burger king 5 gallon buckets (free)
20 gallon large buckets (walmart or kmart)They are not in garden section, but with the trashcans.
Ikea has wastebaskets for cheap cheap
Our pool guy uses buckets..I asked him.
Apparently you can get them from the bakery (free)
Nursing home use soap powder in buckets (free)
Apparently you can get large barrels from car washes. I have not tried this.
Curb shopping (my favorite)Everyone is planting trees and you can get the nursery pots, large ones.
Can you tell I put great thought into cheap containers??? LOL

Just wanted to say "ditto" for the Ikea recommendation, but if you're willing to go a bit more expensive, they actually carry containers that are pretty nice. I got several earlier this week, and am going back tomorrow morning for a few more. Check out their website (www.ikea.com) in their "Summer is Here", then "Outdoor Decorating" categories to get an idea on prices, etc.

You can also get big pickle buckets from restraunts. I think they are 10 gallon? I asked at a local steakhouse and they offered me all I wanted for free, lids too. I couldn't quite clean all the dill pickle smell out, but I don't think the worms or plants care.

If you have a Dollar Tree store, they have a lot of planters right now. They are really nice except for the fact that they have no holes in the bottom (Something that was easily, but a little bit messily fixed with a box cutter)

I need to go get some more this weekend lol :)

i use a hand drill on a wood block so the 99cent plastic dont crack, or use a blowdryer to warm the plastic and stab with hot ice pick/punch if you are handy/careful

How far are you from Stew Leonard's?
On Saturdays at the Yonkers store, thay put out assorted pails/buckets that are free for the taking.
I don't know if they do it at the CT stores - check it out.
They have the square & round buckets that the salads come in (pot. salad, cole slaw, etc) they have allso had the black buckets they use in the cut flower dept.
You should be there when the store opens... they go VERY quickly.

Morton's has been recommended as a good source for nursery containers on the Roses Forum. The shipping charges are not stated on the website and supposedly one is emailed with the total for approval after ordering. Some rose forumers that have ordered from them state the charges are "reasonable."

Here is a link that might be useful: Morton's Horticultural Products

Other than free, the cheapest source I've found in New England is the Christmas Tree Shops. They have the new lightweight foam containers in many styles. The 16" ones are $4.99, and I've seen identical ones at Home Depot for >$20. The plastic containers at Christmas Tree Shops are even cheaper and run from $1-$4 depending on size and style. I believe CT locations are Manchester, Orange & Danbury.

Here is a link that might be useful: Christmas Tree Shops

5 gallon buckets free at Burger King? Is this true? Can they be used for tomatoes or mainly just for flowers? What typs of buckets are they? You've got my attention!

Try the cake department in local grocery stores. Frosting comes in very large white plastic containers....great for assorted uses including planting your tomato seedlings.

How about the plastic buckets (used for carrying your winnings) at gambling casino's. That is, if you happen to have any casino's in your area that are within driving distance. If not, maybe a trip to Vegas? I collected a stash of them the last time I visited. :)

I've heard that old shoes can make attractive planters. Old cowboy boots maybe? How about wicker baskets or an old stump? Boulders and driftwood? I'm planning on getting creative with my planters this year and these are a few ideas I might try. Besides beig cheap or, better yet-FREE, they are also creative. Although, as I'm sure you know, being thrifty and creative usually go hand in hand! LOL.

Have you Tried Big Lot's? They have a good selection of decorative containers for cheap. You will have to drill holes in them for the most part, but hey they are cheap! I bought several from them last year and painted them to suit my taste. According to their website there is a Big Lot's in Derby.

I had a friend who works at a hospital save #10 size cans ('bout the size of a large coffee can) for me and I put them outside and let them get all nice and rusty this winter. They have them in spades at most restaurants as well.

I have gotten lots of 5 gal white buckets from our local nursing home....some had liquid soap, some had a bleach type liquid.....takes lots of cleaning....and a final rinse of cheap brand of vinegar to kill all that is left.
They have an endless supply and if no one wants they go in the trash.....DH has even cut them down in height for me with some kind of saw....(I am not into tools as you can see), then he drilled hole in the bottom for drainage....Worked good for me.....I have even wondered about painting them but have not pursued that one yet..Saf

You should ask resturants because they have all sorts of bulk food ingredients shipped in buckets. I used to work in a sushi resturant, and we had tons of clean soysauce buckets just taking up space in the back. We were glad to give some away.

I get 5 litre and 10 litre mayonnaise buckets from my work's canteen - they only have to throw them away otherwise. IIR 1 litre is about equivalent to 1 US gallon. They use a well-known brand of mayonnaise and the buckets are brightly coloured. I think they look nice en masse!

Alcina

I have been getting blue 55 gal. platic barrels and cutting them in half. I then cage them with 2" x 4" wire in which I have cut 4' X 4" holes to harvest my tomatos. Up side they stay in place well. Down side heavy and hard to move. Cost $4 to $6 per barrel but cut in half drops the price to $2 to $3 per pot.

jbeare, where do you get the blue barrels? that sounds perfect.

