Plants for Whiskey Barrells
Our block association is getting a bunch of barrel planters this year. Does anyone have suggestions for plants (and plant combinations) that work really well in the barrels? We need arrangements for hyper-sunny as well as shady areas… these will be placed on sidewalks along the street. Thanks!
Our block association is getting a bunch of barrel planters this year. Does anyone have suggestions for plants (and plant combinations) that work really well in the barrels? We need arrangements for hyper-sunny as well as shady areas… these will be placed on sidewalks along the street. Thanks!
The barrels cost $65 retail but they are selling them to us for $35, which is actually below cost. (They didn’t realize this when they quoted the price.) So they will probably charge more the next time a block association asks, though if you tell them you’ll buy a bunch of plants, they may still give you a good discount.
We’re getting 10.
Thanks for sharing your nursery. We’ve been thinking about doing exactly the same thing for our block association but have been deterred by the cost of the barrels. If you don’t mind, please share how much they charged and how many you bought.
Thanks.
I have two barrels like this in my garden — with drainage holes, on bricks — with clumping bamboo in the center, and some Japanese ferns around the edges. See http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/24547-product.html to get an idea (although I think it would take years to get this full — mine is nowhere near this full and it’s been there for about five years).
I second the recommendation for drainage holes and bricks under the bottom,but I’ve found that these barrels only need replacing every 10 or do years.
modsquad predicts these barrels will be in pieces in less that 3 years.
Hi, I would recommend hostas. We have used them in our planters, very durable, come back every year, nice lush foliage so it never looks weedy. Will need to give a little extra water in a sunny spot. Many different leaf colors available, most have lavender flowers in the late summer. And if you plant some daffodil bulbs in the fall you will have a great show this time of year, they naturalized and will actually multiply in coming years. Then just tuck some annuals in in May and they will give you color through the summer. Good choices are petunias, ornamental sage (“May Night”) and nasturtiums.
I inherited two roof deck plants in whiskey barrels. One is a boxwood, the other, which grows pretty tall and full, looks like this:
http://images.mooseyscountrygarden.com/mooseys-garden-tour/island-garden/heuchera.jpg
Both have thrived, really thrived, without much water, something I can’t say for other plantings I’ve tried.
BTW, in addition to the free BBG Greenbridge classes linked above, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden has many other classes for adults and children, including additional container gardening classes: http://bit.ly/9PxeWo
The Brooklyn Botanic Garden has some useful tip sheets at the following link, including city-hardy plants for sunny and shady sites: http://bit.ly/cxxYJm
Personally, I’m not a big fan of barrel planters, which get to looking very ragged, very fast. But since you’re buying the barrels at Kings County Nursery, it would be worth asking for their plant recommendations. Also, take cues from container plantings throughout the city. BBG’s Greenbridge program has an upcoming class on container gardening, though already filled and only accepting waitlist registrations: http://bit.ly/aJ6mj7
Another good resource for a walk in the wild and native plant info is Bowman’s Preserve in south NJ: http://bit.ly/9kvHua