What do you plant in containers?

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sfishergirl

New Member
Plant lover ... Is Callibrocha the same as Million Bells Petunia? yes it is
As with swindy above perennials need to be brought inside or if you have a garage or shed that doesnt freeze inside and stay there for months at a time you can put them in the garage and wrap them with bubble wrap (works like insulation). I put mine in the basement. I am going to start digging for some more info. bbl
 

sfishergirl

New Member
As I am getting some of my biggest containers ready I am going to admit that I don't usually use fillers that are light lol you would think I would but my biggest containers are usually stay where they are started. I start with a piece of pvc pipe that I place on a layer of rocks that cover the bottom so the pipe isnt sitting flat then I add about 2 inches more of rock then I start with a 4 inch layer of compost then add potting soil. The pipe is used for watering purposes my largest containers are not self draining. The pipe allows you to check the level of water at the bottom of the container. These containers are usually 1/2 55 gallon drums or 30 gallon tote boxes. They are all parked near windows and are used to start my bulbs like canna, elephant ear, peruvian daffoil, voodoo lily.
 

sfishergirl

New Member
Canna container ideas
#1 half barrel - in the center tropicanna canna, around that 5 saffron flower then around that alternate 3 marguerite daisy with 3 blackie sweet potatoe vine
#2 square plastic tote across the back 3 cannas in front of the center canna plant a fountain grass then to the left of the grass plant 3 verbena then in front of the verbena plant a cranesbill geranium and to the right of that a bouganvillea
I like cannas but I mostly use them as a border plant then I tie the border to the house with a planter on the back porch
 

Jade

New Member
I love the Bonfire Begonias in a container. Last year I had a red "spike", euphorbia "diamond frost", white pentas, bonfire begonias and blackie sweet potato vine. The potato vine wanted to take over, so did some major cut backs on it. This year I will do a similar container, but leave it out. I do love those bonfire begonias.
I also put my herbs in containers. I bought a beautiful new huge pot on clearance last summer, I am not sure what will go in that one. Planting mixed containers and custom containers was one of my favorite jobs at the garden center where I worked in Canada. Maybe I should go into my fav. garden center here in PA and ask them for a part time job doing containers. I think they they buy them all in already planted. I think that I would like working there, they have many knowledgeable staff.
 

Sunshine2638

New Member
I currently have the following growing in containers now.

amarilyus
cannas
tulips
hycintha
roses
daylilies
orential lilies
toad lilies
desert rose
irises
daffodils
brugsamia
dahlias
begonia
orchids
cactus
columbine


Hope this helps everyone alot.
 

plantlover

New Member
Plant lover ... Is Callibrocha the same as Million Bells Petunia? yes it is
As with swindy above perennials need to be brought inside or if you have a garage or shed that doesnt freeze inside and stay there for months at a time you can put them in the garage and wrap them with bubble wrap (works like insulation). I put mine in the basement. I am going to start digging for some more info. bbl

I'm in zone 8, so I can leave many things outside. Elephant ears, cannas, and even brugs are hardy here. It's just my stupid landlord that has made it impossible for me to plant things in the ground.....and the containers are rapidly crowding my patio.
 

Crabbergirl

Super Moderator
Staff member
Ove all the years of gardening I have planted a lot in containers. When I lived in the Keys gardening was a real pain due to all the lime stone. So I had to ave my garden. I have grown cukes you just have to have a trellis for them if possible plant them near a fence and use that. Squash, tomatoes , bush beans and on and on.
 

Kya D

Active Member
Right now all I have in containers is I have a cream separator that that was a gift and it was filled with barrel cactus (cearm colored flowers) and I have added a couple of barrel cactus that bloom red. They are the cutest little cactus. AND I love the cream separator
I have always wanted one.
 

