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Plastic Bottle Garden Ideas

Humanity's impact on the environment is an ever-worsening threat to the planet and every living thing on it. With pollution, global warming, and the dwindling of natural resources being major concerns, everyone should take action to help protect the world around them. When a person lives in a way that does not harm the environment, they are living an eco-friendly life. Making changes at home is one of the easiest ways to get started.

To be eco-friendly at home, people should start with changing habits that waste energy or resources such as water. To reduce water waste, for example, take shorter showers and install low-flow showerheads. Turning off the tap during teeth brushing and washing one's hands can also help conserve water.

Recycling plastic, glass, and aluminum is a familiar eco-friendly practice in most homes. Go further by repairing broken items and donating or repurposing unwanted goods instead of throwing them away. And this effort doesn't need to stop with the home's interior. Often, items like plastic bottles can be upcycled into useful or decorative items for your garden.

• Plastic Bottle Planter: Hanging planters are a great addition to a garden. This project teaches kids how to use plastic bottles to create hanging planters for strawberry plants.
• DIY Vertical Gardening: Limited space doesn't mean there isn't any space for a garden. This article by the American Society of Landscaping Architects provides readers with instructions on how to build a DIY vertical garden using 2-liter plastic bottles.
• Plastic Bottle Seed-Starter: Teach kids about how to reuse old plastic bottles instead of recycling them with this simple self-watering seed-starter project.
• Recycled Plastic Bottle Flowers: PBS Kids show kids how to decorate the garden year-round by using the bottoms of plastic bottles to create colorful flowers.
• How'd They Do That? Drip Irrigation: World Vision shares illustrated instructions that show how farmers in Rwanda turn plastic bottles into drip irrigation systems to water their plants.
• How to Make a Plastic Bottle Wind Spiral for Your Garden: Twirling wind spirals are an attractive addition to a garden and simple to make.
• Detergent Bottle Watering Can: Gardens need watering, and watering cans are a common way to give smaller gardens the hydration they need.
• Self-Watering Planters: Watch the video or follow the instructions provided on this page to create self-watering planters for seeds and seedlings.
• How to Know if a Plastic Bottle Is Reusable: Read this article to learn how to determine which plastic bottles are safe to reuse. The second half of the article lists ways to repurpose them, including turning them into watering cans, bird feeders, and greenhouses.
• Do-It-Yourself Insect Pest Traps: The University of Florida IFAS Extension lists DIY pest traps for the garden, including bottle funnel traps for stinging pests such as wasps and mosquitoes.
• Make a Cloche: Follow these instructions to create cloches that can protect seedlings from the cold and pests. The page includes instructions for how to create two different cloches, including a simple one that uses a 2-liter bottle.
• David Domoney Shares Genius Garden Hack Using an Empty Plastic Milk Bottle: Garden designer David Domoney explains how to cut a milk bottle and turn it into a compost scoop.
• Building a Bottled Greenhouse: Learn how a greenhouse can be built using old bottles.
• DIY Bird Scarer: Birds can be destructive pests in gardens. This video clip explains how to make a plastic bottle windmill that will safely frighten birds away from garden fruits and vegetables.
• DIY Fish Decorations: Garden sculptures add interesting visual appeal and can be sustainably made by following the instructions provided on this page.
• Bottle Flowers: A How-To: Take an eco-friendly approach to light up the garden with these illuminated plastic bottle flowers.
• The Food Project's Do-It-Yourself Raised Bed Building Manual: Raised garden beds have many benefits and can be made using various materials, including empty 2-liter or smaller plastic bottles.
• Construction of Ant Bait Stations: Ants are a nuisance in gardens both big and small. Click this link to find instructions for how to build an ant bait station that can be used in an orchard or a garden using a 3-quart plastic juice bottle.
• Build a Bug Hotel: Make a compartmentalized hotel to attract and house beneficial insects including bees.
• DIY Fruit Picker: Picking fruit is a labor-intensive and time-consuming activity. The instructions and images on this page show how to make a simple fruit picker that can even gather hard-to-reach fruit.
• Wind Chime: Discover how to make a relaxing wind chime for the garden with this Girl Scout project.
• DIY Garden Lights: Learn the tools and steps needed to create garden lights with plastic bottles and tea lights.
• DIY Upcycled Garden Tools: This article gives readers upcycling ideas including how to turn a plastic soda bottle into a garden water sprinkler.
• How to Make a Bird Feeder: Bird feeders are the perfect way to attract more birds to outdoor flower gardens.
• How to Make Super-Simple Plastic Bottle Planters: Plastic pollution is a huge problem for oceans and landfills. Get tips for how to reduce waste by turning plastic bottles into cute cat or dinosaur planters.