What to do with old rubber boots: some ideas for your garden

Interesting ideas

Gardeners are resourceful people, finding uses for everything they don't need. Seasonal shoes often become decorative items or are used for other practical purposes. The uses for old rubber boots are astonishingly diverse. They can be used to make flower vases, miniature flower beds, toy dogs, pond boats, outdoor electrical outlet covers, and more. Let's look at some useful garden ideas made from old boots that can add a striking touch to your space.

Flower pots

Perhaps the most popular use for shoes in gardens. Small, brightly colored children's boots, as well as large adult ones, are used. They can be painted with acrylic paint, decorated with cheerful pictures, and decorated with flowers. To do this, follow these simple steps:

Prepare the boot by making a hole in the sole.
Pour a drainage layer (any will do: pebbles, sawdust, pieces of brick).
Fill with soil, compacting it well to eliminate air pockets. Add a more fertile layer of soil on top.
Plant the seeds.
Water and place in any area of the garden.

Then all that's left to do is water the flowers periodically, lightly fertilize, and weed. Pansies, marigolds, petunias, fuchsias, lobelias, and geraniums are all good choices for this. You can paint the flower boots in different colors and place them along a fence, flowerbed, or on a porch or terrace, adding a vibrant new accent to your garden.

Vertical flower beds

An old, unsightly fence can be transformed by using unusable boots, shoes, and clogs. Cut off the high boots, nail them upside down to the fence, and fill them with soil, having first drilled a hole in them. Then follow the same process as with the flowerpots.

Attention!

In this case, you should plant climbing or trailing flower varieties. Hanging gracefully from makeshift pots, they will brighten the fence and create a cozy atmosphere.

Anemone is perfect for these vertical beds; planting it alone in the top row will soon cover the entire fence. Morning glory will decorate the vertical bed with its graceful flowers on drooping stems. Climbing cobea, Siberian rhododendron, nasturtium, and any trailing plant are suitable for this purpose.

Garden figurines

With a little creativity, you can decorate corners of your garden with boot figurines. It's not difficult, but it looks stunning. All you need is old boots with tops, wire for fastening, pebbles for filling, and paint.

First, you need to take small boots (these will be the dog's paws) and fill them with stones or sand.
Then cut a little at the back of the larger boot and attach the breast to a rod inserted into one of the legs of the future animal.
At the end, attach another small boot with the toe down, which will be the dog's muzzle, and secure the neck.
Make a head and ears from one rubber boot, cutting it at the back and sides.
Make a tongue from red material and attach it, put on a collar - the garden guard is ready!

Bird houses and feeders

It's very easy to make birdhouses or bird feeders out of old boots, which will decorate your garden and be useful for the birds. Simply cut a window in the front of the boot, attach the boot to a fence, and make a makeshift roof out of any suitable material. Paint the houses—now they'll add a splash of color to the dullness of the autumn garden, and the birds will have a place to hide during the winter cold.

Another interesting idea for using old rubber boots will brighten up your garden and bring joy to the kids. If you have a pond on your property, you can create a whole composition: cut out windows and a door from the top of a brightly painted boot. Attach a roof and place it near the pond. A gnome will live there.

Make a small boat out of another boot and launch it into the pond. Let the gnome come out at night and ride on it. You can involve the kids in this activity, and they'll be delighted to join in on such a fun project.