When it comes to collectibles, it is always wise to know what you’ve got and know what it’s worth. Some objects like planters, mugs, cups, and vases can be very valuable but some are just collectible and cheap too. So, once you have an accurate appraisal of your antique and find out if it is trash or treasure, you might want to consider new ways to use and enjoy it. Repurposing is so popular that many folks are looking at some aging objects in a whole new way.  Before you send that inexpensive vintage piece out to the curb, consider transforming it into doing double duty in your garden.

From broken brass saxophones to chipped German beer steins, anything can hold a plant, vegetable, or flower. Think about creating a colorful display in your garden by using value-less antique ceramics or even typewriters or suitcases as planters and garden dividers. 

EverybodyGardens.com Editor, Doug Oster says “Anything can be a container as long as it has drainage.” So don’t fret over that chipped beyond repair vintage ceramic tea pot or rusty filing cabinet. Paint it brightly and add some plant life to it. 

Instead, make these old objects into a cute flower pot. Drill a hole for drainage and line them up with other repurposed pottery pieces on a patio stone wall or suspended on your porch near your hanging wind chimes. You can even secure each vintage coffee mug or teapot by their handles by sticking the handle in between the slat space of your picket fence. 

Old metal desks, chairs, even beds can be transformed into flower or vegetable gardens by replacing seats, drawers or mattresses with plants or flowers. 

Chipped, cracked or broken items can have new life as hosts in your garden. Try it as Spring comes alive in your neck of the woods and use your antique, vintage or simply aging objects around the house as the focus of this year’s new garden project. 

Dr. Lori Verderame is the author, Ph.D. antiques appraiser, and award-winning TV personality who appears on History channel’s #1 show, The Curse of Oak Island. With a Ph.D. from Penn State University and vast appraisal experience, Dr. Lori presents appraisal events to worldwide audiences and in-home sessions with clients nationwide. Visit www.DrLoriV.com or call (888) 431-1010.

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