I recently had a chat with an editor from Better Homes & Gardens about the change in the way it views potential gardens for the pages of its magazines. The publication is interested in finding gardens that feature really innovative, but low-cost ideas that people can afford. "We're tired of those really highbrow gardens that look nice on paper but don't offer our readers ideas they can really use,” she said. “With the economy the way it is, everything's changed."

            That's why she was interested in my home garden - because it's little more than paint and plants with salvaged or found items. Many of the ideas I've used come from my travels to different countries – especially to places where every little thing is used to its fullest extent.  In garden centers, anything rusty has proved to be high style. So when visiting a nursery district outside Mexico City, I was enchanted by how people use tin cans. Since milk is a rare commodity, canned milk is everywhere, and these containers are commonly used to grow plants. The patina of rust and the disintegrating Carnation labels were simply charming.

            One seller created the most innovated planted towers out of nothing but a wood post, nails and tin cans minus their tops. The beauty of this idea where water is scarce is that you water the top pot, and it drains into the next one down and so on. It looked perfect for planting an herb garden in just one square foot of space.

            Whenever you plant anything that may rust, be sure to use a saucer. Rust runoff can stain decking and concrete irreparably.

            In another stall was a fine way to reuse aluminum soda cans, which do not rust. Gardeners simply cut the cans in half with tin snips to yield two equal parts. Then they added drain holes to the bottom half. These brightly painted “containers” are lightweight and make a perfect choice for city gardeners. They're also ideal for giving away your rooted cuttings to friends or as gifts.

            In Holland, where everything is exorbitantly expensive, I came upon a collection of galvanized buckets that was nothing short of charming. These old-fashioned workhorses of the household come in all sizes and shapes. Often the bottoms rust out first from sitting on wet ground, making the buckets useless, but they can make fine pots. Whole buckets are easy to puncture with a drill (or a hammer and nail) to make them drain. The Dutch buckets I saw were grouped together to hold a variety of different hostas, creating a unique combination of green and gray for a refreshing shaded corner.

            At the Northwest Garden Show a few years ago, I saw galvanized metal used yet again, but this time it was fresh and new. Lightweight metal garbage cans make a fine planter for larger shrubs or trees. A low, wide washtub became a water garden sporting a collection of reeds. Unorthodox, sure, but what a great way to solve problems of weight on rooftop gardens.

            Yet another choice is to use standard ceramic containers, but these need drain holes, too. The trick to drilling them without cracks is to put a piece of duct tape on the bottom of the pot, then drill through it with a masonry drill. The tape helps to keep the ceramic from cracking under the pressure and vibration. How many garage sale pots have you passed over because they lacked a hole? Now you can buy, drill and plant with impunity!

            In the past, or in less wealthy countries, people have been gardening in their castoffs for centuries. Brightly painted olive oil cans, primitive kitchen antiques and even old farm implements become fair game. Don't let your small budget limit your container gardening options! Simply open your mind and use your imagination, because the editor of Better Homes & Gardens just might come calling!

I live in the resort town of Palm Springs, the famous winter hang out of the Hollywood crowd.  It's always attracted party animals and creative types as well as those with illnesses and infirmities fleeing winter cold.  Our snowbirds come from the upper Midwest, Canada and Germany as well as other frigid regions and this year's deep freeze brings ever greater crowds. 

Palm Springs hosts a very strong gay population which has helped to rehabilitate so many of our buildings here that their fingerprints are on the growing interest in our fabulous mid-century architecture.  One very common practice in the residential neighborhoods is to create some kind of sign that a gay person or couple lives in the house.  Because the rainbow is their symbol, you'll find all sorts of really inventive ways to get the point across.

This is a wonderful idea for any home garden because it's so bright and colorful.  The key is to set it against a solid background so the colors stand out.  In this case the owner harvested sticks from his palo verde trees, and each one is painted a bright color of the rainbow.  It cost nothing but some craft paint to create and it's ingeniously cute.  Give it a try in rainbow hues or those colors close to your heart.

It's finally here, my new book:

The Small Budget Gardener

All The Dirt On Saving Money In Your Garden 

It just came into Cool Springs Press and will soon be released for spring. 

I'll be posting lots more ideas from its pages for every gardener who wants to do more with less.  After all, you don't buy a garden, you create one!   --Mo

Long before being green was cool, I was creating my holidays from the garden.  I detest the hustle of shopping during this busy season and am even more allergic to the inevitable bills that arrive in January.  That's why I created this free eBook so everyone can join me in celebrating the winter holiday, not with plastic and tinsel but with the bounty of their gardens.

5 Minute Seasoning Bundle (From eBook)

A seasoning bundle is just like a tea bag that you add to soups or stews.  Simply drop the bundle right into the pot and let it steep flavor into the broth. It's a great way to get herb seasoning into the soup without having to separate the leaves from the stems.

Select herbs that are traditional for soup or stew, beef or chicken or veggie and blend them into a bundle to be wrapped in the cheesecloth.

The easiest way is to lay out the cheesecloth or similar material, mound dried herbs at center, then bring it all together and tie at the top.

Below:  If you like to sew, you can create small reusable draw string bags to hold the herbs.

After creating the bundles, you can decorate them with fresh herb sprigs, bits of twigs or leaves or other natural materials.  These may be removed before the bundle is added to the pot. 

Consult your cookbooks for ideas on what herbs go with what dishes to help you create just the right blend of flavors.

For a more detailed description of this idea and other decorating tips for the holidays, download your free eBook.

Finally, a great idea for wagon wheels that doesn't look Southwestern!

This super idea came from my visit to the world famous Chelsea Flower show in England.  It illustrates that low cost ideas are to be found in high brow places.

Antique wagon wheels or those like this one which came from old factory machinery, can become a really lovely small space herb and greens garden. 

In making this they used chimney masonry bricks with holes in them underneath the edge of the wheel.  This raises the edge up higher to give it a more attractive look and allows additional soil.  Bricks were set on their sides so the holes open horizontally for improved drainage.  Then the wheel was laid on top and staked in the middle to keep it from shifting.

For eveyrone living near abandoned factories in the north and east, these are gems to be found.