No one at the Goodwill would ever step foot in my old TOMS. There was no way I could give them away. To describe them as worn out would be an understatement. They pounded the pavement for over a year to many fun places – Seattle, Asheville, Atlanta, Nashville. But they were Shabby with a capital S. It was time to get a new pair, yet I couldn’t bear to just throw the old ones away. What’s an earth-conscious gardener to do? Plant in them, that’s what. In about 15 minutes, my old Toms became hanging planters.
First, I screwed them into the side of the garage. On the second shoe, I learned not to drill too far – you’ll drill right through the sole if you’re not careful.
Next, I filled the toe part of the shoe about 1/3 of the way full with organic potting soil. Then, I gingerly set an everbearing strawberry plant into the shoe and poured some more potting soil in around it. I gently pressed the strawberry in place.
I watered those bad boys and my upcycled shoe planters were complete! The cloth provided the perfect amount of water retention and drainage! Win! Plus, from some views, they look like they’re walking down the garage, which makes me giggle. Functional upcycling + garden nerd levity. Win, win!
