Repurposing an Old Wood Dresser by Cutting Off the Bottom

Cut any legs or base off the dresser with a standard hand saw to give the dresser more stability in the garden. Wear safety goggles and gloves to protect hands and eyes from splinters. Leave the bottom layer of the dresser intact so that the dresser has a layer between the plants inside and the ground.

Take the drawers out of the dresser and drill five to six holes in the bottom of each. These will become small planters of their own. Put them in level, even sites with full sunshine and air movement. Make sure that each sits securely on the ground.

Decide on your plans for the body of the dresser. If you want to plant vegetables or flowers, drill 11 to 12 holes in the back for drainage and plan for the dresser to lay on its back. If you want to keep it standing up for trailing vines like nasturtiums or ivy, drill holes in the supports under each opening. Put the dresser in a flat site with full sunshine and air movement. Make sure that the dresser is secure in its location.

Mix a potting soil with 1 part organic compost and 1 part garden loam, or alternately, 1 part garden loam to 1 part sphagnum peat moss and 1 part vermiculite. Add 5-10-10 fertilizer for flower planting and 10-10-10 or 12-12-12 fertilizer for vegetable planting.

Fill the drawers to within 1 inch of the top with potting mixture. If your dresser lays on its back, fill the entire dresser to within 1 inch of the top for planting. If your dresser stands up, put 4 to 5 inches of potting mix in each section for planting. Taper the potting mix downward toward the front of the sections to keep it from falling out the front.

Plant annual and perennial flowers as well as fruits and vegetables in the repurposed drawers and dresser. Plant long, vining plants in the standing-up dresser, and train the vines to grow out the front openings and hang down.