Friday, June 4, 2021

Barrels of Fun

A couple of weeks ago my husband asked me what I'd like for my birthday.  He reminded me that I'd mentioned a new set of everyday dishes following our 2019 home renovation but I had zero interest in shopping for china.  I told him what I'd really like was three more half-barrels for the garden and, two days before my birthday that's what I received, along with some bags of top soil to fill them.

Two of the barrels joined the three I already had in the front garden under the magnolia tree.  I've made minor attempts to plant directly into the ground under the tree but tree roots have prevented me from getting very far.  When we moved in, there was lawn there but it struggled too and required too much water.  So we put in a bench around the tree and covered the soil with bark mulch.  Planting in barrels has provided the color I wanted.


So, lets look at what I've got in the barrels, starting with the two newest ones in the foreground of the above photo.

This is the first of the new barrels, which I planted using mostly plants considered annuals here

The photo on the left provides an overhead view of the contents shown on the right, plugs of Cosmos bipinnatus, a white-flowering Delphinium (moved from my cutting garden to make room for a dahlia), and plugs of Salvia lyrata

This is the second of the new barrels, containing a mix of plants, at least two of which I hope will last more than a season

Clockwise from the upper left, this barrel contains: a white Bacopa, a single Cosmos plug, Dahlia 'Kogane Fubuki', hybrid Digitalis 'Pink Panther', Pimelea ferruginea 'Magenta Mist', and Salvia 'Danielle's Dream'

The third barrel, one of those I received for my birthday last year, had been filled with Iceland poppies which for some reason never took off and, with summer coming, I pulled them and replanted from scratch.

I included Dahlia 'Iceberg', which gets big.  The tomato cage was added to provide support, assuming that the tuber takes off.  This one is a division taken from the plant I grew last year.

Clockwise from the upper left: overhead view of the barrel, Dahlia 'Iceberg' (with lavender alyssum), Penstemon 'Rock Candy Blue', Nepeta 'Blue Prelude', Scabiosa columbaria 'Flutter Deep Blue', Angelonia 'Archangel White' and, in the center, Calibrachoa 'Ice Blue'.  I'm hoping the Nepeta won't be eaten to the ground by the neighbor's cat, which has been the fate of every other Nepeta I've tried to grow.

I didn't touch the next barrel.  It contains the same plants I installed last year.

The pink Scabiosa bloomed lightly last year but took off this year.  The new blue Scabiosa is part of the same 'Flutter' series so I'm hoping it'll also thrive.

Clockwise from the upper left: overhead view, Prostanthera ovalifolia 'Variegata' (aka mint bush), Pelargonium peltatum 'Burgundy' and 'Lavender', and Scabiosa columbaria 'Flutter Rose Pink'.  There's a Penstemon mexicali in there somewhere but it seems to have been swamped by its companions.

I replanted the last barrel earlier this year.

I had herbs, principally basil, in this tub last year

Clockwise from the upper left: overhead view, Dichondra 'Silver Falls', noID Hedera, Hemerocallis 'Space Coast Behavior Pattern', and Nemesia 'Banana Swirl'

The third barrel my husband bought me was intended for a shady corner near the street.  I'd had a barrel there for years but it literally disintegrated over time.

This barrel was intended for a spot in the background on the right

The wood slats of the barrels pulled away easily but it took a good deal of work to wrangle out the metal bands and dig up the Salvia and Abelia that had rooted into the ground below the barrel

Cleared area

With the area cleared, I moved in the new barrel, balancing it atop several concrete bricks in the hope of providing this one a longer useful life.  As this area behind the front hedge and directly below a peppermint willow (Agonis flexuosa) is very shady, I selected plants that tolerate those conditions.

It gets a little sun in the late afternoon

Clockwise from the upper left: overhead view; Calathea 'Medallion'; Fuchsia 'Miss California'; and three varieties of  Plectranthus scuttellariodes (aka coleus) 'Flame Thrower Salsa Verde', 'Sea Monkey Purple', and 'Vino' 

All things considered, even given the hassle of pulling out the disintegrated barrel and its contents, this was a fun project.  Now, fingers are crossed that all new plants will do as well as that fourth one I showed you.

Best wishes with whatever new projects you have in store for the weekend.


All material © 2012-2021 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

18 comments:

  1. A happy belated birthday. You and I share a similar date. My husband loves to build so in the past has built me two portable carts that I can load up with plants to easily move in and out. This year it will be a display table for some of my succulents. Practical gifts are the best gifts for gardeners. My aunt once planted a contorted hazel in an oak barrel. Years later when the barrel finally fell apart the hazel, now rooted deeply into the ground, stood 2' higher than ground level happy as a clam. She had to design a mound garden around it in order to save it.

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    1. Geminis unite! Happy birthday to you as well, Elaine. Your husband's gift sounds great. Maybe I'll add that to my wish-list for the next time my husband asks what I want ;) Re the Salvia and the Abelia that sent their roots in the soil underneath the decayed barrel, I expect there's a good chance that either or both will mount a comeback from the roots but, as insurance, I did take cuttings of the Salvia and I have the Abelia in other areas of the garden already.

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  2. Hey there Birthday girl ! Isn't it great when you get garden things that you wanted ? All these plantings are so pretty and interesting .. I used to plant Cosmos years ago and loved seeing them come into their own with Autumn weather .. I don't know why I haven't any more .. lack of space I suppose.
    I have so much work to do in the garden it seems overwhelming .. but, what must be done .. must be done ! LOL
    It feels so much better when I have my borders under control .. never mind even speaking of my rambunctious kiwi vine (whip and chair time !)

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    1. I've repeatedly tried growing Cosmos of various kinds from seed without any luck thus far, CGJ. This year, I think I depended more on the rain that never came then I should have. We've been lucky to have avoided a long, straight stretch of hot weather here thus far but when that arrives - and it will - a lot of my plants will enter stasis, if not complete summer dormancy. My job at that point will be reduced to cleaning up/clearing the dead and dying plants and flowers.

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  3. Hey, happy birthday, Kris! What a thoughtful guy to include the soil to fill the barrels - this was a great birthday gift. I hope they all do well.

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    1. Thanks Barbara! The results are usually a mixed bag when I plant this close to summer's onset but I can always hope we'll have a milder than usual season ;)

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  4. Happy, happy birthday! You chose well. Love the Scabiosa which I can't seem to grow here.

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    1. I haven't had significant success with the Scabiosas in the 'Fama' series but the pink one in the 'Flutter' series has been fabulous. I'm hoping 'Flutter Deep Blue' performs as well.

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  5. Good gift. Some shade from the Magnolia probably helps keep the plants from drying out too fast.

    Hope Husband enjoys the gift of garden beauty you are giving back. Win-win!

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    1. I'm afraid Husband has very little interest in the garden. But he always is ready to help with the heavy lifting, which is much appreciated.

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  6. Beautiful barrels...and amazing landscaping, of course. You have such an eye and a talent for arranging plants and things. :) I really enjoy planting in barrels, too; thanks for reminding me--I need to get more. Happy belated birthday!

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    1. Thanks Beth. Barrels do make very satisfying planting containers.

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  7. Sounds like a great bday present to me! May you and the new plantings have a long and healthy life. :)

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    1. Fingers crossed, Eliza. Planting as summer looms in the wings is always an iffy thing.

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  8. What a lovely husband and gift! I particularly like the ‘Sea Monkey Purple’!! Have a lovely day!

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    1. That 'Sea Monkey' coleus was a real find. There was only one there or I'd have bought more.

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