How to Plant Flowers in Your Old Curbside Mailbox

Breathing new life into an old curbside mailbox by transforming it into a lively flower planter is a fun and creative way to add a burst of color and personality to your yard.

With some simple modifications, these nostalgic metal boxes can be converted into charming container gardens showcasing vibrant blossoms. Read on to learn how it's done!

Choosing a Mailbox for Converting into a Planter

When selecting a mailbox to repurpose as a flower planter, sturdiness and size are key factors to weigh. The mailbox must be durable enough to securely hold soil and plants without toppling over.

A standard, rectangular metal mailbox of medium proportions usually works best. Avoid lightweight plastic mailboxes that could easily crack or bend. Galvanized steel or thick aluminum materials are ideal for enduring outdoor growing conditions while resisting rust.

Ensuring Stability

As you'll be filling the base of the mailbox with soil, the increased weight demands extra stability precautions.

If your mailbox isn't already cemented or dug into the ground, you'll need to securely fasten it before planting. Consider using heavy-duty brackets, bolts, zip ties or adhesive products to anchor it to a sturdy surface like a deck, fence or porch.

Preparing the Mailbox for Planting

Before our mailbox makeover really takes shape, we need to carry out some simple modifications to transform it into an optimal flower planter.

Start by laying newspaper or a tarp to catch soil, then bring your mailbox to the work area along with these DIY tools:

• Safety glasses
• Hammer
• Power drill
• Tin snips

Cutting a few drainage holes in the bottom of the mailbox is crucial for healthy plants. Use a power drill or sharp awl to add 5-6 evenly spaced holes.

Next, measure and mark openings to widen the top area with tin snips, allowing more space for foliage to emerge. Take care not to compromise the mailbox structure. Remove any jagged edges with a metal file.

That's it for our simple mailbox modifications - now the fun planting can begin!

Selecting Plants for Your Mailbox Garden

When deciding which flowers or greenery to plant in your repurposed mailbox, consider its growing conditions and limitations.

The enclosed space tends to dry out faster than an in-ground garden. Therefore, focus on selecting hardy, drought-resistant plants that can thrive without frequent watering if rainfall is scarce.

Climate Considerations

Recommended plant choices may vary considerably depending on your local climate. Assess seasonal sunlight levels, temperature, humidity and other impacts in your area.

For hot climates, heat-loving varieties like petunias, marigolds, cosmos or purslane are smart options. In more temperate zones with cold winters, pansies, violas, creeping phlox or primrose flowers are ideal.

Great Plant Picks for Mailbox Gardens

Here are some excellent all-around plant recommendations sure to flourish beautifully in your repurposed curbside mailbox:

• Trailing lantana
• Sweet alyssum
• Creeping Jenny
• Dianthus
• Geraniums
• Nasturtiums

For foliage interest, ivy and creeping wire vine are nice trailing accent plants. Herbs like thyme, oregano and chives also grow well in confined spaces.

Maximizing Sunlight

When selecting a mailbox location, aim for an area receiving at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily. This allows plants to photosynthesize and thrive.

If your site is partially shaded, focus on shade-tolerant varieties like impatiens, begonias, coral bells, coleus or iris that can manage with 3-4 hours of sunlight.

Getting the Right Potting Mix

Now that your mailbox planter foundation is prepped and plant picks finalized, it's time to focus on filling it up with rich, fertile potting soil.

Standard backyard dirt won't cut it for container plantings. Instead, use a commercial potting mix blended specifically for flowers and vegetables grown in pots, window boxes or planter beds.

Ensuring Good Drainage

Quality potting mixes contain peat moss, vermiculite, perlite and other amendments providing the light, fluffy texture that container plants need for healthy root development.

These key ingredients also improve drainage, preventing waterlogged soil that leads to problems with mold, fungus and root rot.

Mix in Compost for Nutrition

While most commercial mixes provide adequate nutrition, stirring in 1-2 inches of compost or well-aged manure boosts organic matter. This offers slow-release feeding as it gradually breaks down.

You can further enrich by mixing a granular, slow-release fertilizer like Osmocote into the top few inches of soil for added nutrients once planted.

Moisture-Retention Gel Crystals

Since our repurposed mailbox has limited soil capacity, moisture retention is key. Sprinkling gel crystals throughout the potting mix is an easy solution.

