I also stopped at a local hardware store with a garden center and bought a plumbago & a blue daze plant. I'd seen them last week and have been trying to talk myself out of them but today I caved.

I guess now I need to find an appropriate spot to plant them.

I have all sorts of containers in reserve, similar to yours, that I bought at yard sales or the dollar store. I start cuttings in them & give them to garden visitors. .... only difference is that I drill holes in mine for drainage.

Al

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Al

You make me want to go back to the store and see what odd shaped containers I passed up! There was one little ceramic, similar to the blue one in your second picture that I didn't get because I knew I didn't have a pot for it. How do you drill the holes in the ceramics? With a masonry bit? I need to do this, I've seen some fabulous containers that are the "wrong shape" for sinking pots. I guess they could be set on trays or saucers just like regular pots.

I'd never really considered more house plants - the three I had were gifted to me - or "funky" containers until my neighbor went out of town for a month and part of my "feeding her animals duty" was to water her African Violets. At the time, I was far more worried about her plants than her animals. She has about 15 African Violets, all set in neat little tins or pots or bowls and I blame her for my slip into the first four African Violets, that then turned into a rather fast-growing addiction to buying plants.

I'm not sure if I get inspired or intimidated when I see some of the pictures of the plants on this forum. A little bit of both, I think.

The only difference between intimidation and inspiration is confidence, so stick around and soak some up.

Copy pasted from something I left on another thread, about drilling holes:
I have considerable experience drilling hard materials, with 30 yrs in the glazing contracting business (glass company). We regularly drill all sizes of holes in glass/mirrors, granite (shower door installations) and other vitrified materials (the objects people bring to us to drill holes in).

Ease of drilling varies with the hardness of the material, of course, but terra-cotta containers are not hard at all. Most containers you'll encounter can best be drilled with a "spear-point" drill. I'll link you to a picture from one of our suppliers. The drill is also called a '3-point' or 'spade' drill. Highly vitreous containers (glass, or glass-like - ceramic - clay fired at extremely high temperatures) may even require a diamond impregnated "core drill", but it's uncommon to find containers like this.

These drills (spade/spear-point) can be found at big box home improvement stores. They should be cooled with water or a 50/50 mix of water/antifreeze as you drill. An excellent strategy is to immerse the container you're drilling so it's upside down in a tub and add enough water to just cover the drilling surface as you drill. Rotating the drill clockwise, keeping it at a slight angle while drilling, will greatly increase the ease of the whole operation.

Alternately (I use this method), fill a squeeze container (contact lens solution bottle is stellar) with water or 50/50 water/antifreeze & squirt it at the drill/material interface as you drill. If you can't find the drill you need, you can contact me off forum & I'll be glad to help you.

See a picture of what the drill looks like below. They are made of carbide and designed to drill very hard materials. They're not too expensive, fortunately.

Al

Here is a link that might be useful: Click me to see spear-point drill

Thank you!

My husband said he can use a bit like that sometimes for other things, so it looks like it could be a go!

(he probably doesn't realize what it means for the long run and my thrift store shopping)

Juli

Al, I'm planning on ordering the drill bits today - I think I'll get a diamond encrusted one (for repurposing dishes) and the spear point (for softer materials).

Questions:
What size bits do I want?
Where do I want the holes? (I saw somewhere, in a forum search, that it may be best to drill on an edge instead of the center.)

diamond encrusted type: http://www.lowes.com/pd_146373-67702-728020_0__?productId=1017877&Ntt=dewalt+drill+bit+diamond&pl=1&currentURL=&facetInfo=

Juli

that is a bit I recently bought (there was a great sale on them in Lowe's), and at the same time I got set of 4 spear-point drills too (again, happened to be 40% off sale).
Besides plants, I am becoming a tool junkie.

I didn't really worry about the size, if tiny - I just drill more holes. If larger diameter, drainage won't hurt, & the hole is easily covered with a piece of window screen/craft store needlpoint screen/piece of lanscape fabric to prevent soil from falling out. I drill holes in lowest part of the bottom (some containers have sort off raised centre), I don't think it matters much (if centre or side) otherwise.

