Creating a vintage garden without flowers

 When you live in the high desert like I do, growing anything is something of a challenge. One way to add color to the ultra hot spots of my yard is with colorful vintage (or fake vintage) containers. Tins, old cups, and even old plates can add a spot of color to an otherwise dull corner of the yard.






I recently found an interesting old birdhouse at the junkstore which quickly went on the south facing wall of my garden shed. The birdhouse was pretty enough with its cheerful yellow color but when paired with a bunch of colorful coffee and tea cups, it looked even better!

 I chose cups with a floral pattern to fill up the shelves of this birdhouse. Some of the cups were vintage and some were contemporary, but all of them had some kind of damage and weren't good enough to use.  Here's a closer look....

Dishes hold up remarkable well in the yard and keep their colors for many years. They do need to be brought indoors once the temps drop to below freezing to avoid the cycle of freezing & thawing that leads to cracks.

How to make a tiered container garden with broken pots

One of the ways that I upcycle old and cracked pots is to stack them inside another pot. These bits and pieces allow me to plant succulents at different levels which makes the container look a bit more interesting.

Broken pieces I push directly into the soil to create terraces which are then planted with different types of plants. 

Smaller cracked pots are placed either upright on top of the container such as the vintage marmalade jar shown on the right or on their side as shown in the photograph below.

I have a small hen & chick planted in the opening of this sideways pot but other types of succulents will also work.  Creeping varieties of sedum work best but if you do want something taller, then it must be planted on the edge of the opening or it won't have enough room to grow.

Tall flower pots for high sided bicycle racks

One of my favorite wire racks for vertical gardening are a set of vintage bicycle baskets used by my mother-in-law in the 60s. These racks are tall and shallow which makes them practical for storing hoses, hand tools and more. What they aren't practical for are growing flowers since it's hard to find tall slender pots that will work.


When I found an vintage terra cotta wine cooler at the junk yard last week, I realized I had solved my problem. These coolers were super popular in the early 80s and are the perfect size for growing herbs and succulents on a vertical surface.

The rack shown was made using the cooler and assorted terra cotta pots (some broken) along with a few other random things I happened to have in my stash of vintage garden accessories. There's an old restaurant sized pepper mill in there, along with a gold cherub-candle holder thingy, a "shooter" marble on top of the candle holder, and an old wooden monkey pod spoon that had an interesting look.

 Wine coolers aren't the only option. Tall, slender tins will also work especially when paired with tall, vintage accessories such as seen below.

Where to find interesting rocks for your container succulent garden

While it's not necessary to use rock in succulent container gardens, I do for two reasons. A layer of decorative rock makes the plants look much more interesting while also preventing the soil from washing away during watering.

Where do I get the rocks for my gardens? I live on top of an old riverbed which has an endless supply of smooth granite and quartz stones ideal for container gardening. I also pick up interesting rocks when walking along the river, the beach or along old railroad beds.

If you don't have access to these places, another great resource for rocks is at stone yard which sells decorative rocks and pea gravel directly to the public. Rocks and gravel have to be purchased by the half yard (which is roughly 3 & 1/2 wheelbarrow loads).  Pieces of slate, however, can be purchased by the piece which you can then break up with a hammer once you're at home.

For smaller amounts, garden centers carry decorative rock by the bag which is a great way to pick up an assortment of polished rocks. A 40 pound bag can cost between $20-35 depending on the color of rock you want.

I store my decorative stones in buckets that I keep next to my potting bench for easy access.

Creative ways to elevate a shallow planting bowl

When it comes to container herb & succulent gardening, shallow planting bowls are my favorite style of pot because they provide lots of workable surface space. Shallow bowl containers do sit low on ground however which is why I elevate my containers anywhere from a foot to forty inches in height.

The easiest way to elevate a shallow bowl planter is to place it on top of an other pot like this:

This is a great way to reuse a terra cotta pot that is cracked or damaged. Here are some other ways to elevate a shallow container garden

• Placing it upon an old chair tucked in the corner of your yard
• On top of a tree stump
• Upon an old birdbath
• On top of an inverted galvanized barrel
• On an old wooden picnic table (old kids picnic tables work great too!)
• In wheelbarrows

The shallow planter shown was made from a vintage McCoy wash basin that had cracked and been inexpertly mended. I filled it with a mix of potting soil & sand and planted it with two different sedum varieties and a Hen & Chick .  The glass knob in the center is merely an inverted salt shaker I found with an interesting pattern. The rocks shown are crushed lavarock.

The DIY container rock garden in a shallow bowl

Because I live in a high mountain desert with hot temps and frequent winds, succulents are my "go to" plants for the hot spots of my yard. Some of my taller succulents are planted directly into the ground while the creeping varieties are planted in an assortment of pots to give them some height.

One of my favorite container styles are the shallow bowls which are great for planting an assortment of succulents. Shallow bowls offer a larger surface for succulents to grow plus provide ample space for decorative touches such as rocks, figurines and more.

I made this container rock garden using a vintage pot found at a junk store and added some chunks of red slate to give it some interest. Plants shown include a Mexican Feather Grass seedling, hens & chicks, and three varieties of sedum. For soil, I used regular potting mix mixed with sand in a 2:1 ratio.

Converting a coffee urn to a planter

Part of the fun in gardening is finding vintage containers to create unusual container gardens. Look at this interesting coffee urn (also known as a samovar) which I recently upcycled into a pot for holding an assortment of succulents.

Here are instructions for making your own raised succulent garden from a coffee urn:

• Unscrew the knob from the lid and remove the screw to create a drainage hole.
• Invert the lid and place inside the samovar.
• Fill with potting mix (mix with some of your own garden soil if planting succulents or herbs)
• Arrange plants as desired. My container is planted with an assortment of hens & chicks and different sedum varieties.
• Top with an assortment of crushed rock.  Add a vintage garden or kitchen tool to add height and interest.