We have had so much rain here in Ohio that it has made getting into the gardening spirit a bit hard. To make up for it I have been buying up indoor plants like crazy. I think my husband is worried we will be living in a jungle soon.
But I did add the first patch of color outside this weekend because I had a nifty new planter to put to work for us. I am not a fan of plastic and I have yet to get out and scope the auction scene to buy some clay pots so this pot was just what I needed. It is a recycled tire planter courtesy of Flat Tire Decor.
Now admittedly I would not put food or even one of my indoor (air quality) plants in one but I feel the same about plastic. For decorative plants and flowers they are a perfect fit and unlike plastic pots and planters you are recycling and finding a new use for something that would otherwise be considered junk. And you may know how I LOVE to recycle stuff for gardening purposes. All the planters are made from tires that have outlived their usefulness on the road. They are then converted into these baskets that can be used as planters or even for other household uses. On their web site they show them being used to hold firewood, decorative items, newspapers, cleaning supplies, fake plants, even produce. I opted to put it outside and provide a home for some lovely pink hydrangeas. We need to put a lot of work into our little city lot but that splash of color might just be what I need to inspire me. The tire planter looks pretty good IMO too. The one in the picture above is the Venice. It is a pretty good sized planter and the price tag is under $20.
In addition to these baskets (or planters) they also make welcome mats and shoes… again all from 100% recycled tires. Another plus is that these products are all made in the USA, Milwaukee to be exact. I think a $20 tire planter made in the US is a better deal than a $10 plastic planter made in China and the tire planter will probably last MUCH longer. Thats said it is not easy to let go of the fact that both are made with potentially toxic ingredients… hence the advice to not grow food in them.
What do you think? Would you use recycled tire products in or around your home?
That’s ingenious! If we had an ample space for gardening, we’ll definitely try those for ourselves.
indoor water features
Awesome use of tires and a great way to get extra miles out of them!
Another use for old tires is to stack them to use as a compost bin. I have four of them stacked on top of my septic tank (keeps compost warm in the Rocky Mts winters). I can move them without any hassle to different parts of my garden to create new areas to make compost.