Rina

I found a 1/4" diamond "hole boring" bit - but I want to make sure it's not too small. I don't want to wear it out drilling multiple holes in ceramic / glass because I have a lot of those containers I want to use so I want to reduce the number of holes I need to drill per container.

And this leads to another question:
How many holes are the bits (both types) good for? Approximately, of course, as I know it will depend on the type of container. Let's say the harder materials, so I know how many I ought to buy to start with.

Thanks! :D

Confession: I'm heading to town at about 10am to hit up a church thrift store that's only open two days a week - a couple weeks ago I got about 10 containers for less than $1.50. I now have so many containers now that they're starting to take over my kitchen counter - all awaiting holes so I can plant in them and put them outside. My husband will soon rebel, I can feel it. I was going to store them over the top counters but it's a flimsy piece of veneer type material so I'm afraid I'll collapse it. That would make my husband more annoyed than the stuff on the counter. Ha, I need a garden shed.

--- if the wasps weren't out in force, I'd clean out the rust old doorless shed that we plan to tear down eventually and use it to store my gardening supplies. A winter project, I guess!

*rusty old doorless shed

Make sure to take lots of pictures and share your container finds! (And containers that you've filled with plants!) Your picture at the top of this thread was so cute!

Oh, I need to! Maybe later, after my trip to town.

Last Saturday, I found a metal teapot, white with green wire ivy around the top, that I drilled holes into and potted with some of my white & pink torenia. Not wanting to leave bare spots in my torenia pots, I just got a few plants and did cuttings off of them right into the pot. It's pretty spare looking right now but hopefully the plants will take off. One of the cuttings was looking a bit wilty so I pulled off all but one leaf and today it looks perky.

I also found a large pitcher with blue, purple, and green fruits - but that's ceramic or something so needs a different bit.
(and I got lots more but I can't recall right now, lol)

-- I just trimmed back some leggy impatiens and have about 12 cuttings started, I'll put them into some of these containers.

More! and some old, with plants in. Several of the ones with plants in are scheduled for hole drilling so they can be planters in their own right. Some don't fit the pots very well but a) my kids like to stick the pots in various containers and b) some of the plants will fill out to cover where you can see the pot.

The red container is in the opening post, once I drill holes in it, I won't have to have the pot sunk. The other rectangular, and perfectly fits a plastic tub that held lunch meat so I planted the plant in the tub and now it's a cache pot.
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Blue pottery thing...
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The one on the left wasn't a thrift store find, but a birthday present. The one on the right, the vase, is in the OP.
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Brass "bucket"
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Randoms, mostly with cuttings. I'm sort of almost worried about the echeveria - it was just beheaded and looks rather sickly.
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The "big spender" $3.
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Tinies, with a semi-mini AV & a standard. Both new to me as of a couple weeks ago, on their way to recovery from shipping:
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Standard AVs, all recovering in one way or another from the last couple weeks (I fell on one, oops, and the others had sucker-removal surgery).
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Stash not being used yet, moved off my kitchen counter. I need a drill! (some are plastic and I will drill holes in them today, maybe)
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Teapot! The torenia are two small plants and cuttings from the plants, put in evening before yesterday (or yesterday morning). Grow, torenia, grow!!
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I got two pots like the big one, an almost as big plastic pot, the rusty kettle, and one of my brass containers but I can't recall which one, at a yard sale a couple weeks ago, $20 for all. Worth it just for the two terra cotta pots, I think.
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And a just opening hibiscus flower from the other night, probably the one you see in the picture above this:
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Thanks for all the pictures!---now I want to go shoppping! I think the brass bucket, blue pottery thing, & two teapots are my favorites.

I usually use 1/2" drills, but any size hole will work if you cover it with screen.

To maximize tool life, keep the tool:work surface interface cooled with water, water and antifreeze @ 50/50, or water and a little dish soap. You can fill a contact lens solution bottle with the liquid and keep squirting it at the interface to keep things cooled, or use a spritzer bottle with the nozzle set of 'stream' setting, or put the container upside down in a tub, then add just enough water to cover the interface surface while you drill. Let the tool do the work - that is, be patient and avoid a lot of your own pressure. The weight of the drill motor should be all you need ..... or a light hand on a drill press, if that's what you end up using.

