For a few years I’ve used an old wooden step ladder as a planter in the garden. It has gone through many changes and locations. This year it actually started out by the trellis garden and I had some hyacinth bean vines growing up one side. But now that it is time to start cleaning up the garden I moved the ladder planter up to a spot on the deck.
![the ladder planter](https://craftygardener.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/ladderplanters10e.jpg)
I also call this the tea thyme ladder as when I had it in the garden I had a large clump of thyme growing underneath it and all the plants are in old teacups, teapots, or kettles. A couple of years ago my husband cut me strips of wood to fit between the rungs of the ladder and the back support. This enlarged the display area.
![the ladder planter](https://craftygardener.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/ladderplanters10b.jpg)
A closer look at the top of the ladder shows the never ending cup of tea, some cups with hens & chicks, a soup mug with mossy stonecrop and an old tea kettle with trailing stonecrop.
![](https://craftygardener.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/ladderplanters10c.jpg)
There is lots more of the same in the middle section. Do you see the little stack of teapot lids? They were left over after making the teapot totem so I just stacked them and they created their own little leaning tower.
![](https://craftygardener.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/ladderplanters10d.jpg)
Now you can see the teapot totem at the bottom along with other old containers for planting in. Little ornaments have been added to the various shelves.
![](https://craftygardener.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/ladderplanters10a.jpg)
The ladder is always evolving as I move things around and add more plants and ornaments. I rather like it in this location and will probably set it up this way next year.
See how the ladder planter evolved.
![teacup line](https://craftygardener.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/teacups.jpg)
Crafty is craf-tea