Kya D

Active Member
Thanks sfishergirl
I guess when you live in rural areas you have a lot of different old things to choose from.
I also have some old pots that I am deciding whether I should use for containers.
They may be too good and I will use them to cook in
 

plantlover

New Member
OH Ms. Susan
You little city girl you are NOT stupid.
A cream separator is a old piece of equipment that spins and seperates cream from milk.
Then you can make whipped cream or butter.
http://dairyantiques.com/Cream_Separators_2.html
Here's a link cuz I really can't explain. Mine looks the most like the third one down

Wow! Those look really neat! Actually, I think I may have seen something like that on an Amish farm in Iowa.

Gosh, I sure wish I had grown up on a farm! There are so many neat things I have missed by not knowing about all these wonderful parts of farm life!!!
 

Kya D

Active Member
You know as a child if it hadn't been for my horse I would have hated the farm but as I grew up I realized the cool stuff I had learned and the fun stuff we had on the farm.
 

lynpenny

Super Moderator
Staff member
I have some pansys in a tub and some succulents on the deck.
 

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Wombat

Active Member
They look great Lyn, I have some too but my cat seems to think it's a nice comfy bed made especially for her:rolleyes:, that's when a good water pistol comes in handy, quiet and very effective:D
Kya that's a great idea...I wouldn't even know what a cream separator looked like:confused:...have to try and find a pic somewhere.....
 

lynpenny

Super Moderator
Staff member
I remember my aunt had flowers in the cream separator. It always looked cool. I wanted one but never got one. I should start going to garage sales and find something cool.
 

Bernie

New Member
Plantlover as others have said you can plant almost anything in containers. My neighbor’s hedge sapped the life out of my veggies and the ground here is dreadful so my entire veggie garden is in apple bins or some kind of container. DH and DS cut the bins in half so they are each 2’ X 4’ and 2’ deep. I lined them with blue tarps to keep the wood from rotting then I put five gallon buckets, milk jugs old flower pots and anything else I could get my hands on that were plant safe and would not decompose in the bottoms to take up space. I then filled them with 90% compost and 10% garden soil. I add more compost every spring. We have hot dry winds here too and our summers get up to 100+ so watering is a constant problem. I have drip irrigation for my veggies and a lot more. You don't need to pay big bucks for it. I bought the punch and the drippers and put them into regular old garden hoses most of which I find in other people's trash. In the veggie garden I have misters for seed starting and drippers for watering once the plants take off. I space things according to the square foot gardening method so watering from above is nearly impossible. I have five tree pots planted with veggies and flowers also. You could paint the tree pots so they blend in and have them so close together that no one would guess it isn’t a flower bed.

I recently found a cracked fire pit in the local nurseries dumpster. Yes it took this old gal some doing but I did get it out and into my car. I can’t wait for spring so I can plant in it.

Every year I refresh my smaller pots with about half new potting mix and half old. I don’t like to use peanuts because they end up mixed in the soil. Instead I use milk jugs, soda bottles and cans. They are easier to fish out. I also line my smaller pots with diapers. Its cheaper then those crystals they sell to be mixed with your soil to absorb water. The diapers absorb water and keep the pots from drying out so fast. Also the plastic keeps water from draining to quickly. I always find adult diapers at thrift shops where it’s much cheaper. If I can’t find enough I buy the cheapest thing I can find baby or adult diapers work great. I wouldn’t use them on anything edible, not sure what kind of chemicals are in those.
Here is part of my veggie garden from last spring. Tomatoes are in the orange tub and black tree pot.
 

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plantlover

New Member
Plantlover as others have said you can plant almost anything in containers. My neighbor’s hedge sapped the life out of my veggies and the ground here is dreadful so my entire veggie garden is in apple bins or some kind of container. DH and DS cut the bins in half so they are each 2’ X 4’ and 2’ deep. I lined them with blue tarps to keep the wood from rotting then I put five gallon buckets, milk jugs old flower pots and anything else I could get my hands on that were plant safe and would not decompose in the bottoms to take up space. I then filled them with 90% compost and 10% garden soil. I add more compost every spring. We have hot dry winds here too and our summers get up to 100+ so watering is a constant problem. I have drip irrigation for my veggies and a lot more. You don't need to pay big bucks for it. I bought the punch and the drippers and put them into regular old garden hoses most of which I find in other people's trash. In the veggie garden I have misters for seed starting and drippers for watering once the plants take off. I space things according to the square foot gardening method so watering from above is nearly impossible. I have five tree pots planted with veggies and flowers also. You could paint the tree pots so they blend in and have them so close together that no one would guess it isn’t a flower bed.

