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How I garden with vintage containers

vintage crate with white hydrangeas and iron plant stand
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Hello Friends! I hope y’all are staying cool.  Today is a real treat – a vintage container gardening treat!  If you are hopping over from White Arrows Home, hey there!  Can you believe her mom’s idea for using vintage plates as edging?  Shut up – that is so adorable!  When I was asked about gardening, I laughed so hard.  Garden?  I don’t garden.  These thumbs are brown.  I can’t imagine totaling up the money I’ve squandered buying plants.  The entire process of purchasing, tending, watching them die, then buying again is wasteful but that’s all I can do. :/

Keeping plants alive is not in my wheelhouse!

However, I do have vintage containers.  So I moseyed over to our local nursery in Navasota called Junebug.  I am all about supporting our local businesses and thankfully Junebug has the sweetest most helpful people and not the type that’ll turn away foliage serial killers.  :/

Gardening and Plants in vintage containers by countyroad407.com

This planter was made my the Misters Uncle Bill probably 40 years ago.  When the plants are dead, we use it as a table.  Meaning, it is a table way more than it’s a plant holder.  Ugh.

Using vintage containers with gardening or plants by CountyRoad407.com

If you can get your hands on one of these cuties, buy it!  I’ve used this old tub to hold pillows and quilts and I’m waiting for fall to use it for a party.  I’ll fill it with drinks.  I may even hang it vertically on a wall when the party is over.  I. love. it!

This old vintage crock is used to hold plants or for gardening when it's not used to hold vintage rolling pins. CountyRoad407.com

I’ve learned to be careful using old crocks as plant holders.  If you just keep watering the plant but have no where for the water to drain, it just keeps filling up and it’s not good for the crock.  But I admit to nothing.  Let’s just say it’s holding vintage rolling pins now.

Vintage cart used to hold plants by CountyRoad 407.com. Antique cart

What the heck is it?

Found this at an antique mall and it’s one of my fave treasures.  I have no clue what it was used for.  I call it my vintage ice cream cart but that can’t be right.  Besides the two large wheels on the sides, there are two smaller wheels on the front.  I have pushed this thing around all over the yard.  It’s been used to display a Christmas tree and random architectural salvage pieces but come fall it’ll be filled with pumpkins!

Beautiful vintage bottles are great for centerpieces. CountyRoada407.com

Since we are talking vintage containers, these are used all the time to hold flowers.  You can find them at most antique stores.

Countyroad407.com - Using vintage containers for gardening or plants. Antique containers, vintage boxes, vintage flower display

I wanted to add this one to the bunch of vintage containers because some of you can plant real hydrangeas or other flowers in it but mine are totally fake.  Yep, fake as fake can be but they are so pretty!  Another treasure.

Scout the Burro in wild flowers by CountyRoad407.com

I know our lovable donkey named Scout isn’t a vintage container but she is eating the only real thing I can grow – weeds/wild flowers!  Ha!  That seems like a shameless plug, but in my defense, I have many times plucked the wild flowers to put in most of those containers above!

There you go, vintage container gardening from the sad little brown thumbed girl.  Now pop over and check out Lora B. Create and Ponder.  Then don’t forget to check out the full blog hop below for beautiful vintage goodness!  Just click on the name. 🙂



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55 Comments

  1. July 23, 2018 / 7:01 am

    Cindy, I always admire the photos you share of your charming porch! You’ve really collected some lovely vintage containers and they just add such character! Happy to be joining the tour with you! Blessings, Cecilia @ My Thrift Store Addiction

    • July 23, 2018 / 10:45 am

      Thank you Cecilia. That makes me feel better about my brown thumbs. I’ll be smiling all day. Happy Monday!

  2. July 23, 2018 / 7:25 am

    Girl, I don’t think you are as bad a keeping foliage alive as you think!! I’ll make a deal with you though…I’ll help you with plants if you’ll help me collect some of these fun vintage items!

    • July 23, 2018 / 10:46 am

      Stacey, the plants I buy last about a week. And I’m not exaggerating! And that sounds like an excellent deal – I’ll take it! 🙂

  3. July 23, 2018 / 7:47 am

    Cindy, your vintage garden is gorgeous! And I love your sense of humor! You say you’re a plant killer, but everything looks green to me! 🙂 So happy to be on the hop with you!

