I read somewhere that goldfish get tired with too much current. The oxygen will keep them happy. And in your reading you'll see the pond needs to be 3-4' or so deep to overwinter easily. So the barrels won't cut it.

Hi, I read about the half barrel idea here a week ago or so when I was frantically trying to rectify my misguided attempt to dig a hole under a tree for my newly arrived Cecil Brunner rose. I quick ran out to a local garden center and they sold me an old half barrel. I took a chisel and hammer to it and gently knocked out the bottom. I nestled the bottomless half barrel in the soil where I had started digging and put in manure and then a mix of top soil and peat moss as per Heirloom instruction which always have worked for me. The tree is a very old, on its way out, Norway maple which I have had pruned back to conserve it. There is a split in the tree some 10 feet up and then branches. I am thinking of putting trellis at the bottom to get the rose started. So far the little thing is doing great. I'll post a couple of pictures. The rose is planted on the south side of the tree. Good luck with your rose! Here is a link that might be useful: newly planted climbing rose in a half barrel

Any lettuce will do well. You could even use pansies and other cool-season flowers and nasturiums are great for salad and pretty to boot. As long as you don't get too crowded there are lots of possibilities. Have fun and enjoy. I love winter gardening in the South. Much easier than spring and more productive for all those cool season herb and edible flowering plants. Happy Growing David

I too think it will. I have two large ceramic pots with clematis that have survived at least 5 winters without bringing into the garage. I have a thick layer of pine bark nuggets on top just to give it some added insulation. The old wine barrel should be more insulative than the ceramic pot. I am also in zone 6. The two I have are Elsa Spath and Carnaby. I have posted pictures under the title Clematis 2017.