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Old ladders reach new heights in the garden

How to use that old wooden ladder  in your garden…

Now that most practical ladders are metal, we Flea market gardeners can look for the old wooden ones at a yard sale or Flea Market to use in our gardens to display many of our favorite flower pots, birdhouses or anything and raise the garden up! Find them especially at yard sales where they can be found for $5 dollars or so.  And if you happen to have an old one in the garage, bring it out and make it pretty.  Your garden will rise to new heights and that’s cool!!

Junk gardening goes vertical with vintage wooden ladders…

Pictures tell the story:

Jean Morrow’s quaint old ladder is now a feature

 

Christine Cross’s charming ladder against the tree

 

To paint or NOT to paint…

Beth Py-Lieberman’s brightly painted ladder. Is that lavender?

 

Sue Langley’s vintage ladders against the old shed. These are treasures for me since they belonged to Grandpa. I lean them against our old goat shed and they seem to belong.

 

Kirk Willis’s wooden extension ladders make a trellis

 

Julie Brown’s ladder is the ‘background’ for the planter that accents the bottom

Re-purposing old wooden ladders is one of the most popular garden junk projects,…and it’s easy!

More garden ladder ideas:

Display bird houses
Nail boards to steps to hold bigger things
Use as a trellis against a wall
Sweet pea or bean trellis
Display old “boot gardens”
Paint a bright color and display pots
Lean against a tree
Spray paint a metal or wood ladder, lay it on the ground and plant in the openings

 

Linda Gladman says, “The ladder my husband found on the side of the road…he is a huge junker! “

 

Di-Ellen Davenport’s combination of old ladders and galvanized containers

 

Annie Grossart-Steen says, ” This the back side of our pond….soon the ladders will be filled with Hosta and climbing Clematis!”

 

Cheryl Harrison tells us, ” My ladder, got the idea from you at Flea Market Gardening!”

 

Di-Ellen Davenport: ” My Dr Suess flowers, Globe amaranth, on my toolbox ladder.”

 

Ladder Birdhouse Project How to:

Combining Flea Market items in a creative way is Annie Grossart-Steen’s talent.

 Create a birdhouse ladder of your own with Annie’s instructions.   Annie’s bird house ladder   Tell us what you do with old ladders in the garden, or come post a photo on our Facebook page!  ~~ Sue

Sue Langley

Sue Langley, a passionate gardener and photographer lives and gardens with her husband and Corgi, Maggie on 7 acres just south of Yosemite, Zone 7 at 3000 feet. She manages the Flea Market Gardening Facebook page and website.

View Comments

  • Myra Glandon says:

    Loved the ladders Sue. This past summer I used a 5' step ladder as a support for my tomato plants.

  • Sue Langley says:

    That's a good idea, Myra...lots of uses we've found for ladders like climbing rose trellises, plant pot
    holders and just a pop of color when painted,...so creative!

  • I have an old ladder inside for the winter to hold my succulent containers. It goes out in the garden during the summer. And we built one to lean against the pool wall to hold more of my containers. I love ladders! And I love the examples you posted above...so gorgeous!
    Debbie :)

    • Sue Langley says:

      Thanks so much, Debbie, glad you enjoyed all the ladders,...post a photo on our FB page, won't you?

  • The best places to find these types of ladders are not car boots but skips and waste dumps! Just remeber that it is in fact illegal to remove anything from a skip (yeah I know it sounds supid but it is a fact!) so always get permission to remove them from the skip OWNER (not the person who hired it) before you take anything.

  • Kim Trudo says:

    LOVE ladders! I have a little chippy chime one on my Garden Cottage porch for some of my treasures and have an old wooden one still thinking about where to place it. Your pictures offer great ideas. Thanks

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