Introduction: Compact Wine Bottle Garden
Short on space but still want a garden conversation piece? See my published instructable for more information on how to create this!
List of materials:
Wine bottles: 55 to 65
3/8” by 1ft rebar: 55 to 65
Planting soil (or good dirt): 10 to 15 cubic feet.
Liner: As needed. (See explanation below)
Flower plants: As needed
1- Pick a location with plenty of sun and good view.
2- Decide on the size of your garden. Small Wine bottle are approximately 3 inches wide and 9 inches tall. I used the 10 times enlargement of the bottle shape and ended up with dimension of 30 inches wide by 90 inches tall for the garden. Clear the area you need with the orientation that results in best viewing angle.
3- Use ground-up chalk, spray paint or rope to draw the outline of the bottle shape.
4- Drive the rebars into the ground spaced 3 inches apart. You can use one of the bottles as a guide for spacing.
5- Place the bottles, upside down, over the rebars.
6- Use liner in the inside of the garden for holding the soil and preventing water run off. I used left over roof shingles for that purpose. Other alternatives would be: Plastic panels, cut-off cardboard box covered up with plastic trash bag, wooden boards, etc. You can use pieces of duct tape to holed up the liner and remove them after putting the dirt.
7- You can use either a cap or cork for the bottle. I used a cork shaped box for the bottle. Pieced of 2x6 wood was used for construction of the box.
8- Place the cork box in the neck and pour in the dirt to the level of the liner.
9- Plant your flowers and enjoy it!
See the video below panning over the garden:
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7 Comments
9 years ago on Introduction
and here i was bringing my bottles faithfully to the glass container
10 years ago on Introduction
Funny :D
12 years ago on Introduction
You could also put the 'cork' box open side up and plant something bushy in it? Great idea though.
12 years ago on Introduction
The best part... drinking the wine beforehand :)
Reply 12 years ago on Introduction
We got them from local restaurants. . . you can say that too so folks won't think you're a lush.
12 years ago on Introduction
great idea, thanks! I'm not an engineer-y person. I designed it thinking aesthetically, not practicality.
12 years ago on Introduction
I think this is a terrific idea, but I'd even take it one step further:
1. Why not fill the bottles with sand? The thermal mass will extend your growing season by storing the heat from the low-angled winter sun's rays in the daytime and releasing it at night. This will create a warmer microclimate within the garden. It could enable you to grow some plants that wouldn't normally grow in your hardiness zone.
2. "Plant" the bottles at an angle, sloping them toward the garden. This would create a spillway for the rain which will hit the bottles and flow into the garden to further irrigate your plants. You'll be able to get away with less irrigation of your plants.