    • July 23, 2018 / 10:48 am

      Oh Michelle, if you only saw them a week later, you’d feel so sorry for me. Big tears sorry too. Those plant pics were on the first day I got them. Y’all would drop me like a hot rock if you saw the real story! 😉

  4. July 23, 2018 / 8:53 am

    Cindy, What a delightful post. Your vintage containers are so charming and you style them so well. In this heat vintage gardening is the way to go.
    I have to tell you your first pic pulled me in immediately. My grandmother had the same chair that holds your vintage box full of white flowers.I love those old chairs.
    Fun post. I enjoyed it.

    • July 23, 2018 / 10:51 am

      Awe Bonnie, thank you! That old chair was free from my Mister’s cousin. They had it just thrown in the shed and I love it! Can’t sit in it without worrying about the legs collapsing so it makes a beautiful backdrop to anything I put on it. Glad you enjoyed it. 🙂

  5. July 23, 2018 / 8:55 am

    Cindy, you sure could fool many of us into thinking you’re an ace gardner with two green thumbs by the looks of all these terrific vintage displays. That cart is probably my favorite, but crates are always on my radar, so that gets two green thumbs up from me (even with faux hydrangeas! Really, faux is so good these days one can’t even tell). And even though I live in the city and garden with a vengeance against weeds, I am totally enamored with your wildflower patch and donkey in the midst. That’s picture-perfect country to me! Glad to be in your company today!

    • July 23, 2018 / 10:54 am

      LOL, I do have y’all fooled Rita! That’s day one of the plants but thank you for the compliments. One of these days I’m going to have a real garden. But never show anyone the real way it looks on day 3. 😉 Happy Monday!

  6. July 23, 2018 / 9:21 am

    What a fun post!Love your beautiful vintage containers!Hugs!

    • July 23, 2018 / 10:55 am

      Thank you Maristella! Totally love your name by the way. Thanks for visiting. Hope you have a great week.

  7. Chris
    July 23, 2018 / 10:16 am

  8. July 23, 2018 / 10:23 am

    All these sweet garden ideas are fabulous. I love your gardens so pretty. I am a big lover of putting old vintage pieces throughout my garden too. Have a great new week.
    Hugs,
    Kris

    • July 23, 2018 / 10:57 am

      I see so many large gardens with such beautiful vintage finds and get so jealous! One day I’ll have that but until then, it’s fun finding the cuties that will go in it. Thank you too for hopping over.

  9. Jann Olson
    July 23, 2018 / 10:25 am

    Brown thumb or green, you’ve got it going girl! I love vintage container gardening and you’ve got some beauties! Yard carts come in all sizes and some of them are spreaders. I love moving mine around and planting seasonal plants in them. Everything is lovely!
    hugs,
    Jann

    • July 23, 2018 / 11:00 am

      Thanks Jemma! I think that yard cart is my fave. It’s so deep that I have cartons and egg crates stuffed in there so it won’t be so heavy I can’t move it again. I’m looking forward to pumpkin time though! I love me some pumpkins – they last soooooo much longer than any plant!

  10. July 23, 2018 / 10:34 am

    Cindy, you have a truly charming garden. I adore all of your vintage containers and share in your foliage serial killer affliction. But Scout the donkey has completely made my heart smile.

    • July 23, 2018 / 11:01 am

      Thank you Laura. Scout makes me smile and laugh and laugh. I’d rather spoil her than spend money on plants anyway. I wonder what she’ll do with tons of pumpkins in the yard? Hmmm.

  11. July 23, 2018 / 12:20 pm

    These are all so unique and create such a lovely environment for the plants. I can’t grow them to save my life, but that never stopped me from admiring the containers.

    • July 23, 2018 / 1:17 pm

      You and me both Mary! Brown thumbs but love the containers. I think I’m going to have to start rock gardening. 🙁

    • July 23, 2018 / 1:18 pm

      Thanks Julie! Much appreciated. Hope you have a great week.

