Turn trash into treasure with container gardens

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Now that spring is finally here, it's the perfect time to spruce up the garden.

For a unique look without creating a pricey landscape, gardening in containers can do the trick! But you don't need to purchase ceramic pots. From old bird cages, cinder blocks, chairs, or a rusty tool box - just about anything can be a container garden.

To prove the point of transforming any old item into a container, an expert gardener showed us how easy they are to create. The container we used is an old tin watering pail.

"The main thing is getting a drainage hole. Any cool stuff that you find, you make sure you drill a hole, get a hammer and a nail and make sure you get a couple of drain holes in here because you don't want your plants to be water logged," said expert garden designer Lauren Jones-Kirchner.

After creating a drainage hole, be sure to pick up potting soil, and not landscape soil. Potting soil will drain well, while still retaining enough water to keep soil evenly moist.

After filling the container 3/4 full of soil, it is time to plant!

To create visual interest, use plants in various heights. Keep this container gardening strategy in mind when shopping for plants - thriller, filler, and spiller.

The thriller will be the plant's main focus because it is usually the tallest. The filler will be smaller plants that fill the space, such as Coleus. A spiller plant spills over the sides of the container. Jones-Kirchner suggests a cascading Coleus.

"I love mixing colors and textures. When you think about it, it's art. There are no real rules," Jones-Kirchner said.

The gardening expert says if you are saving money on the container, you can spend more on the plants. The line of plants her family grows is called Hort Couture and is sold at Cornelius Nursery.

"A lot of the varieties in the line are super unique, you don't see them everywhere," Jones-Kirchner said. "They are very special, and they are very easy to grow, which is a unique feature."

For more inspiration, check out Patricia Lopez's Pinterest page.