Birdcage planters are a favorite with creative gardeners. These tips share ideas for setting up a new or upcycled birdcage as a planter for succulents or annuals.
For more, see Fabulous Garden Container Ideas.
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Birdcage Planter Ideas
First, let’s look at some birdcage planter ideas. Then, I’ll give you my best tips for successful planting.
1 Black birdcage with succulents | Empress of Dirt
This one was created by Susan StLouis who shared it on a tour of her garden. See the entire creative garden container gallery here.
2 White birdcage with succulents | Garden Therapy
Stephanie of Garden Therapy shares how she planted this new, decorative birdcage with succulents.
3 Green birdcage with bird on top | Our Fairfield Home & Garden
Barb added a bird’s nest plus moss and ivy for a low-maintenance option.
4 Modern birdcage with flowering annuals | House of Hawthornes
You can often find these newer birdcages at thrift shops and yard sales. Pam planted hers with flowering annuals.
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Tips for Making a Birdcage Planter
1 Birdcage
Where can I find a birdcage?
If you want to repurpose / upcycle an old one, look at:
- thrift shops
- yard sales
- online ads e.g. Craigslist, Kiji – or place a wanted ad of your own
- local Facebook buy, sell, trade groups
Where can I buy a new, decorative birdcage?
I see a lot of options on sites like Amazon and Etsy.
You can see various style and sizes here on Amazon.
Buying Tips
- Be sure to check the size of the cage. Many of them look big in the photo but are actually quite small.
- Confirm that the birdcage is well made and can endure life outdoors.
- Make sure there is a way to get the plants in. Some decorative birdcages don’t actually have an opening or door, making it difficult to add plants unless you have hands the size of a mouse.
Make it Your Own
- Want to change the colour or add rust protection? Use an exterior, all-purpose spray paint.
- Cage wires too close together? Get a good pair of snippers (I love bolt cutters—it is amazing how easily they cut bolts and wire) and remove sections of wire as desired.
Related: Container Gardening Ideas | Plant lists, project ideas, creative planters
2 Liner or Soil Container
There are several options depending on the look you want. No matter what you choose, you want to form some sort of planting area that holds soil about 3-5 inches deep.
- Use a coir liner and put container potting soil inside.
- Use a piece of good quality burlap and form a planting area. Once the soil is added, the burlap stays in place.
- Use chicken wire and moss.
- Use a container that fits the base of the birdcage.
- Use various flower pots that fit within the cage.
3 Soil | Container Potting Mix
For container plants, always use soilless container mix intended for the specific plants.
- Succulents and cacti do best with a lighter container mix.
- Flowering annuals prefer a regular container mix.
Want to combine them? Keep the plants in plastic pots with their preferred container mix and sit the pots in the cage. Conceal them with coir liner or burlap or show them off.
4 Plant Suggestions
Birdcage planters look fabulous with trailing plants spilling out of the cage.
Choose your plants based on the light conditions where you will hang it (sun, part sun, shade).
If you can’t find the plants you want in pots, you can always buy a ready-made hanging basket and transplant everything to the birdcage.
Look for trailing succulents
or flowering annuals including:
- Alternantheras | Alternanthera spp.
- Bacopas | Sutera spp.
- Creeping Jenny | Lysimachia nummularia
- Fuchsia | Fuchsia
- Geranium | Geranium
- Ivy
- Lobelia | Campanulaceae
- Nasturtium | Tropaeoleum spp.
- Petunia | Petunia
- Sweet potato vine | Ipomoea batatas
5 Care
Like any plant containers or hanging baskets, you need to keep on top of watering so they never dry out. You can find helpful tips for keeping container plants happy here. Also, keep your plant tags for specific instructions on feeding (fertilizing) and deadheading (removing old blooms to encourage new ones).
Recommended Resource
 |
Container Gardening Complete
by Jessica Walliser This has everything you want to know about growing plants in containers! Flowers, herbs, veggies, and more! It’s packed with useful information, creative container projects, and lots of beautiful photos. |
Plant a birdcage! Free a bird!
~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛
