Flea Market Style Gardening Ideas

I love repurposing items into unique garden containers. Chandeliers, rusty bottomless buckets, chicken feeders, crocks, old tool boxes and the such find their way into my flea market style garden. 

 I found this chandelier at a recent sale. The wiring had already been removed and they had taper candles in the electric sockets. I decided to remove the sockets and knew that succulents would look fabulous in the chandy and I was not disappointed! The succulents don't require much space or water to grow, so this arrangement should work great for them. I've always wanted trees to hang lanterns or chandeliers from and its finally happening, since the tree limbs are getting larger and stronger in the yard. 

Pots of dianthus, Mexican heather, and dusty miller fills a turquoise tool box. Want to know a secret? There's two separate pots in the took box and I simply added a little mulch around the edges to hide the plastic pots. A few years ago, I decided that I would no longer purchase traditional flower pots for my yard and that plastic pots would not be visible. If the plants getting to looking bad, I can easily switch them out. It has been several years since I have had any Mexican Heather, so I am excited about finding some at a nursery this year and can't wait till it fills it some. 

 Lavender in a tin bucket - make sure to drill drainage holes (if there isn't rust holes) or empty out the excess rain water to keep from flooding the plants. 4 inches of rain this week, had some of my plants floating and I'll be moving some more around this weekend, so they find the perfect place for the season.

 An old rusty trash can becomes a plant pedestal. I think these are a mini petunia, but I can't remember the exact name.

 A mixed basket sits on top of an old crock, while a spider plant is planted in part of a chicken feeder/waterer. I think its part of a waterer and part of it is missing. There's no bottom to the galvanized piece. I pulled the plastic hanger off of the basket and then pulled the plant up through the bottom of the bucket and then toed it to the handle, like I have done with the bottomless buckets before.

 Speaking of bottomless buckets. Here's my spring version of these two hanging buckets! Five years later and the same buckets adorn the front of the gazebo, with the same plastic pots wired inside. I change out the flowers each year. Currently lots of herbs, marigolds, periwinkles, and Mexican heather.

 The trailing herb is Orange Mint - any good ideas of how to use it? I love the look of it and it smells so good!

 If you need an extension on your hangers, grab an old spring to adjust the height.

 This same pot of chives has been in the yard for several years! I love cooking with fresh herbs! I made spaghetti this week and went outside clipping away. Smells so yummy to trim the herbs and bring them inside!

I'm looking forward to some more yard therapy soon and planting more flowers, mowing, and getting rid of some old limbs. Some people pay for a gym membership, a yard worker, and a therapist - I garden instead and get paid in flowers and herbs! What's your favorite flowers and herbs to grow each spring? Do you plant in reclaimed planters?