Saturday, January 2, 2010

It's Easy Being Green: What to do with my old compost pail?

I got a new compost pail for Christmas, which was great because the old one's finish was wearing off and it was just generally nasty. I keep the pail on the kitchen counter, so I like for it to look nice. Anyway, I wasn't going to just throw the old one away, so I decided to turn it into a hanging planter.

First, Scott poked holes in the bottom for drainage:
Then, I filled it about 1/4 - 1/3 of the way with wine corks to fill up space (without a lot of weight) and help with drainage:
Last, I filled it with dirt and flowers. What do you think?

For another (not gardening-related) way to reuse wine corks, see this old Easy Being Green post.

Happy New Year!!!

13 comments:

Aunt Debbi/kurts mom said...

Great idea.

Bangchik and Kakdah said...

I looks neat and decent.... ~bangchik

Dave@TheHomeGarden said...

Nice idea!

Blossom said...

I think that's great!

Janet, The Queen of Seaford said...

Love a copper pot! Your cork idea is a good one! The pansies make a perfect plant in your compost pail.

NotSoAngryRedHead said...

That's a pretty good idea because corks retain moisture and are resistant to mold and bacteria IIRC. I LOVE that little pail! Soooo adorable!

Dig, Grow, Compost, Blog said...

I think it looks lovely! I've never thought of using corks for that but now I have a good excuse to save them. Brilliant!

Lisa Blair said...

That's so cute, Ginger! I hope you guys had a great new year.

Susie said...

I would have had to keep it too Ginger.

It really looks cute potted with your pansies.

Ginger said...

Thanks, y'all!

FYI: As much as I enjoyed this pail as a compost pail for about a year, and think it looks cute as a planter, I wouldn't buy it again. It's large and sturdy, but the copper finish wears off when you clean the pail. I never cleaned it with anything more harsh than dish soap and a sponge. It looks rough, not pleasantly weathered, where the finish has rubbed off.

My new ceramic pail is SO much easier to clean.

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

It looks perfect! It was definitely too nice to throw away.

KMG said...

Great idea, Ginger. We must be sisters by another mother, LOL. I got a new kitchen composter for Christmas too. The old one was an ugly plastic tub. I, too, collect wine corks - my mom nearly had a heart attack when she saw my collection in their bowl atop the frig! I keep thinking I'll cover a wall with them one of these days.
Life's too short to drink bad wine I always say. ;-0

Dirt Princess said...

I am soooo behind! Trying to catch up! I love that bucket! I need to get a good compost bucket! I love making anything and everything into a planter! That one will look fantastic