Tools of the Container Garden Trade: 5 Gallon Containers

As pizza is to a pizzeria, containers are an essential part of any container garden. My favorite container is the standard five gallon utility bucket, which can be found at just about any hardware store for only a few bucks. They are incredibly durable but extremely ugly. It's a cruel tradeoff. Before using, be sure to drill a bunch of holes in the bottom, otherwise water won't be able to drain out. A drill seems like the easiest way to do this. I've heard of people heating screw drivers to punch holes. That's dumb. Get a drill and do your work over a sheet of newspaper so that the carved out plastic doesn't go everywhere.