I get mine from the dollar stores, 99 cent only, etc.
If they have a lip on them you can put the tip of a cane under it and pull it to where you want it. If not, then you can make two holes in the side and attach a piece of rope thru and knot it on the inside. (Good for the thin black ones that plants come in from the box stores.
Then you can pull it with the cane. For the really big ones I have my son use the "dolly".
Merry Christmas Everyone!
Jeanne
Where to get reasonable planters
I use a hand truck with a rectangle shaped plastic tub. I can get more than one plant in it plus a bucket of compost.
I just saw this thread. I am trying to picture the milk jug idea at the top of the thread for upside down planting? You cut the jug, then what? Cut holes all around for plants to spill out of and hang them? I am really interested in doing more upside down gardening on my chain link to give the rabbits and gophers less to mess with.
I would love to see pictures of that and the kitty litter potato box too if you have pictures.
Chrismas Tree Shop. They dont have a huge assortment yet but mid April I will check again
Watch out for garden store closings or end of season sales, at least in places with a harsh winter. These pots from Franks (some 12 inches high) were $3.00.
I don't know if you have a Calloway's Nursery but I like their containers better than anywhere here. They are expensive but I usually wait until they go on sale & best of all, all are ceramic so they last longer & require less watering than some other planters I've had.
I also belong to a few "Freecycle" groups so I watch for anyone giving away their planters...the price is great.. "Free"!! hahahaha
And my best haul, from Milaegers in Racine, were these. Big enough for cannas, brugs and roses. They have a width of 20 inches and a depth of over 18 inches, are heavy enough to withstand 80 mph winds, and I paid $12 each for them!
If you go on websites like Arizona Pottery you'll find the 12 inch ones listed for $29-$41 - not including shipping, and the larger ones that I have for over $100! I found mine there for $200!
And I agree about Freecycle - fantastic. Lots of people who are moving simply can't take these things.
I need help to lift mine from the car. Went without the help (oh, my aching back!) but they are gorgeous.
Donna M.
This message was edited Mar 14, 2011 6:17 PM
Stunning, Donna.
Thank you Pirl, you're sweet. But when you spend as much time grazing at garden centers as I do, you're bound to come across beautiful and functional things. They have excellent drainage. And the cost included the saucers.
I find that you have to be careful about what you throw away. Everything is not replaceable, or replaceable for reasonable amounts of money. I was moving and thought about selling the pots or leaving them behind. They are now worth hundreds of dollars, and I can use them for mature peonies, roses and other goodies when I reach (I should say REACHED) the point at which there was any space left in the ground. And, as you can see, they are great for stretching your zone (notice the little rollers on the carts on the bottom that allow me to roll them into garage or house). No more lifting!
Donna M.
Lifting ended for me two years ago. They just get too heavy though the pots are beautiful.
I am not looking at ceramic. There is just no place to store them in winter.
A snoooty greenhouse near me had a 1/2 price sale. Their 20 inch fiber planters were marked down to $60.00 I bought 1 ,never went back.
I will check Big Lots in a couple of days.
Pirl, I hear you. I'm ready for traction. And ge, you are right about storage in winter - the same with terra cotta. I take the lilies out of their pots and put them in my minifridge, and then put the pots in the back of the closets. But everyone doesn't have room.
I'll keep that sequence in mind. I have an over abundance of pot lilies and did store newly arrived bulbs in November,in pots in the garage. SIL has a claime on the garage fridg. Beer rules.
Funny, Jo Ann!
Do you think if I dig and pot for storage in the garage in boxes with insulating newspaper they will winter thru?
Which plants do you want to hold over the winter in the garage, Jo Ann?
Both Lantana and Strobilanthes made it through the winter here in the indoor porch, around 60 (much cooler at night).
I want to dig some of my Tiny Snowflake lily bulbs and store them in pots.
You can try to store them in a pot that you put in a box, by an interior wall in the garage, providing the temperature is right.
Yup thats what I remember doing with the November order from B&B's.
This was my trip to Big Lots. If you have one near you its really reasonable and there are a lot of planters that are well designed and decorated.
I also saw 18 to 24 inch wide trellises for $14.00
Wider ones 36 inches I think for $18.00 all were 72 inches high.
The closest one is about an hour away. It's one of the many stores we'd like to come closer to us.
Big Lots and Xmastree shoppe are my gaves for inexpensive seasonal stuff.
Cape Cod and Maine have Christmas Tree Shops, not Long Island. We always stop there at least once on our trips.
I go at spring and crismiss.Nice containers for gifts.
