“My inspiration for this design was the desire to take a no-longer-wanted object and transform it into something both fun and functional for the garden. I’m often offered things that people were otherwise going to throw away, which has earned me the title of the ‘junkyard gardener.’ I love to give salvaged items a new lease on life, as many times these one-of-a-kind pieces display interesting layers of peeling paint, rusty patches, or a spattering of Mother Nature’s mossy-green patina. Why throw something away when you can reuse it in the garden? Now what once was a rusted old chair without a seat is a whimsical planter whose foliage can change with the seasons.”
Charlie Thigpen turns rust to riches with this recycled chair planter and a handful of plants.
- ‘Rustic Orange’ coleus
- ornamental pepper plant
- shrimp plant
- sweet alyssum
- hardware cloth
- metal snips
- gloves
- zip ties
- measuring tape
- seatless chair frame
- burlap
- potting soil
Visit Charlie Thigpen’s Garden Gallery in Birmingham and follow them on Facebook.
Produced by Alexandra Schmitt
Photography by Becky Luigart-Stayner