These handy pellets absorb water then release it slowly back to plant roots when the soil dries. This helps counter hot, dry periods when rainfall is lacking.

Planting Flowers in Your Mailbox

Once soil is prepped, the fun truly begins! Follow these simple planting steps for gorgeous mailbox garden results:

1. Partially fill mailbox planter with prepared soil mix
2. Carefully remove plants from pots/packs
3. Arrange plants attractively, varying heights
4. Backfill soil mix around plants for support
5. Water thoroughly until excess drains from holes

Guidance for New Plantings

During the initial few weeks after planting, check soil daily to see if watering is needed.Aim to keep mix consistently damp but not soggy.

Consider setting up a drip irrigation system or soaker hose discreetly behind the mailbox. This makes watering easy without detracting from the display.

Once established, most plants only need watering every few days unless extremely hot and dry. Rely on rainfall as much as possible.

Discouraging Weeds

Shortly after planting, spread 1-2 inches of shredded bark, compost or other organic mulch atop the soil surface surrounding plants.

This attractive topping helps lock in soil moisture and humidity while preventing weed seeds from germinating. Replenish as needed after a few months.

Caring for Your Mailbox Garden

A bit of routine care keeps your mailbox planter lush, vibrant and picture-perfect all season long into fall.

Watering Mailbox Planters

Due to the restricted soil capacity, vigilance in watering is key. In hot climates, daily moisture monitoring may be needed. Alternatively, temperate regions can rely more on natural rainfall.

Take care not to oversaturate the soil, which leads to root disorders. Check by digging down an inch or two periodically with a finger.

Fertilizing

Every 6-8 weeks, sprinkle a water-soluble, balanced fertilizer atop the soil and water it deeply into the root zone. This nourishes plants over time.

Pruning

Snap or clip off spent blooms regularly to encourage ongoing flower production. Remove any damaged foliage or stems to maintain healthy, compact growth.

Cut back leggy annuals halfway mid-summer to promote bushy regrowth. Perennial flower stems can be trimmed near the ground when cold weather arrives.

Seasonal Considerations

As seasons shift, your plant selection and care routine may need adjusting.

Move pots to sheltered areas to protect specimens from harsh winter winds and salt spray. Ensure soil stays slightly moist even when cool.

During scorching summers, add shade lovers like impatiens or coleus. Increase water and move containers out of intense afternoon sun if possible.

Decorating Your Mailbox Planter

Personalize your flower-filled mailbox with these easy ornamental touches for extra curb appeal.

Mailbox Planter Paint Colors

Whether your mailbox is faded or a bit rusty, a fresh coat of spray paint upgrades its look.

Choose a glossy enamel shade that complements your color scheme. Bright red, glossy black, cobalt blue and sunny yellow are eye-catching options.

Incorporating Architectural Salvage

For fun embellishments, check architectural salvage shops and antique malls for vintage door knockers, house numbers and other home relics.

Affix an elegant scrolled address plaque or artful lettering spelling out your family name using adhesive Velcro strips for easy application.

Solar Lighting

To create ambiance after dark, install affordable solar path lights or spotlights powered by the sun.

Nestle mini stakes around plants or adhesive pucks onto the mailbox itself. These automatically illuminate flower colors at dusk.

Getting Creative with Mailbox Gardens

Once you get bit by the mailbox gardening bug, consider these inspired ideas for your next planter project.

Vertical Gardens

For a bolder display, attach a wire pocket planter vertically to the mailbox back. Plant it up with cascading flowers or trailing succulents.

Affix additional woven pockets near the top to hold mini container gardens of herbs and veggies. The options are unlimited!

Embracing Themes

Try coordinating mailbox planter contents around fun motifs like patriotic red, white and blue or Halloween orange and purple.

You can easily switch up themes each year by substitutions a few elements like colorful annuals, mini flags and novelty accents.

Community Efforts

Imagine the visual impact if everyone on your block converted their old mailboxes into flower planters! Brainstorm organizing a group project.

Share plant procurement, provide how-to guidance and make an annual tradition of selecting a signature color or flowering theme to unite your displays.

Transforming cast-off curbside mailboxes into cheery flower planters is an easy, eco-friendly garden project with outstanding results.

Follow this guide for help each step of the way, from prepping and planting your mailbox container garden to keeping it thriving with seasonal care.