Container gardens. Awesome, right? Everyone's all about the gardening in containers these days, from that hipster down the street to the grandma on the corner. 

But don't you think they get a little...boring, sometimes? Who says plants have to stay in containers? Why can't they climb outside the box a little? Not only are there tons of great materials you can use to make planters, but you can utilize them in ways that might be totally unexpected, and they'll make your garden stand out, even if all you have is the square footage of a postage stamp. 

Get ready to get creative and a little bit dirty while you liven up the garden with an overhaul that won't take much time, but will look totally fabulous when you're done. If you want, you can round up some landscaping help or a handyman for the day to assist you, but for a small project, you might just be able to do it all on your own. 

This totally amazing hybrid container garden/flower bed illustrates that terra-cotta pots don't have to be dull, and you can use them even when they're broken, stained, or a bit funky. When Jamie in Austin found all these containers under her house, she quailed at the thought of what to do with them, but then she thought of clearing out a small flower bed, arranging the pots, and planting them! Now she's got great weed control, and a really cool little garden space. There are also lots of great resources for a carpenter in Austin if you don't feel comfortable building your own beds, terrace supports, and other garden features. 

BG_garden made a garden inside her garden with succulents, which is something I like to do in my own garden too. In addition to using traditional garden planters like she did, you can bust out the thrift store bowls (make sure to drill a hole in the bottom!), abalone shells, and other containers that look good for planting. Nestle the containers into the larger garden, and hey presto, you have something amazing! 

This enamel planter by Kelly is a classic, but she's done something very cute with it; I love how she has it on a piece of upcycled furniture, and how it blends in with her larger garden. A reminder from Kelly, though: make sure your container plants have similar water and sun needs, since they're sharing close quarters. 

Related: 

+Urban Hedges Part Three-A: Kiwi Vines

+Our Gnome Garden 2013

+DIY ~ Create Your Own Water Garden in a Container!

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