Purchased mine at Family Dollar. The most expensive ones they had were 5.00. They were plastic and some you just needed to pop out the holes in the bottom. Very nice looking.

I get 5 gallon buckets at local restaurants, Also
folgers coffee now comes in plastic containers,
also have some different sizes of black nursery
pots.
To make them look nice I bought different colors of
Krylon fusion spray paint for plastics. I'm in the
process of painting them now. I will try to post a
pic when I'm all done.
I also like to make pots out of hypertufa (check out
that forum for ideas).

Good luck & happy gardening,
gemfire

If you have small plants, tupperware, coffee cups, ladles, china, old pots, strainer/colander... kitchens hold all sorts of food, why not dirt and greenery? =D

Plastic coffee containers are fun, especially in a group. Just heat a nail or ice pick to use to make a few holes in the bottom of the container.

KM

Well they didn't cost me anything since they were family stuff but I like using old containers....

I have an old HUGE cast iron pot with the bail/handle that they use to cook apple butter in over an open fire. Charcoal and large gravel in the bottom of it and my elephant ears love it. In the winter we roll it into an outbuilding. In the spring when we bring it out I lay a board over it to limit the rain water until it starts growing again.

I also have an old galvanized wash tub on legs with wheels. One year we lined it with heavy plastic and used it as a small pond. Recently I just use a large potted Fo-Ti vine in it. It's also a good place to hide my hand tools.

Last but not least is another old rusted shallow tub from many years ago. The bottom was pretty rusted out. My MIL was going to toss it. I brought it home, mixed up some good potting soil and lots of sand and put a thornless prickly pear cactus in it and stuck it under the eve of the house so it doesn't get a lot of rain and it's thriving and contained. I've seen where some of the small town hardware stores still sell these old tubs (new) in different sizes. They're not too expensive if you just grab one or two at a time and are very charming filled with plants.

I just bought 35 one-gallon plastic planters for $10 on e-bay. There were several individuals/companies selling quantities of containers. Not free but pretty cheap.

--Valerie

WINE BOXES!!! :-)

If you are wine lover and you order multiple bottles, save the wooden boxes that the bottles are shipped in. I LOVE them. I have a collection of them...1'X 1', 1' X 2', and 2' X 4' are usually the sizes. They are about 10 inches to a foot deep. If you don't get wine, ask friends and neighbors if they do and ask them to give you their boxes! If not, call up local wine cellars/liquor stores and ask them for their boxes.

Now, the trick I have learned is to waterproof them. I bought a gallon size waterproofing/weatherproofing clear coat (the kind you paint on wooden decks) at Home Depot for $12. It also has a fungicide. That was 2 years ago and the can is still 2/3 full. I just drill holes in the bottom of the wine box and then paint the waterproofing agent on to the box. I line the box with plastic (little holes cut out) and I plant away! :-)

This year my theme is red. I have three wine boxes out in front filled with red impatiens in the shade, Scarlet dahlias in the sun, and a mix of red petunias and zinnias in the sun. In a couple of months they will be spewing forth RED. I can't wait!

Now, you don't have to go to the trouble of preserving the wood if you don't want to. But, then your boxes will only be good for one season at best. They become warped and mildewy after a few months. If you get them for free, then no problem.

I like to keep mine around for a bit longer because I love the labels on the boxes. Lots of images of French countrysides, California wine country or of vineyards that are burned into the sides of each box. They look so quaint so I can't bear to part with them. By weatherproofing the boxes, I can make them last for about 3 seasons, sometimes longer.

The plain wine boxes I sometimes paint a bright color, like red, yellow, whatever. One season I painted a wine box a bright turquoise color and filled it with all kinds of white summer annuals. I placed up on a decorative garden boulder and you would not believe the oohs and aaahs!

I'm so sorry for the long posting, but I love the wine boxes so much for my garden. They are free and so very versatile. I also love the symmetrical lines of boxes better than round pots for annuals.

Have fun!

Neggy

Definately Burger King!
Following advice from this thread I called the two near me and both were willing to hand over 5 gallon buckets. One actually cleaned them for me and had them stacked and ready to go. The other said I was free to look in the dumptser. Guess which offer I accepted.
They just got back from picking up 10 cleaned buckets! I'm very happy.
Thanks for the tip!
Happy Gardening
C

Hi. I'm new, getting started on container gardening, and really loving this forum! I am going to call BK in the morning!

Just wanted to add-- I had this little plastic pool from Walmart that my kids used to wade in. They still sell them in various sizes, this one cost $6-- I actually ended up w/2 because when they got it for me 2 were sticking together and I didn't realize it until I had used it and was trying to empty it. Anyway, the one I have is about 8" deep and 3' diameter. I'm gonna try drilling some holes in it for drainage and filling it with soil and planting all of my herbs in it.

