....

As the grounds keepers.

dodge

Just a note: Be careful about Cemetaries. The reason I say this is...somebody took the pot out of the container in my grandfather's grave that the family put there for Artificial flowers. I wasn't real happy about that, nor was my grandmother when she took a bunch of silk Easter lilies there to place in that pot!

You could always buy clay pots and decorate them with either a painted mosaic, or a real mosaic of broken/mismatched ceramic that you picked up from a yardsale or something. Maybe even a mirror mosaic? Hmm.

While I was at work this evening, I thought of another "cheap" alternative to those plastic pots. Have you thought about the little plastic waste paper baskets? You can get them for about $2 each at the dollar store. Many have designs, various shapes. All you'd have to do is use a large nail or drill to put some holes in the bottom of the containers.

I have gotten them from thrift shops, I got lucky last year and found a dollar store that had 8 inch pots. I think the woman thought i was crazy when I walked up to the register with 30 pots! I bought every one of them they had.

I also cleaned out my pots and pans cupboard a few weeks ago and used some of them.

If you end up getting pots that aren't that attractive, thrift stores always have wicker baskets.. just set the ugly pot in it, who's gonna know???

I don't know if you have an "Old Time Pottery" store near you or not but they have some really good prices on a LOT of home and garden stuff including pots and containers... I haven't really looked at their online catalogues but im sure they have stuff available that way too! Garage and Estate sales are a sure bet also and again, I have found some really nice stuff that people generously set out by the curb for me. I can't believe they knew I needed that stuff! check out in the middle of this ad page and look at some of these prices!