10 Everyday Florida Items That Make Perfect Planters And Save You From Buying Expensive Pots
Let’s face it – gardening in Florida can be tough on the wallet. Between buying soil, plants, and those overpriced pots, the cost of creating a beautiful garden can quickly add up.
But what if we told you that some of the best planters for your flowers and herbs might just be hiding around your house?
You probably already have a few perfect items in your garage, kitchen, or backyard just waiting to be repurposed.
Florida homeowners have plenty of options to save money and give their garden a unique touch. Not only will these household items save you a trip to the store, but they’ll also add a bit of charm and character to your outdoor space.
Ready to get creative?
Keep reading to discover unexpected household items that will make your garden bloom without breaking the bank.
1. Old Boots That Step Up Your Garden Game
Somewhere in the back of your closet or garage, there is probably a pair of old boots just waiting for a second life. Instead of tossing them out, put them to work in your Florida garden as one of the most charming planters you will ever own.
Rain boots, cowboy boots, and even worn-out sneakers all work beautifully for this project.
Start by drilling or poking a few small holes in the bottom of each boot to allow water to drain out. Florida rain can be heavy and frequent, so good drainage is a must to keep your plants healthy.
Fill the boots with a quality potting mix and plant colorful annuals like petunias, marigolds, or impatiens for a bright pop of color.
You can line them up along your front porch steps or hang them on a fence for a fun, eye-catching display. Rubber boots hold up especially well in Florida’s humid climate and resist cracking in the heat.
Leather boots may not last as long outdoors, but they still look amazing for a season or two. Kids absolutely love this idea, and it is a great way to get them excited about gardening.
Painting the boots in bright colors or fun patterns makes the display even more playful and personal.
2. Repurposed Tins That Bring A Tin-Tastic Touch
I’m sure we all have tin cans and decorative tins from the kitchen just waiting to be repurposed. These simple items are among the easiest and most satisfying to transform into unique planters for your garden.
Coffee tins, cookie tins, and even old paint cans can be cleaned up and turned into something really special for your Florida garden or patio. The best part is that they cost absolutely nothing if you already have them at home.
Before planting, use a hammer and nail to punch several drainage holes in the bottom of each tin. This step is crucial in Florida where afternoon thunderstorms can dump a lot of water very quickly.
Without drainage, roots can get waterlogged and your plants will struggle to thrive.
Once your drainage holes are ready, add a layer of gravel or broken pottery pieces at the bottom before filling with potting mix. This helps water move through freely and keeps the holes from getting clogged with soil.
Tins work especially well for growing herbs like basil, cilantro, and mint, which are popular choices among Florida home gardeners.
You can paint or decorate the outside of the tins with weather-resistant spray paint to add a personal touch. Try a chalkboard paint finish so you can write the plant names directly on the tin.
Grouping several tins of different sizes together on a patio table or shelf creates a stunning and practical herb garden that looks like it belongs in a magazine.
3. Tea Cups That Aren’t Just For Tea
Few things are as whimsical and delightful as a tiny succulent peeking out of a vintage tea cup. If you have mismatched, chipped, or extra tea cups sitting in your cabinet collecting dust, they are ready for a brand new purpose.
Florida gardeners have been using tea cups as mini planters for years, and the look never gets old.
Tea cups are perfectly sized for small succulents, cacti, air plants, and even miniature orchids, which thrive in Florida’s warm and humid conditions. The teapot spout naturally acts as a drainage point, making teapots especially handy for this project.
For regular cups without drainage holes, you can carefully use a diamond-tipped drill bit to add one, or simply layer the bottom with pebbles and activated charcoal to manage moisture.
Arranging a collection of tea cups in different patterns and sizes on a shelf, windowsill, or outdoor table creates a gorgeous focal point that guests will always comment on. Mixing floral-patterned cups with solid-colored ones adds visual variety and a vintage charm that feels both cozy and creative.
Tea cups also make wonderful gifts for fellow Florida plant lovers. Fill one with a small succulent, tie a ribbon around it, and you have a thoughtful, handmade present that costs next to nothing.
It is gardening meets art, and the results are truly lovely every single time you put one together.
4. Watering Cans That Give Your Plants A Splash Of Style
When a watering can gets too old or rusty to actually water plants anymore, most people just throw it away. But in Florida, that battered old can has a whole new calling as a stunning garden planter.
