Watering Can Planters and Garden Art – Recycle your Watering Cans

Watering cans are a staple of any gardener but, for me,  they are not just for watering plants.  I love turning them into watering can planters and using them as garden art.

The size is perfect for potted indoor plants and the look of them transforms a plant into a work of art that looks great in any garden setting.

Watering cans can be re-purposed into creative planters and projects, or used in dozens of other ways in the garden as garden art, water features or garden decorations.

Plant them up, or use them as a vase for cut flowers.   There are lots of creative ways to recycle your old watering can. 

Recycling is also a small step that we can take to protect the environment at home. I am always on the lookout for new and unusual ideas for eco-friendly planters. Today, we’ll be using watering cans to showcase our plants.

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Watering Can Planters

There are so many creative ways to use watering cans in the garden. Re-purposing them as planters is one of my favorite ways to use them.!  Here are some of my favorites.

Last year, I found a neat watering can at a huge discount and turned it into a DIY scarecrow project for fall. The planter now sits on a staircase plant holder on my deck, along with my strawberry plants.

The sun has weathered it and it’s a great match for my deck fence wall.

This rustic scene was taken in the Tizer Botanic Garden. The entire garden uses garden art in a very whimsical and creative way.

Find out more about Tizer Garden here.

Barb Rosen, from Our Fairfield Home and Garden, incorporates two watering cans in her spring window box planter.  The are both decorative and functional since she has them planted as well.

I love the look that window boxes give to a home.(See more ideas for window boxes here.)

This lovely watering can planter with a bent spout is painted purple and filled with purple flowers.  The colors are a perfect match!

How is this for creativity?  Melissa from The Empress of Dirt combines craft store glass pendants and galvanized watering cans for a rain like effect.  She shows how to do this tutorial on her blog.

The watering can does not have to be large to make a great planter. This small watering can from Succulents Galore on Etsy makes the perfect planter for the Panda plant succulent planted in it. 

Succulents can be used in so many types of planters. See more succulent planter ideas here.

This is such a special photo.  One of my favorite plants – caladiums – in watering can planters.  Check out Three Little Kittens.

She has more photos of the watering cans used as planters on her blog post.  And that kitty is cute too.  Goes with her site name!

This watering can planter is the perfect color combination. The pale lilac watering can make an ideal planter for the vibrant purple flowers.  So pretty!

This pretty watering can planter is overflowing with pink petunias.  I love the contrast of the planter against a painted window sill. It gives the whole look of a European country feeling.

More Watering Can Garden Art

Sometimes a watering can be used on its own to turn the whole scene into a vignette.  These garden cans don’t need to be planted. The way they are staged is the art itself!

This pretty scene is both functional and decorative. The galvanized planter is ready to use when it’s time to water and also makes a lovely decorative touch sitting hear the flowering plants.

This metal watering can is one that my mother had indoors.  I use it as a garden decor item sitting on a flagstone piece and love the way it has rusted and aged.

Judy from Magic Touch and Her Gardens has a great water feature in her garden.  The galvanized watering cans are just perfect for the job.  She shows how to make the DIY project on her Facebook page. This idea from Fine Gardening really caught my interest.  I love the combination of the galvanized watering cans along the lush green hedge. Very creative! It is watering can garden art at its finest.

What a neat idea.   Flea market Gardening reader Kathy Gilbert has a whole hanging garden of watering cans. So rustic and yet lush at the same time.  I just love this look!

Decorative Watering Cans

With a bit of creativity and a paint brush, you can turn your watering can into something really special. Turn them into watering can planters or use them as stand alone garden decor. The choice is yours!

This is as artistic as they come.  Jacki from Blue Fox Farm has a neat blog article on galvanized watering cans and features this one that I just adore. The hand painting is to die for!  Check out this article for more galvanized garden decor ideas.

Are you a crafter?  This project featured in the Portland Press Herald is sure to delight. 

It features pieces of mosaics glued to watering cans and then finished with sealant.  How lovely these would be be holding cut flowers.

Frogs are right at home in any garden setting. See more ideas for frogs in the garden here. I know this is not a watering can, but it is just so darned cute that I had to include it in the roundup.  Christie from Confessions of a Serial Do It Yourselfer shared this photo with us.

Do you have a watering can planter or garden art in your yard? I’d love to see a photo of it in the comments below. I’ll add my favorites to this post!

Admin Note: This post first appeared in August of 2014. I have updated it to add more creative ideas for watering can planters and watering can garden art.

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