  12. July 23, 2018 / 12:35 pm

    When we lived in Jamaica, our rental house came with a donkey. We loved Ruby and got a kick out of her sticking her head in the window for attention.

    Thanks for evoking a sweet memory.

    • July 23, 2018 / 1:20 pm

      Jamaica?! Ruby?! Oh my golly that sounds dreamy. I think Donkey’s get a bad rap but I’ve never seen one that wasn’t adorable. Thanks for commenting and glad you liked it Carol.

  13. Marlene Stephenson
    July 23, 2018 / 1:01 pm

    I love all your vintage containers and don’t care if they are real or fake and if you hadn’t said i wouldn’t have known. I have a lot of old tubs and buckets that i have planted flowers in.

    • July 23, 2018 / 1:22 pm

      Marlene! You should send over some pictures – I’d love to see them. I thought about not saying the hydrangeas were fake but then I wouldn’t be able to sleep. Dumb I know.

  14. July 23, 2018 / 1:11 pm

    What beautiful vintage garden ideas! The vignette with the white hydrangeas is so pretty! I would have never of guessed they were faux. It has been so much fun being on this tour with you! Enjoy your week!!!

    • July 23, 2018 / 1:23 pm

      Thank you Shannon. It has been fun. Hope we can do it again soon!

  15. July 23, 2018 / 1:13 pm

    I love how you used old crocks as pots! What a clever idea!! And your donkey is soooo adorable, oh my!!

    • July 23, 2018 / 1:26 pm

      Thanks you Angelina! I love to spoil Scout. I cannot help it with those giant ears, sweet face and teeny tiny feet. Oh and you should hear her gripe. She’s very vocal that one.

  16. July 23, 2018 / 4:19 pm

    Cindy you always have the best things! I love all of your containers and confess that I may have a few of those. I definitely need to get myself in gear and use what I have. That donkey is the cutest thing ever!!!!!

    • July 23, 2018 / 4:20 pm

      Thank you Tammy! You can get a donkey too if you want?! You’d love it! ❤️

  17. July 23, 2018 / 5:08 pm

    Cindy,
    Oh, your rusty, galvanized push cart and that bathtub! Wonderful finds, indeed! Who needs to know how to garden when you’ve got amazing junk? They’re decoration enough, and you make them look marvelous! Love your setting:) Fun to hop with you today!

    • July 23, 2018 / 5:16 pm

      Thanks Lora! That makes me feel much better about the hop. I was hoping I could distract people from a “garden” with junk! 😉 Guess it worked. LOL

  18. Cindy
    July 23, 2018 / 10:22 pm

    Nice pictures! Your donkey is adorable h ! Hope you put fly wipe on his face and body ! He is being eaten alive by nats !!!

    • July 23, 2018 / 11:22 pm

      Thank you Cindy for complimenting my pictures. I know they could be better. As for Scout, she is well taken care of and no flies or gnats bother her. I’m surprised you mentioned that. She doesn’t even have anything on her in the picture. Glad you visited today. Have a great week.

  19. Kathy A
    July 23, 2018 / 10:23 pm

    Loved your pictures, your humor–and your admission of brown thumbs. Love the originality of your containers. Really, putting a live plant in that box with the faux hydrangeas would probably water stain, then rot the box! Faux is much kinder to the box. I am worse than you. I have added silk flowers to my clematis vine, geraniums to a nub of a real one and wound my lantern post with a petunia garland that looks like morning glories from 10′ away (the pine garland and silk pointsettias at Christmas looks good though and obviously faux, too!). I, too, inherited very similar white chairs from my Polish grandparents–they were kept in the cellar and brought up for holidays–usually for the kids’ card table. I don’t use them but can’t part with them, either!

    • July 23, 2018 / 11:26 pm

      Wow, we sounds like fake flower sisters! Nothing wrong with that. We will hold our chins up high and smile as passers by applaud as our gardens make THEM smile. And I do not plan to part with that white chair no matter how rickety it gets. I bet yours are fabulous too. Thanks for popping over today!

