Turn Empty Litter Containers Into A Useful Fall Garden Essential

Have you been trying to figure out what to do with all your empty cat litter containers? You love your little feline, but she goes through quite a bit of litter. You've already repurposed buckets in the garage as storage for all sorts of things, including kids' toys and random little tools. You even have one flipped over as a seat for working in the yard. There are many clever ways to use empty cat litter containers around your home and garden, but today we're going to use them to create a container garden for fall plants.

Containers are a great way to build a fall garden that is easy to manage. You can arrange the pots and containers however and wherever you'd like. You can place them on a table or garden stand to be more accessible, or spread them out on a front or back patio if you don't have much yard space available. So remember, as you're gearing up to revamp your garden for the fall, make sure you gather those empty cat litter containers. The bucket- or pail-style containers work best but with a little extra finesse, you can use jugs, too.

You'll need a few other supplies to transform your litter containers into a container garden. Gather your drill, a bag of potting mix, and your favorite fall plants. If you're using the jug-style containers, you'll also need a utility knife and sturdy pair of scissors. Optional supplies include paint, brushes, and stencils.

To get started, wash the containers thoroughly with soap and water, rinse them well, and allow them to dry. Then flip them over and, using a ½ inch drill bit, drill six or more drainage holes in the bottom of the bucket, spacing them out evenly. If you have smaller, jug style containers, carefully use your utility knife to make an opening near the top of the jug, just below the handle. Make the opening large enough to insert your scissors, then carefully cut around the container. Your goal is to remove the handle and cap, leaving a wide opening for planting. Smooth any sharp edges left behind before handling or planting in the container. Now you can drill your drainage holes.

Once the drainage holes are complete, you can use the containers as-is or get a little creative. The jugs usually have labels that can just be cut off, but the buckets often have the label printed right onto them. In that case, you can paint the outside of the container to cover it up. You can also use a set of stencils and paint to add labels to your containers, which is particularly helpful if you're growing vegetables. You can also steal a page from Joanna Gaines' genius method for designing a fall container garden and create a mood board to envision your garden before getting to work.

As far as what plants you choose, there are many fall container plants to grow other than mums, though those are great fall classics. A few other choices are pansies and violas, sweet alyssum, and snapdragons. Swiss chard or ornamental cabbage and kale are nice, cool-weather options for your vegetable garden.