Al

Yesterday we went to an estate sale and I got about 10 clay pots (two 10", the rest 6" or bigger), five ceramic/clay planters, three large plastic window box type planters, a tin pitcher, several bags of soil (which will go into my beds), and a bag of Black Kow for about $15.

My husband was there this time and rolled his eyes a few times. But I say you can never have too many pots! Or soil amendments. ;)

-- My oldest (15) is working for a lady this morning and usually I'd "fight out" (with my husband) the 7am drive to get him there but I figure I'll swing back by to see what's been marked down since today is the last day. There were some huge ferns in HUGE pots, I'll ask about them this morning if they're still there.

Oh, and thanks so much, tapla! My new bits should be here on Monday, can't wait to start drilling holes and clearing off my kitchen counter!

I just stopped by to see what all this buzz was all about, and now I am glad I did.

Not happy though about not being able to shop the yard sales with my Mom this a.m.lol

Beautiful pots, plants and ideas. Thank you

Mike

Thanks, Mike!

I've turned into quite the yard sale / thrift store junkie. On the way back from taking my son, I stopped at a few yard sales. I got two more teapots (both ceramic, so will need to be drilled) and a garden cultivator for $3 at one.

I stopped back by the estate sale and got two more 8" terra cotta pots that were stuck together yesterday so I didn't buy them. I was afraid they'd break but someone got them apart and I got them both for $1. The ferns were too much for my budget, at $30. Well worth it, but not for me today.
I won't be able to play with my plants today because we bought two pieces of antique furniture there yesterday and today I'm rearranging my living room (I have 1 too many pieces of furniture now) and my bedroom.
Bedroom: To make room for the lowboy dresser, I had to move my desk and it's currently sitting in the middle of the room. Have no idea where I'm going to put my computer - the desk will probably be banished somewhere. But the "new" furniture is very cool.
Living Room: The other piece is a secretary desk, which displaced a sofa-height long shelf. I put the shelf behind the loveseat in front of the windows (yay! more good light for plants!), but now the sofa has to move down, which displaces a side table/shelf, which has no home.

Oh well.

Juli

ps. what's up with my zones? In the preview it changed the "/" to "%3A"

That is Alien zone talk. Pay no mind to that..lol

I read what you just wrote about yard saling to my mother, and that is her all over! She said she would have a blast with someone like you.lol

Let me tell you, you just don't find stuff at store like you do at flea markets, yard sales, and estate sales.lol

I can understand why the yard has to be put on hold. And to add to that, once you do find a great piece of furniture, that is when the whole room is changed and cleaned...lol

Mike

You're so right! I ended up being busy yesterday so only the living room is done so far but yep, places that don't usually get cleaned are now clean (behind large pieces of furniture). I found a huge spider hiding out - I guess that's where the reappearing web in the corner was coming from. I relocated it to the palm tree outside, I hope I'm not now overrun by whatever type of bugs it was eating.

~

My drill bits are here! UPS doesn't deliver here until about 7-8pm but I was in town dropping my van off at the mechanic and my driver pulled in with a delivery so I got it early. I've already drilled four holes into pots.

The purple & blue fruit pitcher on the left, which somehow managed to be potted up with a houseplant (my neon pothos), so won't be making the move to outside. I am using one of the blue plates as its saucer.
The white vase in the back with the blue ring & flower and the brown pottery-looking "pot" two items to the right (which is actually brown & blue lid that had a matching plate - I left the plate at the thrift store)
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The other piece was one of the teapots I got at a yard sale Saturday morning, I put in a volunteer torenia that I dug out of the ground.

It's nice to know I'm in good company as I started prowling the Salvation Army family stores a few weeks ago. I've got 2 within 5 miles of each other :)

After suffering sticker shock at my local garden centers, I was hoping to be able to get my cheap on...and that I did.

Here's a couple of things I found interesting that DH drilled holes in with a tile bit. I started out at a local Asian supermarket purchasing tea cups & the like, but at $3.99 to $5.99 each, I was less than impressed.

