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Square Foot Gardening

using odd things to contain plants

13 years ago

does anyone use any non-traditional items as containers in the garden? i picked up an old radio flyer red wagon at a flea market and i was thinking about sticking some micro greens or herbs in it but i am concerned that since it is metal it will get too hot. does anyone have an experience to share? are you using any other funny things to hold plants?

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Comments (8)

nycynthias
13 years ago
That sounds like a cool idea! I think a lot of herbs might like the additional warmth, although being in Zone 10 as you are...hmm, maybe not? At the very least I would probably use it to plant some petunias or something; I think purple cascading ones would be spectacular coming over the sides of the red wagon. You might need some water-retention crystals in there though.
tornadoliese
Original Author
13 years ago
the depth of the wagon is only about 3 inches. would the petunias still like it in there? maybe there is some kind of a plant that likes shade that i could put in the shallow wagon in a shady area so that it wouldn't get TOO hot?
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CMK, that is interesting about eggplant liking pots. I started planting a salad garden in pots and window boxes on my back deck a few years ago. I didn't really think about eggplant though. I'll have to try it this year. I find that leaf lettuce does very well in window boxes. I also grow baby cukes in pots and let them trail down the deck railings. I've also done peppers and tomatoes in pots. I mix in a few small pots of nicotiana (not near the tomatoes...does that really cause problems?? i've heard they should not be combined) so the hummingbirds come to feed. Woodyoak, how deep are the windowboxes you use to grow carrots? And which carrots do you choose to grow in them? I've been seeing more pictures of large pots in amongst plants in the garden and I think I may try to experiment more with that. Does anyone have pictures of pots fully incorporated into their perennial/shrub borders as a focal point? Also, does everyone in wintry climates bring their pots inside in the winter? Has anyone found a type of pot that does not crack with the freeze/thaw cycles of winter?
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a-mazing
13 years ago
In my experience Petunias don't do very well when the summers get real hot, so I doubt that they'd last throughout the summer in the wagon. But, I do love the idea of planting in the wagon. Probably does need to be part sun/shade plants. How about Vinca Vine and Impatiens? One of my favorite vining plants is the Trailing Geraniums if you can get enough sun. Best of luck and post pictures. I love planting in odd containers!
tornadoliese
Original Author
13 years ago
it definitely gets plenty hot here in the summer. i am in a hotter area of LA close to the san gabriel valley and away from the beach. it also cools down here at night as is typical for LA.
tornadoliese
Original Author
13 years ago
my roommate had this random box sitting around in our house forever taking up space for no reason so yesterday i stuck some onions and sage in it.
Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
13 years ago
If you do an adequate search on The Google, you'll find plenty of articles in gardening magazines describing odd homes for soil.

Standard fare for most gardening mags, esp Sunset.

Dan
albert_135 　 39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
13 years ago
My late MIL would plant a succulent called "hen and chicks" or some such in shoes she would pick up from the trash or somewhere. They, especially black patent leather, were quite popular in her yard sales.

Gardenweb has a Garden Junk if you are keen on bringing up this topic with others of similar interest.
tornadoliese
Original Author
13 years ago
hi dan, i have never heard of sunset but i will check it out. i am a beginner and i basically know nothing. =)

albert, that's a neat anecdote about your MIL. thanks for sharing and thanks for some direction to the right forum.

xoxo

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