Hildegard of Bingen was a lover of all things related to gardening, from the process to the final product. Gardening captures nature’s creative force of Viriditas. Here are some gardening crafts that add another element to the process and some creative power to your garden.
Gardening Crafts
After you’ve transitioned to spelt coffee, you can turn your coffee habit into whimsical flowerpots. These bright little pots are a great way to liven up your patio, accent to your garden, or add some life to your fenceline. We’ve used them here with an old window frame (a theme of this garden) to provide a soft, but visually interesting, screen to our small deck. We’ve also used them as accent pieces along the fence above the garden as well as along the picket fence (in matching colors.)
(1) Coffee Can Accents
These 10oz Café Bustelo cans make wonderful little flower pots. Their bright, primary colored labels offer eye-catching contrast to your garden. The sturdy aluminum cans are easy to convert.
Remove the re-sealable plastic lid. With a hammer and nail, punch 4-6 holes in the bottom of the can to provide for draining. Return plastic lid to the bottom of the can.
For hanging versions, punch additional holes at opposing sides of the can, just below the top rim. Use a malleable segment of wire or heavy twine thread through the holes as a hanger. We’ve used copper wire here, as it is easy to cut and shape and won’t rust.
Fill the bottom ¼ of the can with pea gravel or coarse sand. Fill the balance of the can with potting soil and the plants of your choosing.
(2) Old Recycled Doors & Windows
The garden of this turn-of-the-century house is dressed-up with these old door and window frames. These were sanded down and repainted with exterior acrylic paint. As always, take appropriate cautions when sanding any old painted wood due to the potential for lead paint.
The addition of these colorful garden accents provides a cheerful contrast between the natural stain of the fence and the billowing green of the Hildegard Herb Garden.
(3) Picket Fence
Reclaimed wood surveyor stakes crafted into a picket fence. While it won’t keep all of the critters out, it can be a great way to add some color and visually break-up an otherwise flat landscape.
Hand painted in solid colors to match our coffee can accent pieces, these simple pine grade stakes can also be bought cheaply by the bundle at most big-box home stores.
The stakes are affixed to 8’ sections of 2”x2” boards as the top and bottom rails with wood screws. Common nails can also be used but these do not hold up as well and often stain and split the wood.
(4) Reclaimed Dresser Drawers
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Anyone involved in gardening crafts will soon realize the truth of that statement.
A neighbor’s discarded dresser provided the drawers used for these planter boxes. Since these were quite old, decorative flowers were used as opposed to edible plants due to the potential for lead-based paint being present.
These were mounted on simple 2”x2” boards with wood screws as a frame, but they work well on their own on patios or as vertical elements in terraced gardens.
Drill several 1/8” holes in the bottom of the drawer. Fill the bottom with coarse sand or pea gravel, between 1” to 2”. Fill with potting soil, adding plants of your choosing.
(5) Cracked Fountain Turned Flower Pot
A fountain that doesn’t hold water is put to good use. Flowing over with some shade-loving color, this old fountain was hand painted with inexpensive acrylic paint and converted into a flowerpot. Perfect for a porch, patio, or garden accent, the conversion is simple. Add a layer of coarse sand or pea gravel and then fill with potting soil.
