DIY Tips for Displaying Flea Market Finds in Your Garden

It is so much fun to go to flea markets and peddlers malls in search of just the right treasures for your flower gardens.

You never know what you are going to find. That is part of the thrill.

After all shopping at flea markets is not like going to a department store and seeing rows of the same items, with a variety of sizes and styles to choose from either. Each vendor is offering something discovered or discarded by someone.

You may have heard the phrase "one man's trash, is another man's treasure". Other sources for treasures include auctions, goodwill, yard sales, garage sales and Craigslist. During the warmer months you can get some good deals on any of the outdoor sales listed.

So, after you discover the perfect flea market finds , what do you do with them?

Show them off in your gardens! It adds a fun, whimsical, touch to the garden and landscape. But be careful in your display techniques, you don't want to make your yard look like a junk yard.

Use the items sparingly and in good taste. Here are a few examples to get you thinking.

Old galvanized watering cans look great hanging on hooks on the fence, or on the side of the shed, or even from a deck post.

You can even plant flower seeds in them and transform a watering can into a planter.

Old wagon wheels - If you have a fence, or wall that is in a flower planter or garden, lean the wagon wheel up in the background of the area.

Protect the wagon wheel by spraying it with a coat of poly each year, and store it in a shed during winter months to prolong its looks.

Old radio flyer wagons -, drill a few drain holes in the bed of the wagon so water won't stand in the wagon and rust it through.

You can plant flowers directly in the bed of the wagon and let them grow and trail over the sides to the ground.

Or you can place pots of various sizes and colors in the wagon as in the photo and plant flowers in the pots.

When you look at the photo of the wagon you may think, slow down, you have tossed the load of planters!

But what is really happening here is, a design is being planned. There are 4 planters in the wagon. They vary in size.

The planters have been placed on an angle to add interest to the display before deciding what is going to be planted.

Add an occasional surprise to the garden, and this will do that when it is finished. After all decorating should be fun and creative.

There are lots of other items that can be put to good use as decorative accents within your landscape

And one of the great things about these items is- the older they look the better they look. They add charm, character and a touch of nostalgia to your design.

So, now when you go flea marketing, look for some great treasures for you gardens.

Whatever you like, display it. It can be garden tools, such as shovels, these are so cool used as giant handles on shed doors. Or old plows, pumps, and more.

Keep looking and keep having fun with your personal style displayed in your gardens.

These items are perfect for a country style setting, or cottage gardens.