I recently found a cracked fire pit in the local nurseries dumpster. Yes it took this old gal some doing but I did get it out and into my car. I can’t wait for spring so I can plant in it.

Every year I refresh my smaller pots with about half new potting mix and half old. I don’t like to use peanuts because they end up mixed in the soil. Instead I use milk jugs, soda bottles and cans. They are easier to fish out. I also line my smaller pots with diapers. Its cheaper then those crystals they sell to be mixed with your soil to absorb water. The diapers absorb water and keep the pots from drying out so fast. Also the plastic keeps water from draining to quickly. I always find adult diapers at thrift shops where it’s much cheaper. If I can’t find enough I buy the cheapest thing I can find baby or adult diapers work great. I wouldn’t use them on anything edible, not sure what kind of chemicals are in those.
Here is part of my veggie garden from last spring. Tomatoes are in the orange tub and black tree pot.

Holy tomatoes, Bernie! You've given container gardening an entirely new meaning.......You've taken it to the extreme, and I mean that in a GREAT way! I never would have thought to be a s creative as you've been! Your set up is positively ingenious!!!!! I'm envious....and boy do I ever understand what you mean when you talk about the challenges of watering in 100 degree weather.

To tell you the truth, in this part of Texas, that's the norm for summer. Hot weather, meaning mid to upper 80's can begin by mid March here. It's pretty typical for us to be using the a/c 24/7 by the beginning of April. From there, the temps just keep soaring. For the last two years, we've been in a serious drought.

I've discovered that it's not possible to grow regular tomatoes here. You have to look for hybrids that are tweaked to withstand the extreme heat. Dale taught me that the temps at night have to go below 70 in order for tomatoes to set fruits. They will flower just fine, but never set any fruits.

I hope you will continue to share pictures with us. Your set up just blows my mind....and it will certainly teach me more than I ever dreamed of learning about container gardening!

I am almost speechless! You are positively brilliant!
 

Bernie

New Member
PL You made me spew my water all over my keyboard. You are so funny.
As they say necessity is the mother of invention. Or is it desperation. I can’t live without my veggie garden and that hedge kept sending roots and stealing all the nutrients and water from my veggies. That is my biggest recycling project ever and the reason my neighbors call me Ms MacGyver or the Trash Lady.
The apple industry is converting to plastic bins so most of those bins were going to be destroyed. When they were cut in half I needed something to close the open sides. I found wood at construction sites that was going to the dump. I even found a lot of screws on the ground at the job sites. I found the black irrigation tubing and half the drippers at the Goodwill. The green hose came from a neighbor’s trash. It had a hole in it so I just put a dripper in the hole. LOL I painted the inside and out to help preserve the wood. One gallon came from a yard sale for a $1 the other was leftover from when we painted the house. Mixed together made a nice color. The tarps came from the $1 Store. My neighbors are all convinced I’m not completely right in the head especially when I started collecting buckets, broken pots, milk jugs and the like to take up the space in the bottom of those bins. They gave them to me but they all shook their heads as I walked off. DS said Mom this is going to take my truck and a whole lot of dirt. He still can’t believe all he had to haul were the boxes and a bag of peat. I even got grass clippings and leaves from the neighbor’s trash to make compost to fill the boxes. Everyone told me it would never work. It looked a lot like the city dump back there for months but in the end I got it done and I get lots of lovely veggies for my effort. You know another nice thing is I don’t have to bend over to weed or harvest my veggies.

If you love recycling you are going to love my $25 green house. Not quite ready to share pictures of it yet though. :D
 
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