Gardening with Recycled Plastic Bottles

One of the most interesting things I've read in recent years is that in the future - likely in our lifetimes, in fact - many recyclable products will be in such high demand that we'll be forced to mine our own landfills to get them back.

I've always really admired people who can look at items that many of us think of as trash and see the potential in them. This admiration inspired me to dig into plastic bottle projects for the garden. On this page, I'll share what I found in my research - loads of fun, practical, and beautiful ways you can reuse plastic bottles in the outdoors. I also invite you to share your ideas and projects with me. Thanks for visiting and I hope you find some projects you can use.

Photo credit: haemengine.

Terrariums are like miniature greenhouses. When the sun shines on them, it warms the air inside, so the water inside evaporates. With nowhere to go, the water condenses on the top and sides of the terrarium, then drain back down into the soil. This process happens over and over again, creating a miniature ecosystem inside the dome. It's a great way to conserve water

To make a terrarium for indoor plants, cut apart a soda bottle and reassemble it according to the instructions here.

Here's a similar but different design for a Coke Bottle Terrarium, which has a little more shape and styling to it.

Tip: Terrariums are the perfect tool to keep plants alive for as long as several months. My mom uses this method when my parents head south for the winter. For large plants, she uses a large clear garbage bag.

Tip: If you need to treat your plant for pests, spray the plant and keep it in a terrarium to protect other plants in your home from the pests and to keep beloved pets away from the pesticide.

Herbs are delicious and can be grown well indoors and out. These herb pots help you protect the environment, protect your indoor surface by using a material that won't leak over time, and choose from a variety of shapes and sizes to create the effect you want.

Click here for a tutorial to make an attractive Herb Garden.

Tip: Create enough small planters to design a centerpiece or focal point in a room. Picture a row of herbs on a bench in the breakfast nook or a full, lush cluster of them in the middle of the dinner table.

Tip: For many years, I had a Puerto Rican oregano plant that was not only beautiful, but it was my favorite part of cleaning the house. I would sprinkle a few leaves on the floor while vacuuming and the fresh fragrance would spread throughout the house (instead of the stale smell of vacuum cleaner).

Tomatoes that grow "topsy turvy" are easier than most. No more tomato cages or tying them to other support structures. Since you use fresh soil every year, diseases and pests don't have time to take hold and contaminate growing from one year to the next. And since they're hanging up, instead of being packed together in a small plot, the plants get more air circulation. All of these things can mean more, better and bigger tomatoes for you and your family!

But you don't have to pay a lot of money (sometimes as much as $20) for an upside down planter. Here's a tutorial for a Recycled Topsy Turvy Planter you can make yourself. It's easy to follow and uses very basic materials.

Note: The photo here is my own attempt at these topsy turvy's. Mine aren't pretty, and I'm okay with that, because my tomato plants are growing like gangbusters! One thing to note is that I found it was important to stabilize the planter by taping the string hangers to the sides of the bottles so they held it solidly upright. It worked great!!

Another Note: Topsy Turvy Planters take daily watering, sometimes more frequent if it's hot. These are not "set it and forget it" planters.

It's officially spring and you are ready to put your plants in the ground, but what happens when the icy fingers of winter creep in and freeze young sprouts? Cloches protect your seedlings from frost and some pests. However, they can be expensive, especially if you have a lot of seedlings to protect... unless you make your own 2-Liter Cloches.

Tip: These cloches are extra special because they stack nicely for storage in between seasons.

Many people who love growing plants don't have space for a traditional garden. Still others have soil that's challenging whether it's clay, sand, acidic, or some other issue. For either problem, there's Vertical Gardening. The vertical system pictured here - which can be used indoors or outdoors - uses stacked 2-liter bottles and drip irrigation for a creative solution to these space and soil problems.

Here's another example of a vertical system with a Wooden Frame built to support a number of potted plants in a creative space saving method.

Tip: Check out the video below to see a vertical system being used indoors.

People who don't have much space - especially urban growers - become masters of maximizing their use of space. This Hanging Wall Garden is nothing less than practical art, which in turn improved the livelihood of the Brazilian family that created it.

Note: I saw quite a few Internet references to this idea, but shared this link because it includes a diagram from and a link to the original web-based tutorial (written in Spanish).

I love this tutorial because it shows that soda bottles can be useful and practical without looking like plastic bottles. I can imagine a whole row of these beautiful Hanging Planters with their rust-like look hanging from the bottom of the deck in front of my house.

Tip: You can stick with the rust color or choose one that coordinates at your home. This is a great (and best of all, inexpensive) upcycling project to beautify any home or greenspace!

If you're like me, the sprinkler you use has lots of little holes that get clogged up, and it seems like they stop working well from one year to the next. So I have to buy a new one almost every year. This Sprinkler is a very affordable alternative, and if I start saving pens as they run out now, it's nearly free. I also like the way this one allows you to direct where your sprinkles will sprinkle.

If the direction of the spray doesn't matter to you, here's an even simpler alternative Bottle Sprinkler. This one doesn't include a tutorial, so you may need to refer to the pen design for connection instructions.

Or check out the video below to see how it's done.

This summer is supposed to be brutally hot again, which can be hard on plants, even if your really diligent about watering regularly. This Drip Irrigation System hides easily in and among your plants and helps reduce stress on them by maintaining a steady trickle throughout the day.

