Upcycled Old Ladder Garden Display
Disguise an ugly corner outside with a vertical Upcycled Old Ladder Garden Display. Here are some vintage-styled ideas!
Have an ugly corner outside that makes you wince every time you pass by? Sometimes all it takes to beautify an outdoor space is a little creativity, along with some great vintage and pretty flowers! Today I’m going to show you how to make an ugly corner beautiful with an Upcycled Old Ladder Garden Display.
This project is part of our monthly Pinterest Challenge, organized by Cindy of County Road 407. If you’re visiting from First Day of Home, welcome! I’m sure you enjoyed seeing Crissy’s tips for painting terra cotta pots. I’ll have all the rest of the garden-inspired ideas down below!
This month’s inspiration pic is a Topsy Turvy Galvanized Bucket Idea from Jane at Cottage at the Crossroads. Definitely pop on over and see how she created this fun upcycled garden display! Thanks, Jane, for letting us use your pic!
These Pinterest Challenges are supposed to inspire us, but give us the creativity to come up with our own ideas. We should use some design aspects in the photo, but make it our own. I like to start by analyzing the picture and picking out the design elements. Here’s what popped out to me:
Are these the things that your eye noticed? This is such a fun container garden idea; I’d love to try it sometime. But for this challenge, I am taking the ideas and making an ugly corner of our patio beautiful.
Upcycled Old Ladder Garden Display
Grab a Ladder, Gather some Buckets, and Buy some Plants
Our ugly corner is where the patio meets the deck. There are ugly pipes and a power box that need a disguise. No, I’m not showing you the ugly before, sorry:(
Because it’s a tall space, I needed a big ladder. Luckily I had an 8′ tapered old ladder in my stash. I simply leaned it up against the house and made sure it seemed secure. This spot is protected and doesn’t get much wind.
Then I grabbed 4 galvanized buckets from my stash, which had already gotten the beauty treatment {“How to Clean and Refresh Vintage Galvanized Metal”}. I drilled holes in the bottom for drainage.
We are just starting the planting season here, so I picked up some cute hardy pansies and violas when I was “essential” shopping for groceries;) I couldn’t stand to not pick up the lavender plants, too; oh, the fragrance!
Add Extra Texture to your Container Plants
This variety of plants are not trailing like in the inspo. pic, and I wanted to fill in the vertical space. For added texture and interest, simple sticks and fake forsythia branches can be stuck into the soil. I also covered the soil with moss, so when viewing from the deck it looked nice. This will also help with moisture control, since this display is on the south side of the house.
Attach Buckets to the Old Ladder with Rope
To attach the buckets of flowers to the old ladder, simply wrap rope around the handles and knot. The weight of the buckets rest on each rung, so the rope is simply stabilizing. The rope adds another texture to the scene, too!
Add Vintage Garden Tools and Junk Decor to the Ladder Display
Your old ladder garden display will be more fun if you add other decor elements to the buckets of flowers. To hide the power box, I hung a grapevine wreath in front of it. I also tied on an old aqua shovel and a colorful wheel. The bright elements add to the scene. To top it all off, a folk-art mosquito is a nod to the insect in the inspiration photo.
For more creative ways to use old garden tools in your outdoor decor, read my “10 Easy Ways to Decorate with Vintage Garden Tools”.
Enjoy Your Pretty Upcycled Old Ladder Garden Display!
It’s amazing what an old ladder, galvanized buckets, pretty flowers and some good junk can do for an ugly outdoor corner! Now I don’t have to wince every time I walk pass this spot!
Find old galvanized buckets HERE.
Find vintage garden tools HERE.
Can you see how I used some of the same ideas from the inspiration photo and translated them to solve one of my own outdoor decor issues? I can’t wait to see what my other Pinterest Challenge friends came up with! If you’re going in order, visit Everyday Edits next; Laura’s Front Porch Flower Pots are so cute!
Hope you enjoyed all the ideas in this Upcycled Old Ladder Garden Display! Become a Lora B Insider down below, if you did! Thanks for visiting!
