A Use For Old Tires - Planters!

[sweet_magnolia]

When we bought our farm we found about 70 old tires in the barn....and probably hundreds of others scattered around the property (no kidding - THAT many!). Some we are going to properly dispose of with the county but some I have decided to keep. Back in the summer I started making weekly trips to Home Depot and Lowes to see what colors of exterior paint they had mixed wrong and were marked down. Then I started painting tires to make planters out of them. Andy also drilled several holes in the bottoms for drainage.

They make GREAT planters and this way, when someone is mowing they won't mow over my flowers!


An example of the few tires around that we have. I can't remember what was smoking in the kettle on this particular day.



My first victim...I liked this tire because of the zig zag lines on it...I'm going to paint it with a Southwest type of theme with Indian like petroglyphs





Another one



With Shepard's hook and hummingbird feeder. I'm going to finish up this tire this weekend...it's getting a vine painted around it.











Thanks for viewing!

[Slanted88]

Cool... I'm stacking 5 high...loaded with soil & taters...knock it over when ya want to harvest & re-load....

[sweet_magnolia]

Cool... I'm stacking 5 high...loaded with soil & taters...knock it over when ya want to harvest & re-load....

Cool idea, Mike! Going to give that a try next year for sure! We are also going to stack some and use as a trash can and recycle bin.

[Richtee]

Aww..I LOVE hummingbirds! That is some engineering right there!

Careful with newer truck tires...up here they may have been chloride filled for winter use. Altho..if old enough I'm sure all that's washed out.

Nice re-use, Mags!

[Bassman]

I have seen a lot of different design planters made from tires. Check out this link.

http://www.wuvie.net/tireplanter.htm

[Doug S.]

Very cool hummingbird shot I've been trying to get one all summer but the little buggers wont hold still

Point cops got me get ya on the re-load

[Ryan]

Very cool pics the big tractor tires work great for strawberry patches. I've seen farmer's wives have them turned inside out for some nice flower beds. Not really on topic but when slanted 88 mentioned potatoes it reminded me what I was told one guy does . He plas his in piles of grass clippings. When its time to harvest he can just pull up the entire plant Not sure how well that works but he has a very green thumb.

[eDJ]

Re:

Now that's Appalachian style at it's best there Becky !

If ya wanna get creative you can get a tire turned inside out off the rim and have a steel pedestal under your planter.



Imagine an Herb Garden made of these ?

Or if ya wanta cut the edge to make it look like flower pedals



Or lay out a retaining wall that doubles as a flower planter



You don't have to put them all on the ground either



This one is fixed to look a bird, but it could be set up to look like a flower basket too.











I had a friend once whose grand mother had a planter like this one on the bottom. Before she could get dirt dug up to fill it, her German Shepard "Brutus" took it for his own. She just threw some straw in there for him. He'd get in there and curl up in the cooler winter months when the sun heated the black rubber and made what her
grandmaw called "The Dog Spa"

[THE ICEMAN]

To put things as succinctly as the originator of this thread does so often...

[dales133]

Cool... I'm stacking 5 high...loaded with soil & taters...knock it over when ya want to harvest & re-load....

I learned that trick years ago off an old bloke, awsum way to grow spuds in a small area

[sweet_magnolia]

Thanks, All!

Careful with newer truck tires...up here they may have been chloride filled for winter use. Altho..if old enough I'm sure all that's washed out.

Good tip but I don't think I have to worry. These are all pretty old and most have no rims.

I have seen a lot of different design planters made from tires. Check out this link.

Thanks, Keith. I have seen pictures of those but never could find any instructions. Not sure if it's for me though...it clearly says "...Not a project for lazy people"

...I've been trying to get one all summer but the little buggers wont hold still

You got to have a lot of patience and a quick trigger finger, that's for sure.

The big tractor tires work great for strawberry patches.

Ohhh....nice idea. I just happen to have at least two big tractor tires. Not sure if I could keep the deer out of the strawberry patch though. Might experiment next Spring.

Now that's Appalachian style at it's best there Becky !

Thanks! We have thought about a retaining wall but no decision has been made yet. That bird is too cool, too, and I like the tire hanging up!

To put things as succinctly as the originator of this thread does so often...

[Fishawn]

WOW!

I feel like such a loser just having them on my car

[sweet_magnolia]

I feel like such a loser just having them on my car

Thought I'd share some more pics. Last fall my family came down and I had all my great nieces and nephews paint tires. The kids loved it and it kept them busy and some painted their names on their tire. I've been slowly filling them in with dirt and planting in them.

A couple of the girls tired to do daisies...we told them it looked more like fried eggs.





Tires at the end of drive:

[barkonbutts]

Nice pics and use of old tires!!

[nickelmore]

If any one needs any used tires for your very own so you can make one of these projects for your very own, I have a few hundred I would be willing to part with or perhaps trade for one of those $15 CL webers......Just have to pick them up in Joliet IL.....