I love creating container gardens from unusual items found at garage sales, estate auctions, flea markets and thrift stores. My attention typically gravitates to old, rusty items, but sometimes I run across something fun and funky. I found this ice bucket at my local Goodwill store – perfect for a summer container.
The first thing I did was gather everything I would need: the ice bucket, some plants, potting mix, a drill and water.
Before planting, I drilled plenty of holes for drainage. Roots cannot survive in soppy soil.
Filling the ice bucket with good quality potting mix came next.
The soil was lightly watered so new plants could settle into moist soil, causing less stress.
Choosing plants was easy for this container. I let the pot guide the color of plants selected. Senecio talinoides mandraliscae ‘Blue Finger’ mimicked the light blue stripe; Salvia coccinea ‘Coral Nymph’ echoed the pink stripe; and Zinnia ‘Magellan Cherry’ matched the red stripe.
I considered two possibilities for trailers: fiber optic grass and variegated Greek oregano. Because this container is all about summer fun, I planted the fiber optic grass because it reminded me of Fourth of July fireworks.
The ice bucket is a small container so deciding on the design was pretty easy. The roots of each plant were loosened before it was planted.
I continued planting until the container was finished and then gave it a thorough watering. The zinnia is expected to grow several inches taller, reaching midway between the senecio and the salvia. The rest of the plants are about as tall as they will get this summer.
I hope you enjoyed my Summer Fun Ice Bucket Container Garden project. What unusual items have you planted in? Share your stories and photos and garden with me!