Don’t toss that old kitchen strainer just yet, especially if you love to cook with fresh herbs, juicy strawberries, and leafy greens. Instead, use your old colander as a planter for a tiny garden that can be kept year-round. As the weather begins to warm, TikTokers have started repurposing vintage colanders into hanging baskets and planters — and that’s just the beginning of how you can create a basket of edible bounty using this kitchen tool.
Vintage colanders provide quirky, functional decor both outdoors and inside — especially if you use them strategically in your landscaping and home design. Line your garden with rows of brightly colored, repurposed colander planters featuring edible flowers, or hang them near the kitchen, filled with herbs like basil, sage, and chives. And you don’t even necessarily need dirt to reuse that old colander — they’re useful for growing herbs hydroponically, too. If you don’t have an old colander on hand, you might want to run to the dollar store for a few of them (even the plastic ones will work) so you can get started on your own colander garden for the summer and beyond.
How to make a DIY colander planter to grow edible plants
You only need a few things to start a DIY colander garden: the colander, some dirt, and the plants or seeds you’ll be using. You might also want a saucer to catch water beneath the colander if you don’t want it dripping freely, and some plastic wrap or a layer of coffee filters to keep the dirt contained (poke holes in the plastic wrap for drainage). Once you’ve set up your colander, plant seedlings or seeds in the dirt like you would any other planter. Create a mini salad garden by planting an assortment of greens and herbs, or make a living, hanging fruit basket with strawberry plants.
Or, skip the dirt entirely and start a hydroponic colander garden with just a colander, seeds, and a bowl of water. Herbs like cilantro (sometimes referred to as coriander) are great for this project, and it’s an easy two-step process that’ll get you a bowl brimming with herbs in just a few weeks. Simply set your colander over a bowl of water and sprinkle the seeds on the bottom of the colander. Make sure your seeds are in contact with the water so they can grow, covering them with a wet paper towel for the first few days and refilling the water as needed, and you’re done. You can even section off your colander and fill it with different seeds, like spearmint if you’re fond of mint mojitos, or oregano, basil, and dill if you like herby, zesty salads.
