Six Different Low-Cost Container Garden Ideas

If you want to test out your gardening skills, then a container garden is a great place to start. It is a much more manageable and budget-friendly type of garden than creating a giant one in the ground. While container gardens are usually naturally a bit cheaper than classic gardens, they can still cost hundreds of dollars. The good news is there are several ways to create a low-cost container garden in your yard.

To create a container garden and spend as little money as possible, you must look for cheap or free materials. Look through online marketplaces for used plant containers, and check your local thrift stores. Check nurseries and home improvement stores for less-desirable or slightly damaged containers, as they might be free or cheap. You can even use disposable seafood and produce coolers, paint buckets, and even kiddie pools.

There are endless ways to create your container garden. A quick online search will offer hundreds of different ideas. After all, almost any vessel can be used to house a plant. The key is to know what types of containers are reliable, inexpensive, and easy to find. Below is a list of all the best places to find inexpensive container garden materials, as well as some fantastic and unique container garden ideas.

Great Places To Find Inexpensive Container Garden Materials

1. Online Marketplaces

One of the best places to find cheap or free materials is by searching online marketplaces. Places like Facebook and Craigslist are wonderful resources for those looking for dirt-cheap or even free garden containers.

Sometimes you can find lovely terracotta pots. Other times, people have a bunch of leftover plastic planters. Remember to be open-minded and creative. There are ways to turn just about any empty vessel into a garden planter.

2. Restaurants And Grocery Stores

Restaurants and grocery stores are a great source of free items that you can use as planters. Many restaurants that serve fresh seafood and use a lot of great produce tend to have a surplus of Styrofoam coolers.

These Styrofoam coolers make a great base for container gardens. They are deep enough for most roots, and the rectangular shape lends itself well to sowing seeds. These disposable coolers and other food shipping containers are a great free option for anyone on a tight budget who is looking to start a container garden.

3. Nurseries And Home Improvement Stores

A local nursery or home improvement store is another spot where you can score some great deals and even free items to help build a container garden. Ask management if there are any planters or other containers they plan to throw away.

With so many plants coming in and out of these stores, it is common that there are leftover plastic pots. There may also be some chipped or otherwise damaged pots that you can get at a deep discount.

4. Thrift Stores

It also can’t hurt to check out your local thrift store. This is particularly true if the shop has an outdoor or home goods section. People often donate nicer clay and decorative pots to thrift stores. This makes these second-hand retailers a great place to go if you are looking for higher-quality pots at a deep discount.

Six Ways To Create An Inexpensive Container Garden

1. Collect Cheap And Free Pots Over Time

One way to create an inexpensive and eclectic container garden is to make a hobby out of collecting pots and containers. Visit thrift stores and scroll online marketplaces consistently and you will have a lovely collection of unique potting vessels. This method takes time, but it will give you an ornate and unique-looking container garden that will be worth the wait.

2. Find Wicker And Woven Baskets

If you are looking for a natural-looking container garden, then choose materials that come from the earth. It is easy to find cheap or free woven baskets and wicker. Visit almost any thrift store and you’ll find enough cheap baskets to start a sizable garden. Add a stain to help these baskets last longer, otherwise, they are bound to deteriorate outdoors after a couple of years.

3. Use Wooden Pallets To Make A Garden

Wooden pallets are a great free material that you can find if you look hard enough. You can use the durable boards to make a box garden simply by deconstructing it and reassembling it.

This is a great option if you want a structured and durable garden and aren’t afraid of a little hard work. Painting the pallets and adding a water repellent is the way to make this garden style look great and last longer.

4. Repurpose An Old Kiddie Pool

If you thought your old plastic kiddie pool was useless, think again. These large plastic tubs might look like they are designed for one purpose, but once your kids grow up, the pool can live another life as a container garden.

As long as you drill some holes in the bottom of a plastic kiddie pool, then it makes a great large container to plant almost any type of vegetable or flowering plant. This is a great way to make use of an old pool and a great vessel if you are looking for a larger container to test out your green thumb.

5. Spray Paint Food Storage Containers And Disposable Coolers

Another great way to build your container garden is by reaching out to your local grocery store or your favorite busy restaurant. Both grocery stores and restaurants tend to throw away objects that make perfect container garden vessels.

Styrofoam coolers and plastic containers in particular are fantastic and long-lasting that you can use to grow herbs, vegetables, and other plants. To make these materials look more attractive, spray paint them a unified color. This will give a clean and unified look to this dirt-cheap garden.

6. Use Buckets And Old Storage Bins

Buckets and storage bins tend to accumulate in the garage, shed, and elsewhere in the home. Instead of letting these items take up space inside the home, bring them outside and transform them into a makeshift container garden.

Old storage bins make great containers, as do three-gallon buckets. You can fit large vegetables and even small fruit trees in these larger containers. Best of all, you can move the fruit trees indoors or under shelter when cold or severe weather hits.

Tips To Remember When Growing A Container Garden

• Make Sure There Is Ample Drainage: One of the most important factors to consider when you start a container garden using non-traditional materials is drainage. A lot of containers don’t have holes in the bottom, especially if they aren’t designed for plants. Make sure you add holes and use soil that drains easily.
• Match The Right Plant With The Right Container: Remember that each plant type has its own specific needs. Make sure you match plants with the best container possible. Pay attention to the amount of soil and depth of the container when making this decision.
• Make Your Container Garden Mobile: One of the best attributes of a container garden is that it can be moved when necessary. When possible, place and design your container garden with the ability to move it. Adding handles or wheels is a great way to keep your containers mobile and your vulnerable plants safe from freezing conditions.
• Location Is Everything: Remember to start your container garden in an ideal location. Make it a place that gets the ideal levels of sunlight. Also, make sure it is a location that is easy to water and reach.

Summing Up Different Ways To Start A Cheap Container Garden

There is no one perfect way to create a container garden. There are hundreds of different ways to start one, and many of them can be done quite cheaply. You can use old pallets, or ask a restaurant or grocery store for food storage containers and disposable coolers. If you want to use real planters and clay pots, visit thrift stores, nurseries, and scroll online marketplaces for cheap prices on used pots.

Related Guides:

• Top Vegetables That You Can Easily Grow In Pots
• How To Create A Vegetable Garden On A Tight Budget
• How Much Does It Cost To Start A Garden?