New use for old tyres

Designer Sandra Batley shows how to convert old tyres into a cost-free, colourful container.

You will need:

2 used tyres
Paintbrush
Resene Quick Dry primer undercoat
Resene Lumbersider acrylic paint in Resene Plum and Resene Blackberry
Container mix and compost
A standardised kumquat tree and seedlings of two types of flowers or herbs (we used parsley and purple sage Gravel)

Step one
Clean the tyres thoroughly to remove any grease or road dirt. Paint each tyre with one coat of primer undercoat. Allow to dry.

Step two
Paint the outsides of the tyres, including the walls, with two coats of an acrylic exterior paint. Leave for 24 hours to dry thoroughly. For fun, paint each tyre a different colour. You could add a decorative pattern too.

Step three
Place the tyres in their final position, one on top of the other as once filled they are very difficult to move. Put a layer of gravel in the bottom and fill the tyres three quarters full of container mix with a little compost mixed in.

Step four
Plant the kumquat tree in the centre of the tyres so its natural ground level is flush or nearly flush with the top tyre wall. Plant seedlings of the first herb closest to the tree and of the second one around the outside. Back fill. Gently water in.

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