I bought really inexpensive candles there and nearly burned down the house. I am investing in real beeswax candles for this season.
Parafin is cheap but burns fast and uneven.
Ikea has big plastic pots in bright colors: 19" diameter x 14" tall are $14.99 and 19" diameter x 19" tall are $19.99
I also got some nice pastel painted buckets there - i think they were 6" or 8" diameter for $1.99 (which don't seem to be on the website), and there are larger ones too.
Here's the link:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/outdoor/17899/
i am in a place where i would like to do window boxes, but the holders for them seem really expensive - like $20? I've just started looking - does that seem right? Any suggestions on a cheaper way to do window boxes? (We are in a 2nd floor apartment.)
thanks!
amy
*
I can't do window boxes, none of my windows are well-situated for that, sorry I'm no help :(
I did find some very well-priced ceramic planters at Marshalls today. Under $15 for all sizes, and some are 2 gallon-ish. I hate it when they have gargantuan draining holes, but that's what plastic canvas is for...
If you want window boxes, check out garage sales. And do bear in mind that they require tons of water, but that's not really a problem. Water holding crystals will make that easy.
Donna
good tip,reminds me I have crystals to mix with soil in smaller planters.
If you live in Wisconsin or Illinois there's a store called Hobo (Home Owners Bargain Outlet) that is selling 24" planters w/free saucer for $6.99. Plastic, clay color and really BIG. I bought 3 today. I also bought some of that Miracle Mulch (coco coir) that expands to 2.5 cu. ft. for $3.99.
Here's the ad:
http://www.hoboonline.com/locations/storelocations.html
Toni
This message was edited Mar 30, 2011 12:41 AM
What a score.
You might consider Grow Bags.There is nothing cheaper, and they're so convenient. I started out building self-watering plant boxes, and they were great additions to my garden. Since then, however, I've evolved into becoming a Grow Bag supporter.
Peaceful Valley Farm and Garden Supply is one supplier of Grow Bags. They have Grow bags in nine sizes, from one quart (3"X3"X7-1/2") for $0.15 to 30-gallons (20"X19"X28") for $2.49.
My suggestion is that you try Grow Bags. They're self-standing after being filled, but if you want something more attractive, you can always build little boxes for them. In the picture below, you'll see one 5-gallon Grow Bag and the small self-watering plant box I built last year. A larger plant box (4'X8') is to the right. A box to surround your Grow Bags would be much easier and cheaper to build.
Heads up- Christmas Tree Shop is having a Patio and Garden sale.
these tall ones were $30 ea. 10% off if you buy 2.
Those are nice, good find. I love tall planters. We don't have a Christmas Tree Store here. The only ones I've ever seen were the temporary seasonal storefronts set up around the holidays. Can't say I've seen many of those either in the last few years except for the Halloween stores.
Christmas Tree Shopps arent everywhere butthey should be.
Yes, they should be!
We stop at them on Cape Cod and in Maine just to enjoy them and get good deals.
Its hard to find well designed inexpensive stuff. They have some drech but much of the merchandise is nice. I buy planters there.
Candles last year but cheap meant they were parifine.Nearly burned the house down.
This was a long thread............ so I skimmed most of it. My best finds for pots have been at Hobby Lobby at the very end of growing season. What they have left is usually around 75% off. Also yard sales, flea markets, and side of the road where peeps are selling Mexican wares. Good Luck!
New to DG and saw this thread...in Central FL the best place for pots is Old Time Pottery...clay pots are really the cheapest anywhere. They carry them in all sizes. The have lots and lots of pots at great prices. But not sure the store is out of Florida. I see old pots at garage sales also...and don't forget to take a drive on trash day...you'd not believe what people put out by their trash cans.
I feel kinda guilty, but I totally scored at an estate sale. 22 clay pots, with saucers, assorted sizes but mostly 6-8", $4.
Yes, I have a lovely pot I picked up in the garbage area on the street of a neighbor. It was resin and looked like it had been kicked real hard with a very large booted foot.
I pounded on it from the inside with a rubber hammer, got the indentation back out and then painted the pot with stone scape spray paint. Looks fantastic. Dent does not even show up.
At least it was the pot that was kicked and not the dog. Sharon.
Yard sales are great or goodwill. But please don't take your unwanted pots to the landfill if they can be refurbished and used. Painted, mosaic , faux finished. Offer them on Freecycle for your community. Just go to Freecycle.org and join your city. Ask for pots too, all free. Even plants.
This message was edited May 26, 2011 1:44 PM