An overflowing watering can filled with colorful flowers is one of the most classic and beloved garden decorations around.
Galvanized metal watering cans hold up especially well in Florida’s outdoor environment, even through the rainy season. If your old can already has rust holes or cracks, that is actually perfect since drainage is built right in.
For cans that are still watertight, use a drill or nail to add a few holes near the base so excess water can escape.
Fill the can with a lightweight potting mix and plant trailing flowers like calibrachoa, sweet potato vine, or verbena for a cascading effect that looks absolutely gorgeous. The long spout of the watering can adds a playful, whimsical element to the design, making it look like the plants are spilling right out of the spout.
Place your planted watering can near your front door, along a garden path, or as a centerpiece on an outdoor dining table for maximum visual impact. You can even stack two or three cans of different sizes together to create a layered planting display.
This idea is simple, affordable, and instantly transforms any Florida yard into something truly eye-catching and memorable.
5. Wooden Crates That Bring Rustic Charm To Your Garden
There’s something about wooden crates that instantly add a warm, rustic charm to any Florida garden. Whether you’re using old fruit crates or sturdy storage crates from the hardware store, these versatile wood containers are both practical and naturally beautiful.
They work especially well in Florida’s outdoor spaces because they blend seamlessly with tropical greenery and colorful blooms.
Before planting, line the inside of each crate with a sheet of landscape fabric, burlap, or even a plastic bag with holes poked in it. This keeps the soil from falling through the gaps between the wood slats while still allowing proper drainage.
Without this step, you will find potting mix spilling out every time you water.
Wooden crates are large enough to hold multiple plants, which makes them ideal for creating mini gardens or herb collections. Try planting a mix of basil, parsley, thyme, and rosemary in one crate for a functional kitchen herb garden that sits right on your back porch.
Florida’s warm climate means these herbs will grow vigorously almost year-round.
To extend the life of your wooden crates outdoors, apply a coat of exterior wood sealant or paint them with weather-resistant outdoor paint. Stacking crates at different heights adds dimension and visual interest to your garden setup.
You can find wooden crates at flea markets, grocery stores, and thrift shops across Florida for very little money, making this one of the most budget-friendly planter ideas on this list.
6. Colanders That Drain The Boring Out Of Your Garden
You might not realize it, but colanders are one of the most underrated planter options hiding in your Florida kitchen. Those old strainers with holes already punched throughout them are practically made for gardening use.
The built-in drainage is absolutely perfect for Florida’s heavy rainfall, and the open design allows air to circulate around plant roots, which keeps them healthier overall.
Metal colanders are especially popular because they are durable, rust-resistant when coated, and look incredibly stylish hanging from a porch or fence. To use one as a planter, simply line the inside with a layer of burlap, cheesecloth, or coconut coir fiber to hold the soil in place while still letting water pass through freely.
Then fill with potting mix and plant away.
Strawberries, herbs, and trailing flowers all thrive beautifully in colanders, and the hanging option makes them ideal for Florida homes with limited patio space. Hanging colander planters also keep plants elevated, which can help protect them from some of Florida’s ground-level pests and critters.
Plastic colanders work just as well and are lighter and easier to hang. You can find colanders at thrift stores and dollar stores throughout Florida for almost nothing, or simply repurpose one that is already sitting in your kitchen cabinet.
Painting a plain colander in a bold, bright color before planting turns it into a true statement piece that will have your neighbors asking where you bought it. Spoiler: you made it yourself.
7. Mason Jars That Seal In The Charm
In many Florida homes, mason jars are a beloved staple, and they also double as some of the most charming and versatile planters you can use. Clear glass jars let you see the roots and soil layers, which adds a really cool visual element that solid pots simply cannot offer.
Wide-mouth mason jars are especially great for planting because they give roots more room to spread out.
For plants that need drainage, use a diamond drill bit to carefully add a hole in the bottom of the jar. If drilling is not your thing, fill the bottom quarter of the jar with pebbles, activated charcoal, and sand before adding potting mix.
This creates a mini drainage system that works surprisingly well for small plants.
Herbs like mint, chives, and basil grow wonderfully in mason jars and look stunning lined up along a kitchen windowsill or outdoor shelf. In Florida, you can keep mason jar herb gardens outside almost all year long thanks to the warm weather.