Here's what I found rummaging around at the Salvation Army...ok...not the little glass pot, my mom gave me that :)
It was filled with Trinidad green seasoning. I hope to surprise her with a couple of Trinidad seasoning pepper plants. I started some yesterday in...what else?....AGM!

The little sake cup is about 2" in diam & 3" tall, he had 3 other friends I snapped up for .79 each. The purple tiki cup is part of a collection I used when I used to make 20$ Mai Tais...they have now been re-purposed ;)

I saw wee little bonsai type pots at a higher end nursery for 1.50 per pot...they were about 3" long and maybe 2" tall. Different shapes and colors. Is that a good enough price that I should snap up a few?

The 2 Maori warriors are Orchids of Hawaii mugs that I haven't had DH drill holes in yet but I'm eyeing them hard.

If I can find them on ebay, I'll sacrifice them to the houseplant gods. Especially since the dog broke the yellow one :( annnnnnd that's one of my accidental Basil cuttings.

hmmm....pics didn't show....maybe this will work

Maori fellas....

Thrift store finds

hookilau: I love your tiki cups/pots! So super cute! I have a tiki pot that I picked up at Big Lots a few years ago (in October, on discount since tiki season had ended!). It's filled with fake flowers right now for convenience, but your plants give the tiki such different hair-do's it makes me think I need a changeup!

heh heh! glad you enjoyed 'em. The Maori guys used to have pineapple tops rooting in them before they grew roots & I moved 'em to the gritty mix.

They just crack me up :) Can't wait to see yours!!!

Those are great! I hope I run across something like that.

My van has been in the shop for over a week (again!!! I wish I had a good mechanic in the family) so it's put a definite wrench in my thrift-storing/yard sale visits.

Everyone has such beautiful plants! I'm going to be taking a second look at every cup, bowl, and tea kettle now.
Makes me want to go to more yard sales!
I even volunteer in a thrift store where to proceeds go to a local charity. I spend more every time I work. Now, I'll have a fresh 'eye' and maybe spend even more!

Today the youngest three kids have karate so I get to go to the thrift store at the animal rescue!!! (it's about 1 mile from karate)

I believe I might be insane now (though if you say so, I'll deny it) because I had to go shopping for school supplies (for the older kids) yesterday with my younger kids and while I was "in town" I had to hit up several thrift store. Definition of insanity: willfully dragging three kids around to various thrift stores. I was probably too successful, even with an insane 10yo who serves as a catalyst for insanity for the 8yo & the 12yo.

Hugely successful (or unsuccessful, looking at it from a 'where do I put this stuff' view) outing. Most things were $.25 and I spent $5.25. ::

Pics will come.

unplant-related: I did manage to find an unopened color ink cartridge for my HP printer that she sold to me for $.25!!! They're normally nearly $30.
I also found a pretty etched glass wine glass.

Haul today, not counting wine glass & ink.

Two little ceramic "baskets" that I'll drill holes in and plant small plants outside.
Various vases,pots & pitches that I'll plant in. A few small containers for my baby AVs. Three plates to use as saucers. A tin olive oil "oil can" that I'll drill and plant outside. The thing in the front right, green & yellow, is flat backed and hangs on a wall. I'm going to drill a drainage hole, replace the ribbon and hang it outside.

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This is all from today's haul, I haven't photographed the stuff from yesterday.

I can't believe I missed all this =) You got alot of good stuff!!!! Have you potted anything up yet?

I found these pirate mug planters and thought they were just the cutest things everrr. I bought the mugs on ebay for 25$ for 4 but if I ever saw them at the thrift store I'd snap 'em up =)

After drilling holes, I planted 'em up with gritty mix & got to it. Here's what mine look like

Here is a link that might be useful: pirate mug planters

Just my observation: it is suggested in your link to put rocks on the bottom for better drainage - that may not be very good idea especially if soil mix is not very free draining.
It may be good to search for advice on GW...I know, it has been recommended for eons to do that, I always did it too, until I read explanation here.

Yes, I noticed that too. However, the article wasn't written by me =) I just found it during a google search for succulent planters & posted the link for inspiration.

I followed my own preferred GW methods, using gritty mix & leaving out what I felt wasn't necessary. Yo ho ho =)

Antoinette