For those who love thrift shopping, there’s usually an aisle dedicated to baskets in most second-hand stores. These baskets, whether crafted from natural fibers, wire, or plastic, are incredibly versatile. While their primary use is to hold items, creative minds are finding unique outdoor applications for these ubiquitous containers. Baskets are a staple you should consider repurposing in your garden and yard. We’ve gathered a variety of innovative and unexpected ways baskets can be used to enhance your outdoor spaces.
Throughout history, baskets have been essential for gathering food, from wild berries to bird eggs. But their utility doesn’t end there. Baskets can protect plants, beautify garden landscapes, or support plant growth. They play a significant role in assisting certain food plants, aiding in growth or simplifying the harvest process. Even damaged baskets have a place in the garden. After exploring these inventive uses, you might find yourself paying closer attention to the basket selection during your next thrift store visit.
Plant Protector
Though you may not find these among natural fiber baskets, wire baskets are a common find in thrift stores. Often seen as trash cans, office organizers, or shower caddies, their dense mesh makes them perfect for plant protection. Position them cloche-style over plants that attract critters. Secure them with a heavy brick or stone, allowing plants to enjoy rain and sunlight while staying safe from animals.
Root Protector
Concerned about precious roots? If you’ve ever seen your plant disappear into the soil, thanks to burrowing animals, you’ll understand the frustration. Be proactive by burying a wire basket in the soil before planting. This underground protection allows moisture, air, and nutrients to pass through while safeguarding roots from hungry critters.
Flower Planter
Using a thrifted basket as a decorative flower planter may not be groundbreaking, but it’s an economical way to enhance your patio with plants. Unless the basket is tightly woven, you’ll need a liner before adding soil. Use coconut coir, moss, or plastic sheeting with drainage holes. Fill with soil, and arrange your plants attractively.
Laundry Basket Strawberry Planter
Strawberry planters are vertical containers with side pockets for plants. While terracotta or ceramic options can be expensive, a tall plastic laundry basket offers a budget-friendly alternative. Find one at a thrift store or Dollar Tree, line it with burlap for soil retention and aesthetic contrast, and cut holes for your strawberries. Top with flowers or more strawberries for a unique display.
Mini Raised Bed
Flat crates, like those used for bread displays, make perfect mini-raised beds. Though not the most visually appealing, these shallow plastic containers found at thrift stores can be lined with a permeable material to hold soil. They’re ideal for shallow-rooting plants or seedlings.
Flower Drying Frog
Tall, loosely woven baskets can be repurposed as flower-drying frogs. Invert the basket, and thread flower stems through the weave. As they dry, you can display their evolving beauty. Fill the basket just enough to allow easy removal of individual dried plants without damaging others.
Hanging Planter
Wild and domestic animals can quickly ruin outdoor planters. Elevating them reduces vulnerability. Utilize the handles of attractive wicker or wire baskets to create hanging planters. Ensure the handles are sturdy. Hang them with a chain or secure them to a wall to maximize vertical space.
Basket Arch
When wicker baskets become too worn to hold weight, repurpose them for decoration. If you have a wire arch awaiting summer’s greenery, hang baskets from its edges using twine or wire. Even worn-out baskets can contribute to an appealing display.
Potato Tower
Potato harvesting is a mix of fun and frustration, like a scavenger hunt with uncertain results. Confine potato plants to a single container, like a laundry basket, to simplify the process. At the end of the season, tip the basket over a tarp to collect your potatoes with less hassle.
Real Easter Basket Grass
Synthetic Easter grass is an environmental concern. Instead, consider growing real grass in a basket. Line a colorful handled basket with a liner, soil, and a layer of grass seeds. Allow ample time for the grass to grow lush before Easter for a unique and eco-friendly display.
Mushroom Garden
Laundry baskets can serve as excellent mushroom gardens. Fill them with growing medium and spores, and watch mushrooms sprout through the sides and top for easy harvesting. Using straw as the growing medium simplifies cleanup compared to soil-grown crops.
Winter Seed Sowing
For winter seed sowing, cut holes in resealable plastic bags, partially fill them with soil, and add seeds. Close the bags, leaving an inch open, and line them in a laundry basket. Secure with marshmallow roasting skewers through the top corners of each bag, and insert the skewers through the basket’s upper holes to keep bags upright until seeds sprout.
Worm Basket
Create a vermicompost system in your garden bed using a small wire basket. Bury it up to the lip in soil, and fill with alternating layers of food scraps and garden waste. This setup attracts worms or supports those already in the basket. As the material decomposes, worms will produce nutrient-rich castings for your plants.
