Five Places to Look For Cheap Pots You Can Actually Afford

If you have just embarked on your container gardening journey, congratulations! You’re in for a beautiful ride. The very first thing you need to get started are the containers themselves. Unfortunately, this can quickly become daunting once you see the price tags. Here, I’ll share my tips for finding affordable pots, and maybe even some free ones!

Before you go forth chasing cheap containers, I invite you to consider two things. First, a pep talk from me on why growing in containers is equal or even superior to growing in the ground. Second, the style you want for your containers, so you can be strategic in your search and not end up with a bunch of random pots that don’t mesh well together or bring you joy.

Or, if you feel ready, jump ahead to my five suggestions.

Container gardening is so underrated

Allow me to extoll for a moment on the virtues of gardening in containers. So much gardening advice out there applies to growing plants in the soil. And growing plants in the soil is great! When I briefly lived in a house with a backyard, I really enjoyed digging in the dirt and seeing how vigorously my plants grew. 

But to be perfectly honest, when we moved out of that house and back into an apartment with a balcony, I was relieved to go back to gardening exclusively in pots. Here are a few reasons why:

• Control over soil conditions. When gardening in the ground and choosing plants, you must take into account the type of soil you have (sandy, clay, loamy, etc.). When growing in pots, you can create almost any condition by choosing the right kind or combination of potting mix, widening your planting options considerably!
• Control of invasive plants. Many plants, such as those in the mint family, have reputations for being garden bullies, growing so fast and so big that they take over and push out other plants. In pots, this is not a problem. You can keep the bullies in their own pots so they leave your other plants in peace!
• Flexibility. Once you’ve planted something in the ground, you shouldn’t move it around too much to avoid disturbing the root system repeatedly. You maybe have one chance a year to relocate it safely, and if it’s a big tree or shrub– good luck. With plants in pots, you can arrange and rearrange as much as you like! Tomatoes not getting enough sun? Tree blocking too much light? Just move ‘em! For larger containers, I use rolling plant caddies for extra ease.

Choose a look and stick with it

Another reason to love containers: they contribute to the overall look and design of your space. Before you start hoarding pots, give a little thought to the aesthetic direction you’re going for. 

For example, my gardening style is heavily inspired by Mediterranean climates. So, I made a decision early on to commit to terracotta. I love the warm, rusty hues and old world feel they lend to my balcony, especially as they age and take on a weathered patina. 

As you move through the world, pay attention to garden styles that move or inspire you. You might prefer a rustic, farmhouse look, which calls for wood planter boxes and reused galvanized steel buckets. Or perhaps you gravitate towards an industrial feel with aluminum tubs and recast building materials, like half-pipes or stacked tires.

Maybe you want to commit to pots of all one color, or a color family, or go full eclectic and opt for a mishmash of colors and materials. As always, what matters is that YOU like it!

Where to find affordable pots

Now that we have established why containers are the best and the overall aesthetic theme of your garden, the time to forage for pots has come. Below I share five sources that I have used to successfully obtain affordable, and even FREE, pots. And by the way, these are all great sources for gardening supplies and plants, too!

1. Craigslist. I am a big fan of old school Craigslist. It’s where I’ve bought and sold a lot of my furniture, where my husband finds all his outdated music equipment, and where, in 2018, I found a woman selling an entire cache of terracotta pots in San Jose for $1-20 a pop. This was the find that kicked off my terracotta collection and allowed me to get growing in earnest.
2. Nextdoor. If you’re registered on Nextdoor, you can ignore the neighborly infighting and head straight to the For Sale and Free section, where you can find almost anything in a pinch, including used and unwanted planters. It’s nice because you know it will be close by, and you can avoid the bots and scams of Facebook marketplace.
3. Ace Garden Center. I love Ace Hardware. While many nurseries sell containers at a premium, I’ve found that my local Ace Garden Center has a decent selection at reasonable prices. If you’re seeking affordable pots but don’t have the time to troll Craiglist or Nextdoor, Ace might be a good option for you. If you’re not near an Ace Garden Center, check your local hardware store for a garden supply section.
4. Buy Nothing. The Buy Nothing Project is a network of neighborhood groups, usually administered on Facebook, through which participants can give and receive free stuff. If you haven’t joined your local Buy Nothing group, what are you waiting for?! It’s an incredible resource. While the gardening gifts tend to go fast, you might just luck out. It’s also a great way to offload any pots or gardening supplies that are no longer serving you.
5. The Plant Exchange and organizations like it. In Oakland, we are fortunate to have the Plant Exchange, a nonprofit that organizes sales and swaps where you can find plants, pots, and supplies for low prices or even for free. If you’re not in the Bay Area but you know of a similar group in your city, share it in the comments!

Your creativity is the limit

The five suggestions above have worked best for me and my terracotta fixation, but there are lots of other places to find affordable pots, like yard sales, flea markets, and wineries that sell their used barrels to gardeners. You may even find some objects lying around the house that are ready for a second life as planters!

With a little creativity, you can surmount the first obstacle of container gardening by finding affordable pots from a variety of sources to meet the needs of your space. From there, the fun really begins with filling, planting, and arranging your pots!