It may be autumn, but there’s nothing wrong with dreaming of adding a little colour to our gardens – so this month we’re bringing you ideas for interesting and unique planters, for inside and outside.

Whether you’re looking to plant spring bulbs (be quick before it gets too cold!), you want to add some greenery to your indoor space, or you’re planning ahead for next year, we’d recommend creating your own planters (or repurposing vintage ones) to create a truly unique look for your home and garden.

Go potty for planters

Let’s start simple with some ideas for existing pots, or repurposing garden structures such as urns. This is the easiest way to introduce some spring colour into your garden. Create drainage with small stones (or broken pieces of tile or ceramic) placed at the bottom of the pot, fill up with compost, and add your bulbs. Finish off with another layer of compost, and water well. For full instructions, check out this RHS tutorial.

To transform your urn into a planter, you’ll need to add drainage holes, then you can treat it in exactly the same way. Or, to make a giant statement, take a look at our stone troughs!

Cre-ate a mini garden

Change things up with different types of storage – try a wooden crate for a rustic, vintage look. We love how this crate has been personalised using stencils for a truly unique finish. You can either plant straight into the crate, or simply use it to house plants in their own pots – so you can swap and change with the seasons, or if you get bored!

Alternatively, salvage a solid box like this gorgeous wine crate to create a mini garden! (tutorial)

A most unusual tea party!

Create an adorable corner of your garden with a set of vintage teacup planters. In the garden, our advice is ‘more is more’ – we’re thinking clusters of teacups, and even teapots, grouped together to create impact.

Inside you can be more delicate as your planters will be safe from the elements. We absolutely love this vintage teacup collection. Try pairing with succulents for an on-trend look.

Let your imagination run wild!

With some creative thinking, virtually anything can be transformed into a planter. Vintage prams, bicycles, wellington boots, dressers, chest of drawers – add paint, pots, and flowers, and the world is your oyster!

Spice up your life

This super-cute herbs and spices planter is the perfect way to restore and reuse old pallets, as well as grow your own delicious produce. Add signage if you like, using stencils as in this example, or place labelled markers in the soil. Position in a sunny sheltered spot, or fix to a handy wall, then sit back and bask in the glory of your self-sufficiency!

Whatever you decide, here at Dorton we have a vast collection of products to help you get started. Not sure what you’re looking for? Sign up to our Pre-Claim service, for details of our most interesting pieces before they leave a demolition site.

Image References

Spring bulbs RHS

Stencilled planter Plantabox

Wine crate garden and tutorial Tidy Mom

Vintage tea cups Ryland Peters & Small

Chest of drawers Good Housekeeping

Herbs and spices pallet planter Garden Lovers Club