Coffee Can Planter Project

Late spring is the perfect time of year to start planning for the season’s vegetable garden, flower beds, or herb plantings. Growing plants in containers is a common practice for back yard and balcony gardeners alike. Whether the back yard garden is large and well-established, or simply the size of an apartment balcony, finding innovative ways to display flowers, herbs and vegetables in containers is easy and fun.

More emphasis is being placed on using recyclable materials in the garden as a solution to North America’s waste problem is sought. Niall Dunne, whose article, Recycled Products‚ÄîTurning Trash into Garden Tools was published in the Fall 1999 edition of Plants & Garden News, writes, ‚”Recycling is more than a matter of scrubbing out plastic containers, tying old newspapers into perfect little squares, and waltzing them all into appropriately colored recycling bins.” Reusing materials as containers for planting in the garden is an excellent way to help reduce landfill.

During the winter, save large cans such as coffee cans. Remove all labels from the cans, and wash them thoroughly with soap and water. Dry the cans and remove any sharp or rough edges on the can. Set the cans aside until the weather warms up enough to work with them outdoors.

Decide what colours to paint the cans. Select a rust-inhibiting paint such as Tremclad spray paint. If the look of the original aluminum is preferred, select a clear coat spray, instead.

Set up a work area outdoors in a location where ventilation is good, on a day that is not too windy. A portable workbench lined with newspaper set up in the driveway or back yard is ideal for spray painting the cans.

Wearing old work clothes and a pair of rubber gloves, spray each can according to the product’s directions. It is not necessary to paint the interior of the cans. Allow the cans to dry thoroughly.

Avoid planting directly in the coffee cans, instead placing a reused plastic flower pot inside as a liner. This will allow for better drainage. A six inch plastic flower pot will normally fit into a large coffee can. A smaller pot can be placed upside down in the bottom of the can to raise up the level of the plant set inside. Experiment with the plastic pots that are left from last season’s garden, and avoid purchasing new pots, since the goal of this project is to reuse existing household materials.

Arrange the brightly-coloured coffee can planters in groups around the deck or balcony, planted up with blooming annuals, edible flowers such as nasturtiums, herbs or even vegetables, depending on the size of the can and variety of the plant.

When the growing season is over, and it’s time to clean up the garden for autumn and winter, remember to bring the cans into the garden shed, garage or basement to ensure they will last for several seasons. If necessary, touch up the paint if it gets scratched or the paint becomes chipped as the pots sit outside.

These coffee can planters make a great conversation piece in the container garden, providing the eco-conscious gardener with an opportunity to spread the important message to reduce, reuse and recycle in the garden!