Please Pin, Share, and Enjoy the Rest of the Inspiration!
Gardening Pinterest Challenge
Sharing at these lovely parties:
Love your take on Jane’s galvanized bucket display, Lora!
Thanks, Marie!
Absolutely love it, Lora! Thanks for sharing at Vintage Charm–pinned!
Thanks, Cecilia!
Lora,
Love your ladder display. It would look cool in my “junk” garden. Thank you for sharing.
Glad you liked it, Nancy!
Really enjoyed your beautification effort. My 20 minutes digging in the dirt last week has resulted in awful poison ivy in numerous places. My pansies are in two pots on the porch for now!
Oh no, Kathy! That’s terrible:( Enjoy your pretty pots and lather up with anti-itch cream!
Lora, I am so smitten with this idea. It’s so creative and tying them to the ladder with the rope is such a great use of added texture. Well done my friend!
Thanks, Christy! It was fun to style it, and it brings such life to the ugly corner of our patio!
Wow Lora,
This is amazing, love all your galvanized buckets and how you used the ladder.
I can’t believe all the great pieces you find. We never see goodies like you, lucky lady.
Cindy
Thanks, Cindy! I am thankful; I have found wonderful junk through the years:)
Love the ladder idea Lora! I really need to tag along with you when your out scouting for “good” junk. Your displays are always a delight and give me tons of ideas!
I’m so glad they inspire your creative ideas, Michelle! Hopefully you’ll happen across some junk with great potential, too!
Lora, this was such a unique way to achieve the topsy turvy effect to suit your space, and I absolutely love the ladder idea! I also picked up some really useful tips for hiding the dirt and using galvanized buckets as containers for gardening. Thanks for the great tutorial!
Glad you found some ideas to use again, Crissy!
Your recycled ladder idea is wonderful, Lora… the florals you chose with the galvanized buckets look lovely, and such a special twist on the Pinterest Challenge!
Thanks, Julie! It’s so fun to see all the different ideas we all come up with from one picture!
Lora, so cute!!! I love old ladders and this was the perfect idea for beautifying your yard. The flowers buckets add so much beauty and really cheerful!! <3
Enjoy your yard,
Barb 🙂
Thanks, Barb! We are enjoying it, now that we’ve got some beautiful Spring days!
I LOVE this idea of using a ladder! What a beautiful statement!
Thanks, Pamela!
This is just darling. I love how you mixed in some other elements. Precious.
Thanks, Katie!
I don’t know how you have so many cute ideas crammed in your head but they are always so amazing. Thanks for this idea.
Thanks, Marlene! Luckily, these challenges always get the ideas stirring!
Oh my word Lora….I love how you used the ladder! It is an inspiration itself. Love how you took the inspirational photo and created your version. Love it!
It looks very different than our inspiration pic, but love to give people different ideas! Thanks, Terrie!
There you go again, being all amazing with yourself and your vintage garden decorating skills. I love this. One day all your ideas are going to be published in a book. Please remember me when I stand in a 3 hour long line just to get your autograph and to buy a ticket for the tour of your home. You’ll recognize me… I’ll be the one constantly jumping up and down with childish excitement. Thank you for joining in. I absolutely love how your idea turned out. So stinkin’ cute sweet friend. Pinned!
And you can be my life coach getting me there with those kinds of nice words, Cindy! You can join me on the book tour, bestie;)
Oh, my stars and garters I love this ladder display SO much. I need an old shovel STAT! Bravo
Good luck finding one, Laura! Hopefully in a fun color, too;)
I just love this! I have an old ladder in the garden that needs an update. Buckets are just what it needs. Thanks for the inspiration.
Your welcome, Carol. Have fun!
HI Lora! oh I love this post and that ladder! Okay, reading everyone’s projects I need more buckets! Love it! Another Laura
You definitely need some galvanized buckets in your life, Laura! Jump on the bandwagon, girl;)