Air plants and small succulents are also fantastic choices since they need very little water and thrive in Florida’s humidity.
Mason jars can be painted, wrapped in twine, or decorated with chalkboard labels to match any style from farmhouse to modern. Grouping them in a wooden crate or wire basket creates an instant garden display that looks professionally designed.
Best of all, a case of mason jars costs just a few dollars at any Florida grocery or hardware store.
8. Wheelbarrows That Roll Into Your Garden Dreams
An old wheelbarrow that has seen better days is one of the most impressive and dramatic planters you can create for a Florida yard. Once a wheelbarrow is too worn out for hauling soil or mulch, it does not have to sit rusting in the shed.
Filled with soil and overflowing with tropical blooms, it becomes the most talked-about feature in your entire garden.
Wheelbarrows are naturally deep, which means they can accommodate a wide variety of plants with longer root systems. In Florida, large flowering plants like bougainvillea, portulaca, and pentas do exceptionally well in wheelbarrow planters because they have plenty of room to grow and spread.
The depth also helps the soil retain moisture between waterings, which is helpful during drier stretches of Florida’s winter months.
If your wheelbarrow does not already have holes from wear and tear, drill several in the bottom for drainage. You can also fill the bottom layer with gravel or broken pot pieces before adding potting mix to improve water flow.
Metal wheelbarrows may eventually rust through, but that worn, weathered look actually adds to the rustic charm of the planter.
Position your wheelbarrow planter in a spot where it gets full Florida sunshine for at least six hours a day, and watch your plants take off. Because wheelbarrows have handles and a wheel, you can also move the planter around your yard to follow the sun or protect plants from unexpected cold snaps that sometimes hit Florida in winter.
9. Old Drawers That’re Full Of Surprises For Your Garden
Pulling an old dresser out to the curb might seem like the obvious move when it starts falling apart, but before you do, pop those drawers out and put them to work in your Florida garden. Old dresser drawers make surprisingly wonderful planters, especially when you stack them at different heights to create a tiered garden display that looks absolutely stunning against a fence or wall.
Wood drawers are naturally deep enough to support a good variety of plants, from shallow-rooted herbs to larger flowering annuals. Sand down any rough edges and apply a coat of exterior paint or wood sealant to help them survive Florida’s heat, humidity, and frequent rain.
Bright, bold colors like turquoise, coral, and yellow look especially vibrant surrounded by tropical Florida greenery.
Drill drainage holes in the bottom of each drawer before filling with potting mix. Lining the inside with landscape fabric first helps keep the soil from pushing out through the wood gaps while still allowing water to drain freely.
Planting a mix of colors and textures in each drawer creates a lush, layered look that feels like a real garden installation.
Old drawers are easy to find at thrift stores, garage sales, and flea markets all across Florida, often for just a dollar or two each. You can even use mismatched drawers from different dressers for an eclectic, collected-over-time look that feels completely personal and one of a kind.
Neighbors will stop to admire it every single time they walk by.
10. Sinks And Bathtubs That Make A Splash In Your Garden
Nothing makes a bolder statement in a Florida garden than a full-sized sink or bathtub overflowing with plants. Old porcelain sinks and clawfoot bathtubs have become legendary in the world of repurposed garden planters, and for good reason.
They are deep, roomy, incredibly durable, and they already come with a built-in drain hole, making them almost perfect for outdoor planting right from the start.
A bathtub planter can hold an impressive variety of plants at once, from tall ornamental grasses to sprawling tropical flowers and cascading vines. In Florida, you can fill a bathtub with a mix of colorful crotons, ornamental sweet potato vine, and blooming lantana for a display that looks lush and full all year long.
The depth of a tub also means roots have plenty of space to grow strong and deep.
Position your tub planter in a sunny spot in the backyard where it can become a true focal point. Prop it up on bricks or decorative pavers to improve drainage and give it a more finished, intentional look.
Painting the outside of the tub in a bright color or leaving the vintage porcelain as-is both look amazing in a Florida outdoor setting.
Sinks work well as smaller planting stations and can be mounted on a fence or set on a stand for a raised garden effect. Both options are fantastic for Florida gardeners who want maximum planting space without spending a single dollar on expensive commercial pots or raised garden bed kits.
