Anything that can make our lives easier in the garden is a good thing. Strike that. A great thing. And if it saves us a little money and time while we’re at it, then sign us up. These DIY garden hacks are the best ideas we’ve found for making everyday things work for you in the garden! Clever and full of ingenuity, we just wish we had thought of them! But hey, we’re bringing them to you, aren’t we? You can thank us later. ;)

Our feature photo above, is a photo Steve took while we were at a wedding event in the Walla Walla wine country. We have a whole post on this wine bottle watering hack!

You know those cheap plastic pots you get from the nursery, only to throw away? Recycle them by using them to control those invasive plants in your garden (we’re looking’ at you, mint!) with this easy tip from ‘Family Handyman‘. Simply cut the bottom out of the pot, then sink it into the ground with the lip below ground level. The open bottom allows the roots to grow down, but prevents the plant from spreading through your petunias!

 

Another use for cheap plastic pots? From ‘Vegetable Gardener‘, sink plastic pots to make summer squash grow like mad. The open bottom pots force water to go deep into the soil, making watering easier and more efficient, and creating healthier plants that produce more fruit.

 

‘Popsugar‘ has a great tip for you from the kitchen… Place a coffee filter in the bottom of a pot before you plant to keep soil from washing out through the drainage holes. Great for indoor and outdoor potted plants.

 

From Missy at ‘Graceful Little Honey Bee’, improve your soil with eggshells and a blender. The blender helps speed up the breakdown of the eggshells adding valuable nutrients and organic matter to the soil.

 

Tired of heavy large planters filled with expensive potting soil? Me too, especially since when filling them with annuals, their roots only use the top 6 inches! ‘Bees Knees Bungalow‘ has a great tip for you… Fill the bottom half of the pot with old (lightweight) things lying around to take up space. Then you only need to use half the soil. Check out her site to see how pretty that planter was after!

 

Same idea from ‘Family Handyman‘… except they use those styrofoam packing peanuts so you don’t have to just throw them away!

 

Help those window sill seedlings thrive by creating a mini greenhouse from a pop bottle with the top cut off, from ‘Disney Family‘. Be sure to take the cover off the seedlings for an hour or so a day, and don’t leave it on in direct sun. Poke a hole or two in the top if it is consistently steamy. You want it warm, but not a tropical jungle!

 

Simple tutorial from ‘A Journey to Dream‘ on how to create a simple watering can from plastic juice or milk bottles. They also show you how to create a fine spray, or a faster spray depending on your needs. Smart!

 

From ‘One Good Thing with Jillee’, make a self cleaning and sharpening garden tool holder. This is easy, just sand and mineral oil, plus some pretty touches only Jillee can add! The sand and oil act like sandpaper on the tools’ metal edges.

 

These clear plastic storage containers become mini greenhouses or cold frames to protect seedlings from wind, frost and rain. You can always pop on the lid when you need extra protection. Great idea from ‘The Prairie Cottage‘. I think I have like 4 of these in my garage right now!

 

Save wasted water by making this inexpensive rain barrel from ‘BHG“. This even has a spigot so that you can access the water as easily as the hose!

 

Last, learn even more about rain barrels and make this gorgeous one from ‘HGTV Gardens‘. You won’t have to hide this hack!