How to Make a 5 gallon bucket into a garden

5- gallon plastic bucket and lid (food grade). Bakeries, delis, and restaurants will often give them away.

7.5-inch section of 4-inch diameter perforated drain tile

6-inch section of ½ inch (inside diameter) plastic tubing

1 ½ inch wood or decking screw

electrical tape

empty 1-gallon milk jug

Tool List:

Saber saw, drill, 5/16 inch and 3/4 inch drill bits, utility knife, hacksaw

1. Using a saber saw or band saw cut the lid so that it fits inside the bucket. (The lid will separate the medium from the water reservoir).

1. Drill 15 holes, 5/16” in diameter, in lid. (Plant roots will grow through the medium and pass through these holes into the reservoir.)
2. With a hacksaw, cut 3 pieces of 4-inch diameter black perforated drain tile 2 ½ inches long. (These are placed in the bottom of the bucket to support the lid-separator).
   
3. Drill one ¾ inch hole with a drill bit 2 inches above the bottom of the 5-gallon bucket.
4. Cut a 6-inch piece of ½ inch (inside diameter) clear plastic tubing; wrap one end with electrical tape, to create a snug fit, and insert it into the hole. The tubing will sit directly below the separator.
   
   
5. Drive screw through the tubing (inside the bucket), 1 inch from the end.
6. Cut an “X” with a knife or razor into the shoulder of a 1-gallon milk jug. Insert the end of the tubing into the milk jug and raise the bucket 8 inches by setting it up on a cinder block or bricks.
7. Decorate and beautify your bucket with decoupage or spray paint (Krylon Fusion™ for Painting Plastic)

resource : http://www.growit.umd.edu/Youth%20Gardening/ContainerGardening/SelfWateringContainers.cfm