Chair Planters

Most gardeners fill a landscape with beds, but interior designer Renee Buchhauser prefers to sprinkle her San Diego lawn with chairs. "I'm always trying to find unusual ways to plant and garden and looking for things that are unexpected," she says. Eight years ago, after seeing the idea of planting in a salvaged chair, Renee took the notion further, painting a chair frame and adding embellishments to give the piece a unique personality.

To create your version, simply remove the seat or cut a hole in it and make a wire frame from chicken wire. Line the frame with coconut fiber, fill it with potting mix, and you're ready to plant.

Test Garden Tip: Unless you use chairs designed for outdoor use, you'll want to paint and seal them regularly so they don't succumb to the weather.

This little chair, planted with petunias and sweet alyssum, makes for a charming display all spring and summer long.

Purple delphiniums make a showstopping centerpiece among a combination of lavender Mexican heather and fragrant mint.