Petals for Pedals, aka, Gardening on Wheels: DIY Blooming Bicycle Planter

Plant some vintage charm in your garden by upcycling an old bicycle to garden on wheels! You’ll find steps and tips to plant bicycle baskets with flowers.

Happy Friday!

I’m sharing a fun project and a little gardening on wheels. . . petals for pedals and planting a vintage bicycle!

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I picked up a vintage Schwinn bicycle about 10 years ago at

a favorite antique mall, for the bargain price of three pumpkins.

The dealer selling it informed me she wasn’t road-worthy with her worn tires . . .

I told her it wasn’t a concern since I would be planting her. 🌸

I added a rear bicycle basket, several years ago to plant in,

securing with it to the frame with zip ties.

I used another pair of zip ties to help balance the weight of the rear basket

after filling it with potting soil and flowers.

Here are the easy steps to fill bicycle baskets with blooms!

 I started with a roll of Natural Coconut Coir Liner, cutting it and piecing it to size to fit the baskets

as I couldn’t find any coco liners that were the right size.

I ending up using two rolls, doubling the liner, to help the baskets retain some moisture once filled with soil.

Coco fiber dries out quickly, especially in windy or sunny conditions, so I also used plastic bags as liners, using floral / greening pins to hold the bags in place before adding my potting soil. I poked a few holes in the bottom of the bags to allow water to drain properly. You want to retain moisture in your baskets, but still have adequate drainage.

I’m a fan of Miracle-Gro Potting Mix for my containers. . .

it lives up to the hype and does grow plants twice as big.

I planted the baskets with a combination of sun loving annuals . . .

🌸 Calibrachoa (Million Bells)

🌸 Angelonia

🌸 Black Sweet Potato Vine

🌸 Creeping Jenny

🌸 Vancouver Geranium

I found this mossy thatched roof birdhouse at Lowe’s when I bought my annuals. . .

I used zip ties to attach the birdhouse to the handle bars.

To keep the bike planted and upright, I used a piece of rebar to keep her from falling over. 🤞

We have drip irrigation by The Potting Shed

so we added a drip line to each basket to combat the summer heat

as the bicycle will get afternoon sun.

The bike has lost her burgundy finish over the years.

I considered spray painting her,

but decided I liked her natural look and rusty patina.

She needs a vine growing up the spokes of her tires. . .

Maybe Morning Glory or Black-eyed Susan Vine!

I like to use Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Bloom Booster Flower Food, applying it every 10 days to 2 weeks on my planters and containers. You can use in it in your flower gardens or containers and with all types of perennial and annual flowering plants, including roses, hydrangeas, dahlias, hibiscus, daisies, azaleas, begonias, petunias, and camellias to boost the bloom!

How’s your garden growing?

Thank you for your visit, sharing with:

 Between Naps on the Porch