Choosing plant for garden planter

last year

I want to use the planter in the photos in the garden. It is cast iron and small 12 L x 5 1/2 D x 6 H. It could use a coat of paint or not. but there is rust inside. DH and I have taken on redesigning and refurbishing our garden, currently a work in progress. The area is part sun. zone 7. The gardeners on the forum have far more plant knowledge than I have. What plant do you suggest? Thanks

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happy2b…gw
Original Author

last year

last modified: last year

This is attempt #4 to post a response since last Friday. A stray finger hit a live image and poof I lost my text just as I was about to send it. No harm done I hope. I thought all your suggestions and observations about the growing situation to be helpful. I like

to experiment and change things up, so now have lots of options for the next times for this planter and other spots in the garden. I happened to see Lobelia at the nursery and selected sky blue. two 4 inch pots fit comfortably in the planter and the plants are full. I am happy with it. These little touches add serendipity to the garden. The photo landed in the middle of the text but I am leaving it as is given my past experiences. i hope you don‘t mind. Thank you for your help.

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Comments (25)

patriot_gal
last year
Very cool. how big is it? Drainage?
happy2b…gw
Original Author
last year
It is 12 x 5 1/2 x 6. There are no drainage holes.
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The best thing to do is to take your requirements (and a photo of the area wouldn't hurt either) to a better local nursery and ask for their suggestions. They will be able to provide you with a listing of plants that will suit both your locale as well as the various growing conditions you offer. There's a good many smaller evergreen plants that will fit this situation. Boxwood, junipers, dwarf mugo pines, euonymus (may be your green and yellow shrub) are among them. Daphnes (often semi-evergreen) also appreciate more neutral to alkaline soils. And lots of deciduous shrubs - various viburnums, potentilla, lilacs, spiraeas, ninebarks, wiegela, etc. Lots to choose from. Perennials will up the maintenance requirements compared to shrubs. They will require attention with regards to dividing, deadheading, cutting back seasonally, perhaps even staking. And any plant newly planted - drought tolerant or not, shrub or perennial - will need routine deep waterings frequently during its first couple of growing seasons. And this needs to be done on the plant's schedule, not yours :-) One thing I'd recheck and that's your soil pH. If you have camellias or rhododendrons growing in that area, I doubt it is as high as 7-8.5 you think. These two plants are acid lovers and simply will not thrive in a pH that high. If your pH is more in the neutral to slightly acidic range (6.0-7.0), which would be much more common for your area, then your plant choices increase substantially. Retest for pH, making sure you are using distilled water (not tap water) for the solution.
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tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
last year
It would need drainage to grow plants.

tj
arcy_gw
last year
If it's not where rain will fill it and you are careful it's possible to use it as a planter w/o holes but not advised. A mound of double impatiens or a tuberous begonia would be beautiful in it.
Kendrah
last year
Plant papyrus in here as an annual. They can grow in standing water so won't mind that there is no drainage. They are tall and umbrella like in form, so even though this is a small planter, you can still get something majestic and showy going on. Some places sell them as King Tut.

Your garden looks great so far.
happy2b…gw thanked Kendrah
nicole
last year
LAGUNA® DARK BLUE Lobelia or BLUE MY MIND® Evolvulus

or...Purple Verbena...

Yes...both are annuals...will bloom ALL Summer!
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
last year
But none will survive long in a planter with no drainage!!
roxanna
last year
last modified: last year
happy2b -- I just bought a 'Prince Tut' papyrus to place in my fountain pool which gets more than 6 hours of very hot sun. This particular papyrus is smaller than 'King Tut' and may be a better choice for you. (There is also a 'Baby Tut', I believe, but it is very small and likely wouldn't produce much of a visual impact.)

I am planning to put it in a bigger pot than it came in and set it on some rocks to lift it to the water level. Therefore, it will be growing IN water, no drainage. According to what I have researched online, this will suit it very well. (Think how it has grown in Egypt for eons!)

I like your iron planter! And I think you might be happy to try 'Prince Tut' as it won't care about drainage holes...
OutsidePlaying
last year
Something like salvia or portulaca which don’t need a lot of water might work. I would put a layer of bark mulch in the bottom and then add a couple of pots with the plants in them in the planter instead of adding dirt in the entire pot.

I’ve used this Portulaca ’Mojave Pink’ in a couple of my containers and it trails beautifully. There are other colors as well.

Link
nicole
last year
I just came from Lowes. They have baskets with a mix of RED Verbena which hangs down a bit...and pink petunias with red centers.....a nice combination!
Olychick
last year
All I can picture in that cute pot is Lily of the Valley. Not the right time of year for getting blooms now, but maybe stick some bulbs in there with whatever else you plant and they will bloom in the spring.

I would drill some holes for drainage. Not that hard to do if you read up on how to do it.
happy2b…gw thanked Olychick
cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
last year
last modified: last year
I would get a couple of plants in small-sized pots and put the pots in the planter. I have done that in pots with no drainage holes and it works wonderfully.
PKponder TX Z7B
last year
There are so many pretty and interesting taros that can thrive in standing water. I vote that you leave the pot as is. I love rust in the garden! just toss a quarter of a mosquito dunk in once a month to avoid becoming a breeding ground.
chloebud
last year
I like cyn427’s suggestion.
rob333 (zone 7b)
last year
Yeah I would do that thing that people were doing years ago, where it's a combination? Thriller filler spiller? You could use Nicole's evolvulus or verbena for the filler. A spiller could be dichondra or sweet potato vine... You get the picture
littlebug Zone 5 Missouri
last year
last modified: last year
It’s a very small container, to be sure. I wouldn’t set it in the sun because it will dry out super fast. (You said it’s metal, after all.) It is lovely, though.

Three small plants in three small pots would work well in shade. Choose shade-lovers. Impatiens maybe.
carolb_w_fl_coastal_9/10
last year
last modified: last year
Since it's outside, I'd do as others have suggested and use plants in smaller nursery pots with drainage holes, so they can be taken out to pour off excess water after it rains, etc...
chloebud
last year
Perfect!👍🏻
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
last year
After the first flush a severe clipping over will produce new flowers.
happy2b…gw thanked floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
happy2b…gw
Original Author
last year
Floral, since the lobelia is still in small pots, I can replace them with something else while the blooms grow back.
palisades_
last year
Lobelias look great in that cast iron planter. I have mine in shallow planters with drainage holes drilled on the bottoms. If you’re handy, get a drill bit for metal to make drainage holes in the cast iron planter then don’t have to empty the standing water in it.
happy2b…gw
Original Author
last year
Palisades, so pretty
OutsidePlaying
last year
I’m glad the individual pots worked so well for you. The lobelia is lovely!
happy2b…gw thanked OutsidePlaying
cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
last year
Happy, the lobelias are perfect, lovely (and happy) in your planter. So glad it worked.

Choosing plant for garden planter

happy2b…gw
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patriot_gal

happy2b…gw
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