ReadyMade: Instructions for everyday life

Planter’s Porch

Six easy ideas for tidying up your gardening gear

Photos by Aya Brackett

1. POD SQUAD
Play botanist for a day and scavenge your backyard (or local park) for unique seeds that can double as art. Glue the found flora to card stock, then frame and display. For added effect, identify the various natural specimens with their proper Latin names.

2. RAKE IT IN
Transform an old leaf-catcher into a hang-out for things you need to keep within easy reach: Simply remove the head from the handle, mount on a wall, and suspend hand tools from its teeth. 

3. ALL IN A ROW
Rain gutters can hold more than clumps of wet foliage. Attach one to the wall to create a narrow shelf that’s perfect for storing fertilizer, garden books, and other odds and ends.

4. COMPARTMENT STORE
Keep stockpiled seed packets in a basic recipe box. Organizing the envelopes by season will help you keep track of when to plant flowers, fruits, and veggies, and you’ll always have their care instructions handy.

5. CAGE MATCH
Build a bunker for wet umbrellas by “planting” a tomato cage in a terra-cotta pot. To keep it from tipping, place a few rocks in the bottom to weigh down the stand.

6. STREAM CATCHER
Leave the puddles outside with a drip-stopping tray. Fill a shallow plant saucer with stones or river rocks and place near the door for muddy boots and shoes.