val2525
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Post by val2525 on Feb 26, 2015 4:48:03 GMT
I was in the dollar store today and noticed all the plastic buckets they have in fun colors. Then I noticed the planters they have….. in brown and dark green. How do you think the plastic trash buckets and easter buckets would work as planters for my patio? It would be easy to dril drainage holes in the bottom, and I could put the buckets in the clear planter plates like I do the regular planters. Think they would work?
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Shirley U Geste
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Post by Shirley U Geste on Feb 26, 2015 5:19:08 GMT
I got some Halloween buckets in purple with white Day of the Dead style skulls printed on the side that I will be using as planters this season.
They will be a fun pop of color and design and at the end of the season I can just dump the dirt in the garden and throw the bucket away.
I have seen so many dang dark and dull planters in the stores this year. BORING I want a lively yard.
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val2525
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Post by val2525 on Feb 26, 2015 6:24:40 GMT
Oh good I'm not the only one thinking this then! The plastic is a little thinner than the planter plastic, so I didn't know if that would be good or bad for the plants. Most of what I buy will have it's own planter usually, but I do put some small bedding plants in bright pots too. I bought some really cool ones at Lowes last year that were supposed to be self watering but they were a bust here. More like self swamping and molding! Ugh! So I'm going back to the old type pot with the holes in the sides or bottom and a small rock layer in the bottom of the pot. And the plastics at the dollar store are cheaper too.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 26, 2015 12:16:45 GMT
I don't think the plastic thickness is a matter of good or bad for the plants, only durability. I'd give it a shot at worst you're out a few bucks. You could also just pop a few larger plants in the container they come in right inside the colorful bucket, again, just drill for drainage.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 26, 2015 12:31:49 GMT
You can paint clay pots. They are more expensive than plastic the first time you buy them, but I still have clay pots I've had for probably 20 years.
I would also look at some upcycled/repurposed DIY ideas. I saw some flowers in a colorful colander recently. Really pretty.
Just some greener ideas. It's not that I never use plastic, but try to avoid it when I can use something else. Plus I just love the shabby chic look of a lot of the repurposed stuff.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 26, 2015 12:39:45 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 26, 2015 12:46:10 GMT
Here are some examples of the painted pots. Of course you could go much brighter. You can also cover them with fabric and an adhesive, but I think I would have trouble getting it smooth unless I did it like decoupage.
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Shirley U Geste
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Post by Shirley U Geste on Feb 26, 2015 14:58:28 GMT
The cheap plastic stuff is only good for one season here because of the sun. But it works is you need splashes of color and can't find anything else you like.
Tin containers work good too. I have one inside right now that I put some paperwhites bulbs in that I got for Christmas.
You can drill holes in the bottom of those pretty easily and they will last several seasons before rusting out.
You can even drill holes in the bottom of ceramic items or pots that have no drain holes.
It takes a special drill bit (the one I use has a cobalt & tungsten carbide tip 9/32" size) and you just need to run water over the area you are drilling and do it slowly. I have a bunch of pots next to the faucet that I need to do. It is amazing how many pots come with no drain holes.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 26, 2015 18:15:26 GMT
I think they'll work fine, Val. Especially since you're using rocks on the bottom for drainage. The worst that can happen is they start to split later on, but you'll probably get through one season.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 26, 2015 18:17:40 GMT
Another thing with clay pots - you can do a vertical herb garden. You put cement inside the first pot, which is the largest. Put a 6' piece of rebar in there when the cement is wet. Then you can start stacking clay pots on top. Let me find a photo.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 26, 2015 18:20:15 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 26, 2015 18:20:42 GMT
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Post by mupcycledcouture on Feb 26, 2015 19:48:20 GMT
I painted those dollar store ugly plastic pots last year. You can use spray paint, I used the house paint that we put on our front door! I have also spray panted the clay pots. I actually made one of those topsy turvey planters a few years back. I may put some herbs in it this year.
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Shirley U Geste
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Post by Shirley U Geste on Feb 26, 2015 19:53:28 GMT
Oh I like the topsy turvey planter.
I've never grown herbs before, but that is so cute that I may just have to.
I certainly have enough pots around to make it with.
