Wow, a lot of great ideas and uses for these. I have some comments/suggestions, too, but firt let me give an alternative source for people who can't get their local car washes to part with them. I bought two from a guy who gets them from a famous soda bottler. (Don't want to give them free publicity.) They originally had syrup in them, any residue of which might actually be beneficial in soil! I am using one of the barrels to keep my blackberry bush confined. I cut the top and bottom off the barrel, buried it in the ground with only a few inches showing- and yes, it was a lotta work!- then planted the bush inside it. One way berries spread is by root suckers. But the roots are so deep by the time they get "out of" the barrel, that they can't send up suckers. If I was to use the barrels for strawberries or other plants, I would do one thing differently as far as drainage. I would drill the holes about 3 inches up the sides, not on the bottom. That would create a reservoir to collect water that ran down too quickly, without actually soaking the rootball. The water would slowly be drawn back up by capillary action. This is the principle behind self-watering pots. I also would use the heaviest, clay soil I could find. To me, most potting soil looks like wood chips! Everybody hates clay "because it's so hard to work." But in the pots, you never work it- I haven't in my garden either for 34 years!- so that's irrelavant. Clay is not only the most nutritious soil, but it holds water best of any soil. I would also put a minimum of three inches of grass clippings on top of the soil, more if it fit. Between the clay soil, the mulch, and the drainage holes up the sides rather than the bottom, I bet people could water only a third as often. The final suggestion is using these barrles to collect rain water. Like Mandy, I am mechanically challenged, so I can't help with installing spigots and stuff. But I wanted to mention that you can in effect turn several barrels into one large reservoir, by connecting them at the bottom with PVC pipes. You would only have to let rainwater into one barrel, and the PVC would let it fill up All of them. You could then put a spigot in the last one "in line," and get water from all of them when your garden needed it. Oh, in these West Nile Virus times, you want to make sure to put screens over any openings.

Well I believe there ought to be some nationwide sharing as to how to make recycling work... I live in a very rural area, so there is not trash pick-up, no one "leaves things by the road" to scavenge and re-use, lol.... the dump is composed of a large metal dumpster or two for household refuge , another for 'metal'.. one for paper, one for plastic.... and yet another for tires... there is a strict "nothing comes out once it has gone in" rule... in fact, last year, I wanted to get some plastic milk jugs to try winter sowing and to do so, I had to call the county office and get a number for the administrating company for the refuge center, then speak with a local rep who told me he would meet me at my local center on the day it is closed so I could pick up what I needed from the recycle area..... I asked him why all the secrecy? and he said, if I let you , then every one will want to do it..... and I asked what was so wrong with that? afterall, everything that was used again was one less thing in the landfill......and he said that what I wanted did not go to the landfill, it was set for recycling and brought the county revenue... whereas, certain other items that were set for recycling actually cost the county to recycle...... I suggested they look into a more versatile and open method of recycling where things were not so rigidly set for destruction once someone dumped them .....one man's trash is another man's treasure and he said that would require more man power, more salary etc so it was much easier to just flip the switch, crush it all and call it a day...... it is a shame that what is easiest is still the major concern when there is so much in our landfills already......

Wow, you guys make me feel lucky! I thought everyone had something similar nearby. And it is nearby, it is actually within walking distance from my home and conveniently/dangerously located between work and home. It is a great place and as there are times when I stop in at least once a week, they know me there -so I do benefit from the occasional, unexpected regulars discount. My wife usually works Saturdays, so that is when I often go and when I am there by myself, it is very easy to spend at least 3 hours there. The problem is in trying to go home with only one plant. Of course then I obsess over what I did not buy and usually end up going back the next day for just one more plant. As a non-big box, locally owned store, they are a little on the pricey side. But, it always feels good to "buy local". Plus, as a non-big box, they actually take good care of their plants and actually know something about what they sell. They do usually have a great selection of 2" and 4" starter plants that are priced right, so that is usually what I go home with. Also, the quick pics I snapped were just of the houseplant area. They have quite an extensive selection of outdoor perennials and annuals as well. Mike: To contribute the jungle feel, there is a large green parrot that has free reign of the place. I was actually able to Google Image search a 2 pics of him/her: greybird: The name is Sturtz and Copelandhref>. They are located at 2851 Valmont in Boulder. If you are going to drive from Denver to Boulder and want a real treat, you should make time to stop at the Butterfly Pavilionhref> in Westminster. Yeah, the butterflies are cool, but the tropical conservatory is amazing! -Derrick

Hi Wow you are an ambitious gardener!! I ripped most of mine out yet again ."Lush planting" turned into "Unmanageable jungle" again lol There seem to be only two kinds of tropical plants those that eat the house ,those that croak unless kept in a biosphere. Would love to get rid of all the yard plants and concentrate on the "Hanging gardens" as I LOVE epiphytes and there seem to be at least a dozen that I've not grown or killed lol. Doubt seriously it will ever happen ,when i told the wife that what was needed was a MUCH larger shadehouse she said I need a lot less plants lol. Sad that now that I have the time and ambition to manage a garden my back refuses to do any heavy lifting and climbing . Well I can enjoy the pix of yours !!! Anna I counted pic #12,with the statue right above the red brom. One with the divided green leaves right behind the small palm?? Sure looks like a "Snowflake tree" to me?? Junglegal You say thats an Anthrurium.?? i didn't know there were any with divided leaves?? Anthurium clavigerum??? will have to look that up!! Anna had a whole bunch of Trevesia palmata seedlings that were doing fine until the neghbors cat knocked them off the table!!! They all croacked . These were the fabled "variagated "ones also. Have been unable to locate even small ones except at that nursery we can't name. lol gary