Just remember, the system is not perfect. It's still up to you to fill it.

For the visual learners, click here for a photo tutorial of the same project.

Our fine feathered friends can reap the benefits of recycling too with this Soda Bottle Bird Feeder. There are plenty of products and add-ons out there that make your homemade feeder look like a commercial feeder, but the birds don't care if you don't.

Click here for another similar design that uses wooden spoons as perches that act as a catch for some of the seed before it falls to the ground.

Tip: Or if you do want your recycling project to look more like a "real" bird feeder, you can check out some of the products below that make this project even quicker and easier.

Can you imagine a more beautiful way to keep moles at bay?

In theory, the way these colorful Pinwheels move makes the stick it's mounted on wiggle, causing the ground to vibrate and driving moles from the yard.

Update: I've done some additional research and the vibrations really are irritating to moles - at first. However, if the vibration is consistent, they usually grow used to it and it doesn't work to repel them. Unfortunately, the only effective ways of getting rid of moles are baiting and trapping.

I would happily still make the case that this pinwheel will make me smile every time I see it in the yard!

Maize - another name for corn - can be grown in many growing zones. But both large and small pests can be a real problem for those those who like to grow it.

In my local community garden, it's the raccoons that scale the fences and head for the nearest stalks of corn. A friend of mine has an organic farm where they grow sweet corn and there are frequently worms inside the husks so we have to eat the ears soon after they've been picked and pick the worms off while we're cleaning the corn.

This creative, natural Sustainable Pest Control solution keeps all kinds of pests away from the delectable ears of maize while still allowing the sun to shine through.

Tip: These corn covers bundle easily together and store well from one year to the next. That means, the first year is an investment of time and effort, and every year after that is easy.

Yellow jackets can ruin any outdoor party, especially for our friends who have allergies. They can be hard to control though, especially when our sweet drinks attract them. We don't want to be driven indoors by their persistent buzzing.

This Yellow Jacket Trap is one solution. Follow the instructions in this tutorial, then fill the bottom of the trap with a sweet liquid (recommendations in the tutorial). Yellow jackets - as well as other flying frustrations - find their way in, but not back out.

If mosquitoes are your problem, visit this site. Same basic instructions for the project, but with a special mixture in the bottom that attracts mosquitoes.

Greenhouse #1 has a complete tutorial including measurements, materials list, and clear instructions. Unfortunately, there are no pictures to help with visualizing the plans. The plans call for more than a thousand 2-liter bottles. So start drinking (or collecting from your friends) now.

Greenhouse #2 has at least one picture (to the right) of quite a beautiful greenhouse. Its lines are clean, it looks like a pretty straightforward design and comes with extremely detailed instructions.

Greenhouse #3 is my favorite tutorial. It includes text instructions, step-by-step photos, and plenty of links with resources. But it's more than that! It's truly the story of how one family built and used their greenhouse, with season by season reports on how their project went. It's personal, detailed, and well-done.

The Upcycled Roof "tiles" are patterned after the classic curved terracotta roof tiles found most commonly in Central and South American architecture. The same ideas apply with curved waterproof arcs hooked together creating troughs that drain rainwater down the slope of the roof.

Note: The text on this page is in Spanish. Fortunately, it's a photo tutorial.

For all those flowers that you grow, use this Simple Hanging Vase to hold them. It's lovely, simple, and will keep those fresh flowers looking fresh.

Tip: Use a variety of sizes and shapes of bottles to create living decorations for parties and gatherings. Then send the vases of flowers home with guests for a thoughtful and affordable gift.

If you prefer a tabletop vase, here's a "Crystal" Vase with a woven top that's really quite striking.

Capture the sun with this simple sun catcher... I'm always amazed by how bright and shiny plastic can look when it's out of its normal shape. Notice how the sun catchers pictured here use all different parts of the bottle and combine with beads for a cheerful effect.

Use this Sun Catcher tutorial to create a sun and eyecatching patio decoration.

Tip: Hang a single strand from your downspout to use it as a rain chain

Tip: Create a row of eye catchers that double as a "bead" curtain for your sun room, breakfast nook, or other room that allows a lot of daylight.

Click on this Amazon link to get more information about this chair or to see more great examples of recycled plastic lawn furniture.

Funky Flowers are yard art at its best. Use them as a border around your patio, poking out of a potted plant, or as a flashy disguise for a fence.

These Flower Lights look like so much fun. I can definitely see them strung along my deck rail for those nights when my husband and I want to sit outside with a cool drink. And they're beautiful both night and day.

Note: Sorry, I can't share a picture of either of these projects.

Keep your patio clean with the Bottle Broom. Requiring 20 soda bottles and a few other simple tools and materials, this broom looks like you could have bought it in a store.

Tip: Brooms that are left outside can break down in the sun, rain, and wind. Animals can also chew the bristles, leaving your broom ineffective. But you want to keep it handy to sweep leaves and other debris off the patio. Because plastic breaks down so slowly, this broom will survive the elements significantly longer than most store bought varieties.

There is a great debate going - plastic needs to be recycled and/or reused for the environment (currently PET plastics are only being recycled about 20% of the time) but there are concerns that they give off chemicals that can be harmful and even carcinogenic (cancer-causing).

Where do you stand on the reuse of plastic bottles in the garden?

Here are parties and blog hops this page is linked to. Click on any of them to find hundreds more ideas, recipes, crafts, and much more!