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Post by mupcycledcouture on Feb 26, 2015 19:56:52 GMT
I usually put petunias or pansies n them. I actually change them in the fall with fall color. But I have been thinking about how I can incorporate herbs into my perennial garden out front this year. Putting herbs into my pots would work!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 26, 2015 22:38:43 GMT
Love the topsy turvey idea. Especially the little bird on top.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 26, 2015 23:44:06 GMT
Oh I like the topsy turvey planter. I've never grown herbs before, but that is so cute that I may just have to. I certainly have enough pots around to make it with. You can buy the quikrete and the rebar at Home Depot. The stuff isn't expensive and the quikrete hardens pretty fast.
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kritter
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Post by kritter on Feb 26, 2015 23:56:15 GMT
That Topsy Turvy thing is really cute.
I love Quikrete-it really comes in handy.
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val2525
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Post by val2525 on Feb 27, 2015 2:25:23 GMT
I hate to spend major $ on pots - the water here leaves a horrible white stain on everything (acidic i think?). That's why the cheapie buckets at the dollar store looked appealng. They'll make it thru a summer and that's good enough for a buck
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Shirley U Geste
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Post by Shirley U Geste on Feb 27, 2015 3:02:07 GMT
It's probably minerals Val.
We have that same problem in the water down here.
Clay and plastic pots get gunked up really fast.
I have had luck with ceramic ones, the inside gets the deposit/stain but it can be cleaned up good enough with a wire brush and it doesn't leach so much to the outside. The outsides clean up with shower spray, the kind designed to get rid of water spots. But ceramic pots are much pricier and they are heavy to move so it's a toss up.
One good thing about the cheap plastic ones is they can be prettied up. You can tape a stencil to the side and use spray paint to put on fun designs. I did Southwest designs one year; kokopellis, lizards, zias, etc, in black on bright pots and they looked really cute and it was dirt cheap.
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val2525
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Post by val2525 on Feb 27, 2015 7:04:19 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2015 11:54:44 GMT
Beautiful color on that bird bath. I would be afraid those topsy turvy pots wouldn't withstand the wind from a good summer storm here. I only have a few clay pots, and they're big and heavy. Everything else is in the ground.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2015 16:06:10 GMT
Love the birdbath at the top.
One trick if you're doing these. Make sure the bottom pot has a few holes in the side for drainage. It's going to have the concrete in the bottom, so you need a place for excess water to drain.
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Shirley U Geste
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Post by Shirley U Geste on Feb 27, 2015 20:33:28 GMT
I think I could get my handyman to make one so that the rebar sticks out of the bottom about 6" as a spike to hold it in the ground so our winds won't send it toppling over. Maybe even weld on a wedge shaped piece to give more to hold to the soil.
It would look cute next to the garden and it would give me a chance to try my hand at herbs and have them all in one place.
I'm really liking this idea.
For those of you that have grown herbs can they take full sun (hot hot sun) or is partial shade better?
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val2525
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Post by val2525 on Feb 27, 2015 21:23:54 GMT
Most herbs can do full sun. Here, though, you might pick a spot with mostly sun and maybe some late afternoon shade. I discovered living in FL that even full sun plants aren't adverse to a touch of shade late in the day
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val2525
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Post by val2525 on Feb 27, 2015 21:24:53 GMT
We have snow today. More coming in later. Icky cold the rest of the weekend. Guess this is why no stores have planters out yet.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2015 21:41:14 GMT
There's a few herbs out there that thrive better in the shade.
I'd map it out. Put your largest/tallest herbs in the bottom and then go in proportion to the pots. Your smallest pot will be at the top.
Or you could do a themed herb garden. Make everything Italian, medicinal, etc....
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2015 21:41:59 GMT
Okay - I'm snickering to myself over the medicinal. There's only one thing that comes to mind....and it's legal out here.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2015 22:36:43 GMT
Our entire garden gets full afternoon sun (from about 1 PM until early evening). In the dog days that can mean over 100 degrees. As long as I'm diligent about watering, everything does OK including the herbs. But I give mine a good soaking after they've been exposed to that heat. I water at dusk and let all that water soak in. If I watered in the morning it would evaporate too quickly in the heat.
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Shirley U Geste
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Post by Shirley U Geste on Feb 27, 2015 23:10:55 GMT
We have snow today. More coming in later. Icky cold the rest of the weekend. Guess this is why no stores have planters out yet. Gee, and down here we will be in the 70's this weekend. I want to get as much work done in the garden as I can. Since Big Lots is having the 20% off coupon sale I am going to get bags of garden soil to add to my garden, some potting soil cause I need to divide out the geraniums, see if they have any blue pots and of course snack-ems.
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