  20. July 23, 2018 / 11:44 pm

    I love your vintage garden containers, especially the “ice cream” cart! What fun it must be to fill it up with delightful goodies each season! And I enjoyed seeing how you repurposed many containers into holding flowers! The fake ones look real, don’t tell anyone your secret, lol! I have found that succulents are my new favorite plant, and I bet even you could grow them. They seem to thrive on neglect and poor soil lol! I’ve got a couple of old tackle boxes with hardly any soil in them, and the succulents have just taken over the whole box. They are also freeze tolerant, and come back every year, even better it seems. I wish I’d found them sooner, and quit spending money on annuals that die every year, lol! Enjoyed my visit with you, happy to have met you on the blogging trail 🙂

    • July 24, 2018 / 10:04 am

      Awe, thank you Marilyn. It’s nice to have met you too. I love comments because they give me glimpses into your lives. Thank you for the info on the succulents too. I just may go that route. The tackle boxes sound super fun. Would love to see that! Glad you stopped by and I hope you have a great week. 🙂

  21. July 24, 2018 / 8:55 pm

    Cindy, I love your vintage containers you use, as well as your “ice cream cart”. The problem with having two places (your place in town and your farmhouse), is having to make decisions about how to keep your plants and flowers alive. Fortunately, we only live 35 minutes from our cottage, so Mr. Cottage goes up throughout the week to water our plants when it’s been dry. Your donkey is adorable. I saw a picture of one and I can’t get it out of my mind, so I may be painting one very soon for our guest bedroom.

    • July 24, 2018 / 9:22 pm

      Thank you Carol. You are so right! I have to put things where the sprinklers are and even then they don’t get enough water. 🙄. I hope you do paint a donkey! I’d love to see it. I’ve taken pictures of Scout and think that’s what I’m going to use that canvas piece you posted about! ❤️

  22. July 25, 2018 / 2:08 am

    Oh how I love your posts! I always smile through the whole thing! And I am so inspired by all of your beautiful vintage containers!!! Just love it! We have a dog named Scout, I bet she’d be good friends with your sweet donkey Scout!! Wait til I show my kids her picture!!

    • July 25, 2018 / 10:12 am

      Thank you Kristin. I bet our Scouts would be great friends if she’s bigger. She kinda just puts up with our 3 smaller dogs but is fine with the Mustang and the cows. If your kiddos want to see her “complaining”, there’s a short video in the post – We Adopted a BLM Burro. I get a kick out of watching it. Thanks for stopping by. I thought that was a great gardening hop!

  23. July 25, 2018 / 7:48 am

    Hi Cindy, I love your humorous approach to gardening, but your containers are amazing. The cart is a wonderful find and the donkey is too cute grazing! I enjoyed my visit with you!

    • July 25, 2018 / 10:15 am

      Thank you Pam! Scout is definitely cute with that grazing chubby belly of hers. Hope you have a great week!

  24. July 27, 2018 / 5:00 pm

    What a fun post! Love the various containers you’ve shared. That white planter the uncle made is the cutest and I really like that cart. I wonder if it was for coal? Scout is a cutie- she’s enjoying herself and keeping things mowed! Thank you for joining our Garden Party!

    • July 27, 2018 / 5:39 pm

      Thank you Liz! I never thought of the cart being used for coal – I guess that’s the best idea yet. Certainly not an ice cream cart! LOL. The Garden Party was lovely. So many pretty flowers!

  25. July 27, 2018 / 5:12 pm

    Love all your vintage containers and how you used them in your lovely garden!! Thanks so much for sharing!!
    Hugs,
    Debbie

    • July 27, 2018 / 5:40 pm

      Thank you Debbie! Guess that’s as close to “gardening” as I’m going to get. Hope you have a great weekend.

  26. July 29, 2018 / 10:54 am

    I use large containers for gardening on my cabin deck. Weight is an important factor so I use 55-gallon plastic barrels cut in half. I like their bright blue colour. I’ve tried spray painting them other colours without much success so it’s a good thing I like blue. – Margy

    • July 29, 2018 / 11:29 am

      Thank you for visiting my blog today Margy. Those huge barrels sound perfect for container gardening. I’ll check them out! BTW – I love your floating cabin. I think that would be a dream! Enjoy your Sunday.

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