Old wood ladders are wonderful in the garden. Have a look at these ideas for turning ladders into functional garden art. Use them as trellis, planters, herb growing, and decor.
For more, also see garden art project ideas.
Ladders As Vertical Garden Art
Wobbly, old wooden ladders have lots of reuses both in the home and the garden.
Here you’ll see them used outdoors as stands for plants and decor, adding vertical interest to the garden the same way arbors, trellis, and obeslisks do.
If you ever see one in the garbage, snap it up! Their value is starting to be recognized and resellers are asking a little too much for them these days.
Whether you paint them or leave them plain, wooden ladders make a quirky, fun garden art accent.
This one is in my garden:
Tips for Long-Lasting Wood Ladders
Old-fashioned household ladders made from wood are not durable in outdoor conditions.
To make a ladder last for years outdoors all year-round, consider painting it with exterior latex paint and adding rain boots!
This will prevent rotting due to exposure to the damp soil, rain, and snow.
Garden Ladder Ideas
Eye-popping color is always good!
Ladders are a great way to show off collections:
This one is in my garden:
This next one has an orange and yellow theme:
Ladders are excellent for showing off collections:
See how they placed the flowering annuals along the ladder? Very pretty!
I took this photo many years ago in the blazing hot sun:
Here’s another look at my blue ladder:
This little step ladder looks sweet:
Clever idea: use each step for a letter to form a word:
The pink flowers really stand out with the black garden ladder in this next garden.
This backyard was filled with quirky and rustic garden art. I love the rusty angel with the aged patina of the wood.
This ladder was in my old garden next to the first clematis vine I ever planted. I didn’t intend to keep it there but came to love how the two looked together.
You can’t go wrong by picking a color to use throughout the garden. Here a heritage red looks just right.
