Choosing a New Design for Your Home and Garden

Many wineries have old wine barrels for sale, and you'll often see them advertised in your local press.  A half wine barrel can be used to make a really interesting and attractive garden planter.  It's a simple project that you can complete using basic DIY skills in just a few hours.  Here's how to do it.

What you'll need

• a half wine barrel
• power drill with medium sized bit
• apple cider vinegar
• spray bottle
• fine wire mesh
• wire cutters
• staple gun
• planter feet or bricks

How to do it

1. As you just need half a wine barrel for this project, ask the winery to cut one in half for you, and use both halves to make a pair of matching planters.  
2. Turn your half barrel onto its rim and drill five holes in the bottom for drainage.  Put one hole in the centre of the barrel's bottom, and then arrange the other four at equal points around it.  Drainage holes are really important, otherwise your planter will become waterlogged; this means that your plants will die and the barrel will eventually rot.  
3. Next, fill up the spray with apple cider vinegar and thoroughly spray the bottom of the barrel, inside and out.  This is important as the cider vinegar will help to kill off any fungus that might be living in the wood.  
4. Now, fold the wire mesh in half, and then cut small pieces to fit over the drainage holes in the bottom of the barrel.  The wire mesh will stop any soil from dropping out.  
5. Finish off the job by using a staple gun to secure the mesh over the drainage holes on the outside of the barrel's bottom.  
6. Decide where you want the barrel to sit and put it in place, remembering to set it up on planter feet.  It's not a good idea to put the barrel directly onto the ground as it won't drain properly.  The planter will be very heavy once it's full of soil, so if you're going to put the barrel onto your patio, you might want to consider investing in a plant dolly, (a small, wooden stand on casters), to enable you to move the planter around more easily.  
7. Fill the planter with good quality topsoil or compost, water it well, and add your plants.

In conclusion

You can add a touch of rustic charm to your patio or garden by making planters from half wine barrels.  With the exception of the wine barrel, you can find everything you need for this project at your local DIY store or garden centre. For more information, contact a business such as Simon The Plantman.