You can create a lush, beautiful garden in any container that holds soil, but lets excess water drain. Add country or cottage charm to your landscape with planters made from antique bread boxes.

It takes more than dough to acquire vintage bread-boxes. Some shopping savvy helps, as well as the willingness to search online. The online advantage: You can search and bid on items while loafing at home. Bargains abound on Internet auction sites, if you know how to find them. Try these tips:

• Initiate a search for kitchen collectibles. Use phrases such as "vintage metal bread box" to refine a search to metal, not wood, for example.
• Ask the online seller for a specific description of the bread box, including its age and condition. If a photograph is provided, check for damage.
• Watch out for cheap reproductions. There are a lot of new bread boxes out there, along with the old antique types.
• Stick with your favorites. Pick out favorite features, such as the material they're made from, the color, etc.
• To keep yourself from spending too much money, decide what you're willing to pay before you start bidding.

 

This container features a shade-loving mix of white sweet alyssum, purple-leaf fibrous begonia, and pink tuberous begonia. The container at right features cheery yellow zinnias, variegated lantana, and coleus.

But just about any plants will work as long as they don't grow too large for the bread box. For more plant ideas, see our Plant Finder.

View Plant Encyclopedia here