Five Ways to Give Your Garden a Vintage Feel

Adding vintage charm into your garden design is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to give your garden unique and welcoming charm.

Giving your garden a vintage aesthetic is a great way to make it a welcoming space, not just for your veggies but for friends and fellow gardeners. Below I am sharing some great ideas for how to turn vintage items into statement pieces in your backyard garden. From using old wash basins and troughs to adding vintage signage. In this article you'll find affordable ways to give your garden some vintage charm!

Vintage garden Decor Ideas

Utilize metals

I Use old metal troughs, antique wash basins and old watering cans in my garden. Not only are these items useful the add a vintage aesthetic to the space. I use the metal containers to grow things like nasturtiums and papers. They absorb heat from the sun and actually help some of my plants to grow bigger faster due to the increased soil temperatures.

Incorporate unique garden signs

I use a faux vintage sign on my garden chicken coop which adds a touch of garden charm. You can find loads of sweet and unique signs on Etsy. Amazon has some good faux options that you can personalize. Or better yet make one, I like this tutorial for a burned wood sign.

Mix in Wood Elements

As wood ages it can really give your garden great character. I love utilizing old wooden wine barrels cut in half, these are great for container gardening. I'm especially a fan of growing tomatoes in wooden wine barrels.

I also love wooden potting benches. Again, a great potting bench will not only give your garden some real charm, it can also be utilized for potting, transplanting seedlings and more. You can find some great potting benches new online, and they will age and give you a great vintage aesthetic, but I prefer finding items like this used or making my own.

incorporate concrete and terracotta

There is nothing like a beautiful vintage terracotta pot, am I right? Terracotta is timeless, it ages beautifully and even brand new will give your garden some real charm!

I recently started adding in cement or faux cement articles into my garden, there is something about the primitive and simple look that just really gives the garden an expensive look, without spending a ton of money. For resources on making your own faux cement pots this is a great tutorial.

Include other Antique or Heirloom garden items

Vintage garden tools are easy to find at yard sales and estate sales and they can be useful or just displayed for a vintage feel. Utilizing older family pieces can also add a touch of charm and instill warm memories into your garden space. My mother-in-law uses an old metal wheelbarrow that was her grandfathers to plant flowers in. It's beautiful, rustic and low maintenance.

Create an inviting place to sit

Creating a comfortable place to sit and enjoy all of the relaxing qualities of your garden is essential. You can find some excellent vintage inspired garden seating, I love this adorable bistro set. Although the primary purpose of my garden is to feed my family, there have been many studies showing that gardening and spending time in the garden can reduce stress. I love making my garden a great space to sit and sip coffee or tea and enjoy the scenery.

Where Can I find Vintage Items for my Garden?

As mentioned before Amazon has some great faux vintage garden items that are budget friendly. I really love this cast iron chicken garden hook.
Etsy is another great place to find real vintage pieces as well as faux pieces.
Tractor supply is an excellent source for large metal troughs you can make them look vintage, or simply use them in the garden for a few years and they will get the vintage aesthetic before you know it!
Lowes is my go-to for wine barrels, they typically have them in the spring and early summer months. Check out your local store. You can also buy the supples at Lowes and use these plans to make a beautiful DIY potting bench that is sure to give your garden loads of vintage charm.
Never underestimate the power of a good estate sale or yard sale. I have found some of the most unique and truly vintage pieces at estate sales.