A lot of people w/young kids have these things lying around, maybe you could even get one for free if you ask around.

I bought 2 $3 wicker laundry baskets from Walmart, lined them with garbage bags, except for at the bottom, and filled them up with soil! We'll see how they do, but I've got a really great feeling about it- I've planted in baskets lined with plastic before, but these are a lot bigger than the small ones I've done. It's an idea, anyway! I'll keep y'all posted as to how they do!

Recently at my local nursery I was drooling over some of the beautiful terra cotta and lightweight look-a-like containers. They were very pricey so I asked the woman who owns the place if she ever has a sale and she said that she had last season containers that she wanted to get rid of to make room for the newer ones. Long story short, I bargained with her and got unbelievable prices on gorgeous, large containers! I mean 20-24 inch pots for 10-15 bucks each!! These pots were marked on the bottom at 50-70 dollars which I would NEVER spend. I guess the moral of the story is "it never hurts to ask!"

Most of the free buckets from restaurants are now 4 gallon buckets. My guess is they switched to reduce the weight (and their liability). I have just posted in the fig forum of a source of cheap/free ~20 gallon buckets. Link follows.

~james

Here is a link that might be useful: cheap tubs

has anyone tried their local freecycle site? I got some large containers and potting soil and gardening tools from my site.
Michelle

Here is a link that might be useful: freecycle

Have you tried a resale store. In Lewisville, TX they have a christian resale shop called CCA that sells containers for $2-$3. I bought a copper bucket for $3 and an old brass planter for $2. You could also try antique stores or garage sales.

Well, last year I had bought a Flowerhouses Greenhouse to start seeds. I went to a local nursery and asked if I could buy their used pots. Instead he gave me a stack of about 50 of the 4" square black pots - for FREE!! :)

They're not necessarily useful for decorative purposes, but they are definitely good for getting the seedlings going!

Another source for 5 gallon buckets - construction sites/painting contractors.

My DH brings home paint buckets whenever I need them. Once the paint dries inside, it's easy to peel off.

Gotta love that Krylon Fusion for the outside... =oD

I have long since learned that anything that will hold soil and either already has holes in it, or drainage holes can be put into it, will make an excellent container. I use hubby's discarded, worn out work boots, for my hens and chicks I use my kids out grown tennis shoes...I also have things planted in old Easter baskets, worn out wicker baskets, plastic rubbermaid type storage bins, old pots and pans, even a child's potty that isnt used anymore. Be creative and look at things in different ways...I'm sure if you look around your house with an eye on what will hold potting mix instead of on what to use for a garden container, you just might surprise yourself. ;)

Home Depot often puts its utility buckets on sale. I picked up a bunch for about $3 per. Not exactly free, but at least you can be sure that no harmful materials were ever carried inside of them.

Getting Utility Buckets Ready for Container Gardening

Try garden centers. I work at a family owned lawn and garden center. We usually have lots of sturdy black plastic containers leftover from landscaping jobs we've done. I've snagged some nice 3 - 5 gallon pots that I plan to use this spring.

I've noted many of your suggestions, but I am looking for large rectangle pots (like 36L 15D 15/16H) to put ornamental grasses in under my front windows. I already have a 4 ft. wide gravel bed to set them on.

Has anyone seen any non-ceramic of this large size in the greater Hartford CT area or can come up with an alternative?

treeskate, I've been making several containers of that size. This year I'm using 1x10 pine boards and 2x2s. I get the cheapest pine boards they sell at Menards. For a 3' long box you can get 6' 1x10 boards and cut them in half. 1x10s are really 9" 1/4 wide so use 2 per side. Screw them into a 2x2 and then screw the sides in to make a box. For the bottom I use an old piece of 3/4" plywood that I have laying around. Screw the bottom into the box and drill holes for drainage and you have a planter. Paint it inside and out with a porch and floor oil based paint and it will last. That Glidden stuff Home Depot sells is really good and they have various colors.

I would estimate for your project you'd need (using prices at my Menards here in Chicago).

2 6' 1x10s for front/back $9
1 6' 1x10 for sides $4.50
3'x 1.5' 3/4" plywood ~$5.00 (you can scrounge for this)
1/3 gal oil paint $7 ($20/gal)
screws ~$2
1 8' 2x2 $2

So total cost is between $25 and $30

If you dumpster dive you can sometimes find 3' scraps of pine for free! :-)

Click on the link below to see 2 of the new boxes I built using pine.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:14684}}

Whats really funny is that I was already thinking of doing the exact same thing except throw some casters on the bottom so I can move them easily. I'm also going to build a caged area around it with running lattice and chicken wire ( a total of about $10 for all that stuff). I have an evil squirrel who ate through my x-mas lights last year, so I need to protect!

Big Thanks mea2214! Great pics. Wish me luck....

I've been on the look out for an old discarded baby carriage or pram. I can just picture how cool it would look sitting in my side yard bursting with flowers.