Great topic. For the past couple of years I like planting impatiens/colorful leaf begonias in a wicker basket (lined with plastic first to hold soil/moisture). The basket has a handle and sits on the rock behind the pond. I do have an antique round wash tub that my Mom gave me and my sister-in-law painted bird of paradise flowers on the side. I put a basic plastic pot inside and plant flowers in that. One year I was doing the 'tropical theme' and wanted a small plant for the patio table. I bought a coconut drinking cup from the party store that was a real coconut hulled out. I drilled holes for drainage and planted hens and chicks and one year portulaca in there. Things that can take drought though to be honest some years with the rain it stayed pretty moist. One year I had a old vase (modern glass one that I got in a clearance section once) that I planted a begonia in. I found a really neat wooden salad bowl at a thrift store that someone had painted a zebra like design on the side. I drilled holes for drainage and had begonias, potato vine, etc. in that last year. It sits on an wrought iron plant stand by the back door (here too, the plant stand was indoors which I never used so I put outside). The drawback to the salad bowl, however, was that it wasn't meant for outdoors and by the end of the season the wood had split. One year I had tropical plants on the back deck just in plain black nursery pots but placed inside an old wooden coca cola case. I was going for the tiki wooden tropical theme. I don't visit garage sales too much but sometimes I like to see if they have any old containers that might be used as planters. Thift stores are good if you are looking for wicker baskets or small, low, wooden bowls, etc.

I have slip on clog Bogs, got them on Amazon Prime = free shipping. They stay on well for going up and down my woodland trails with wheelbarrows etc. and kick off easily for going in and out of the house. Work fine for serious digging and shoveling, too. With free shpping and free return if they don't fit, I was game for trying them and now really pleased. Finally found something that fit my narrowish feet as well as the Anywhere slip ons I used for years til they were discontinued.

That is a great vase! I have my Grandmother's shoes like that, but they are not in as good shape as yours. I wanted to see it larger but the thumbnail won't work today....

What do Junkers use for Flower Pots? Posted by Fanni: Now that summer is coming and my plants start getting "babies", I never have enough pots. I use all kinds of things as pots, yogurt cups, old plastic cups, buckets. I'd be interested to know, what do you guys use as pots? Posted by Kim_in_AB: Everything ! I have old tin soup pots, a taken apart wok, a mysterious metal thing - I have no idea what it was in it's former life. Anything that will hold dirt becomes converted into a flower pot or seedling pot in Spring. Posted by Rosebud531: One thing I ended up using is a stainless steel coffee pot. It's the kind you put on your firepit. The top (glass) had broke, so I put some soil in it with some flowers and have it hanging from my shepards hook. I have gotten so many compliments from it. I love to have unique things in the garden. Posted by Jan_Hobbs: I have a couple of old coal buckets that make very nice planters. Last year I had caladiums, ivy, and a trailing sweet potato plant in one. Something else I use is my DH's old "brogans" (high top work boots) they usually have cracks in the sides when I get them and so are perfect for drainage. Just make sure you stuff the dirt all the way to the toes. You just have to watch the soil to keep it from getting too dry. Then I have an black antique baby shoe that I have a tiny plant in on my kitchen window. Hen and chicks really look good in it. I use an old kerosene heater for a fern stand. I also have a couple of 'worn out' wheelbarrows that really look good with training plants in them. My DH says if it ain't nailed down, I will either paint something on it or plant something in it! Posted by bouncingpig: Everything! I use old mop buckets, galvanized tubs, old enamelware basins & coffeepots, plain black plastic pots with mosaics on top, old toolboxes, a couple old chairs. You name it! Posted by YUKON_GOLD: Old plastic bowls with drainage hole in bottom - now known as the official wax begonia containers. Old ice bucket, with holes drilled in bottom. Old angel food cake pan (used that one on the patio table and stuck the patio umbrella through the hole in the center). Posted by CraftyGardener: Anything that can hold dirt can be planted in at my house ... old frypans and saucepans, cups and saucers, teapots, old wicker baskters, buckets, wheelbarrows, seed spreaders, old washing machine tubs, old boots, and the list goes on and on Posted by handmayyd: A neighbor & I 'saved' some ski boots left by the dumpster in our alley - We painted one white with silver stars for her dil, put in an ivy (the one with the white edge) and are pondering what to do with the other - I think a pine tree seedling belongs in at least one. Posted by CMWren: All of those cute mugs you've accumulated for years, don't want to ditch for sentimental reasons, but whose numbers are so great even the worst caffeine addict and laziest dish washer could never use them all... Glass jars don't make it to the recylce bin in my house because they get saved for water-rooting cuttings. I've even started filling all the pretty pottery bowls that I keep buying because I love them but never end up using for food. Why have them stacked on the sideboard collecting dust when they could be showing off a plant, and could have a plant in them to show off the lovely bowl? TIP: For solid bottom containers or anything you don't want to put holes in: Bit of gravel in the bottom, piece of old window screen next, then soil on top. Posted by nutcase: I have a grain scoop that is really cute with some Sweet William in it. A chicken watering can with moss in the bottom part and millon bells in the top. One large and one small galvanized bucket. Two large (larger than wiskey barrels) plastic containers that minerals for cows came in. Posted by LibbyLiz: I use: Bush's Baked Beans cans (16-oz sz) with yogurt cups inside; An old painted label Musselman's Applesauce can with a Solo drink cup inside; Coffee cups with yogurt cups inside; A white metal red-rim wash basin; A blue spongeware canning bath with a pot inside; A coal bucket with a pot inside; A porcelain chamber pot with a pot inside; A 1970's copper hanging bowl-type thing with a yogurt cup inside; A little red wagon; An American Indian pottery votive candle holder with a 3-oz plastic Solo bathroom cup inside; A 5-gallon bucket for 'maters; A 5-gallon bucket for Elephant Ears *** The 5-gallon buckets may get decorated with Con-Tact adhevsive shelf paper; Pre-decorated margerine containers; Pre-decorated Cool Whip containers; and clear deli containers. TIP: For all the plastic cups & containers, I use a wood burning tool with a round tip to make drainage holes and for the 5-gallon buckets, I use a drill & the largest bit I can find to make drainage holes. Posted by bean57: Galvanized washtubs, old copper fish boilers, old farm pee pots, brass fire extinquisher, wooden tool box, washbasins. I like containers that look rustic and old fashioned. Posted by iracountrygirl: I love to find those cheap they can't hardly give them away baskets. I just spray paint them. I have some spray paint that I think the color is called pottery or old pottery. It's a real dark terracotta color and I use the flat (no gloss). You can even glue the flat marbles (gems) on them to dress them up and give them some sparkle. If you want to sit the basket on anything that needs protecting just line the basket with plastic before you fill it. They look really great. They're really cheap. They come in every size. I love them! TIP: I use a soil mix for my containers that is roughly (very roughly!) 75% soiless potting soil, 25% good garden soil, time release fertilizer (pellets) and some of the water absorbing crystals.