How To Repurpose Metal Containers for a Small Space Garden

While many of us swoon over visions of quintessential farmhouse living- with acres of sprawling, country land for outdoor play and gardening- not all of us are fortunate enough to actually make that vision a reality.

Whether it be convenience factor or sheer practicality, many of us have chosen to live that suburban (or even urban) life ..at least for the time being.

And while being a”burb” dweller doesn’t entirely rule-out the option for a  traditional garden, there are many reasons why container gardening might be more ideal for your unique needs.

Perhaps you aren’t ready to commit to the labor and time required for a larger scale garden.

Or maybe your yard simply isn’t large enough.

With an acre of yard to spare, I assumed I could surely find an ideal space to try my hand at gardening. But after evaluating my yard’s sunlight conditions, I quickly discovered that my front porch was one of the only areas which would provide enough sunlight for the type of crops I wanted to plant.

So…

I began to brainstorm aesthetically-pleasing ways to incorporate a mini container garden onto the front elevation of my house (which mainly consists of stairs).

I wanted something with a modern farmhouse feel, but something shallow enough to fit on  my stairs while also tall enough to adequately house the crops.

I had actually browsed online for metal stock tanks, but found them to be surprisingly pricey . My instincts told me I could find something cheaper at either Michael’s or Hobby Lobby.

Then, while on a Hobby Lobby run, my instincts were proven correct when I noticed their metal containers and decor were half off…

While none of the metal containers were labeled for gardening purposes, I knew they would work perfectly for my needs.

To ensure the success of my container garden, however, I was sure to invest in quality soil and I knew the soil probably needed to be well drained. So, I drilled holes in the bottom of the metal “planters”.

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How to Drill Drainage Holes in Metal Containers to Use as a Planter:

While you could probably use a nail and hammer to poke holes in the bottom of your containers, I was afraid I might warp the metal with the force of the hammer.

Then my husband told me about this awesome thing known as a metal drill bit (I felt like a dumb-dumb for not knowing this simple tool existed).

Using a drill with a metal drill bit, I was able to add drainage holes to my metal containers in just a few minutes…

 

While I mainly stuck to herbs and peppers (for the sake of space), my little one specifically requested cucumbers…

While the metal tub was too large to fit on my stairs, I simply placed the cucumbers at the foot of my stairs on my concrete sidewalk…

That’s actually the beauty of a small container garden. Given their smaller size provides mobility, you can easily move your plants around as needed.

Here I actually have some rosemary out back by my pool. It has thrived in this galvanized metal planter for over a year now..

And my peppers and herbs are doing great out on my front stairs…

So there you have it. No need for a yard or hours of intensive labor.

Container gardening on my porch has been a super approachable way to dabble with horticulture.

Wishing all of you a wonderful upcoming holiday weekend!

Hopefully the next time I show up here on the blog, I will be prepared to show you my new hardwood flooring install tutorial (I actually installed hardwood over existing hardwood and it looks/feels amazing!!).

Now get out there and design some good vibes ! Please show your support for my small business by sharing…