Every gardener worth his or her salt knows that practically anything that is even remotely vessel-like or able to support a vessel-like object can be used as a planter. Add some soil, seeds, water – and you will be rewarded with a splendid show.

Personally, I draw a line on old toilet bowls as flower pots, because but I don’t want to be reminded of its original function every time I stop to smell a flower, but everything else goes!

Just to prove that I am not totally an anti-bathroom-stuff-in-the-garden sort of person, I’ll start with basins and bathtubs as planters. There’s real charm in them! See for yourself:

Humble kitchen colanders also make perfect planters. They look good, and they come with pre-installed holes:

Old tins (500g or 1kg ones are a good size) easily become lovely flower pots. All they need is a lick of paint and a few holes drilled at the bottom. With a few expert cuts here and there, ordinary plastic bottles also become interesting containers:

Colourful old rubber boots can easily be recycled into flower pots, and old shoes too. The rustic fence and ladder add to the charm:

At this point, you might be ready for more challenging projects. If you are a proud owner of a boat that has developed a leak, give it a new lease of life as a planter. Just about any piece of furniture can serve the same purpose, from a humble chair, to a charming chest of drawers or a stately piano:

For planters with some wheels, bicycles and wheel barrows are popular choices:

Of course, you can always go with old car tyres. Or a car:

Don’t ignore planter-potential of things that nature throws your way, for examplea tree stump or a tree trunk:

If you are the sort of gardener who prefers ready-made to DIY, you will find plenty of objects designed to make your outdoor space pretty in the bidorbuy garden decor corner, from yard art and rocks, to fountains and wind chimes.

What’s your best DIY gardening project? Tell @bidorbuy_co_za on Twitter with the hashtag #DIYgardener!