marlingardener
Central Texas, zone 8
Posts: 2387
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| Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 1:22 pm Post subject: Help with milk can. What can I plant in it? |
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I know this isn't exactly garden design, but I sure need help! A friend gave me an old milk can--tin, about 3 feet tall, with the bottom rounded out so it won't stand upright. His idea was for me to tilt it and plant something in it. His idea, right . . . .
What can I plant in it that can:
1) Stand the heat on the roots from the sun hitting the tin (our flower beds are in the sun most of the day)
2)Be showy enough to be seen since I don't want it to look like I dumped a milk can in the garden
3)Preferably bloom quite a bit (might as well enjoy the flowers!).
My friend's idea was white petunias. Two things wrong with that. I hate petunias and they would cook in our Texas sun.
No prizes for the winning answer, just eternal gratitude!
moderator's note: added a more descriptive title to topic
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toni
 Administrator
Plants Moderator
Regular Plants Contributor
North Texas, Zone 8a
Posts: 11710
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| Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 2:15 pm Post subject: |
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Oooh, ooh, I know!!
How about white trailing rose and white Allysum? If the can has to lay on it's side, they will make it look like milk spilling out.
Or a pink trailing rose or Calibrachoa with white Allysum and it will look like strawberry flavored milk.
Or a Chocolate vine with or without the white Allysum for a chocolate milk look and fragrance.
The Allysum will provide a really wonderful honey scent and bloom from spring thru late summer giving color when the othr plants are between blooms.
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marlingardener
Central Texas, zone 8
Posts: 2387
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| Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 5:53 pm Post subject: |
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Toni,
Your knowledge of plants amazes me! I had to look up calibrachoa--I may use it as an annual in containers in the back yard garden. I think it is too tender to be even a short-lived perennial here in zone 8b, but I'll enjoy it in containers near the patio.
I love the idea of the trailing rose and the alyssum--that's the way I'm going to plant the milk can. Thank you for solving a design problem for me!
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Evil Roy
Deepinahearta, Texas
Posts: 170
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| Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2010 5:25 pm Post subject: |
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If you plant Baby's Breath around the white trailing rose and white Allysum it'll even smell like spilled (and spoiled) milk.
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cherylad
Regular Plants Contributor
S. Liberty County - Texas
Posts: 5278
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| Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2010 1:13 pm Post subject: |
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I was hoping someone would come up with a great idea for this. My sis-in-law has an old milk can just sitting there. I'll have to pass along Toni's wonderful suggestions for it!
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toni
Administrator
Plants Moderator
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North Texas, Zone 8a
Posts: 11710
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| Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2010 2:12 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks Marlingardener, working on the GardenStew Plant Pages has been a great education for me, I have picked up more plant information there than anywhere else.
When I was making quilts I mainly did theme quilts, not just copy patterns and the theme idea is slowly being carried over to some of my gardening too.
I have the old kitchen sink we removed last summer that will become a planter in the veggie garden next year, one side will grow Leeks and the other possibly Soapwort if I can find seeds.
And a pot of Dragon Wing Begonias on a bridge that spans a glassy lake where Petrov the floating Dragon hangs out.
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To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with Spring ----
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cherylad
Regular Plants Contributor
S. Liberty County - Texas
Posts: 5278
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| Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2010 2:29 pm Post subject: |
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The themes are such a wonderful idea. So simple... but absolutely brilliant at the same time.
Love your's about the Dragon!
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marlingardener
Central Texas, zone 8
Posts: 2387
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| Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2010 2:31 pm Post subject: |
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Roy (because I can't believe anyone here on the Stew is evil!) I love the baby's breath idea. I'll try it since BB ought to like our alkaline soil. It's a great plant for flower arrangements, too, and a lady down the road does arrangements for the church. If the BB succeeds, I'll be in her good graces!
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toni
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North Texas, Zone 8a
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| Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2010 2:43 pm Post subject: |
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| marlingardener wrote: | | Roy (because I can't believe anyone here on the Stew is evil!) I love the baby's breath idea. I'll try it since BB ought to like our alkaline soil. It's a great plant for flower arrangements, too, and a lady down the road does arrangements for the church. If the BB succeeds, I'll be in her good graces! |
Evil Roy is Randy, my hubby. Have you seen the movie Evil Roy Slade? It's one of his favorites so when he became a member of SASS (Single Action Shooting Society) and needed an old west type of alias, it was the logical one for him. 
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marlingardener
Central Texas, zone 8
Posts: 2387
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| Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2010 12:41 am Post subject: |
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PJK, welcome to the forum, and you are right--Toni does give good advice. She is known here as an "enabler" in that she gets us all hooked on great plants. I will be planting my milkcan in the spring. If it all works out as we hope, it should be a traffic-stopper!
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toni
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North Texas, Zone 8a
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| Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2010 3:38 am Post subject: |
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| marlingardener wrote: | | PJK, welcome to the forum, and you are right--Toni does give good advice. She is known here as an "enabler" in that she gets us all hooked on great plants. I will be planting my milkcan in the spring. If it all works out as we hope, it should be a traffic-stopper! |
Ummmmm, thanks? or should I be hiding in the 'north 40' from the crowd bearing torches? :
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S-H
Karachi, Pakistan
Posts: 508
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| Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2010 3:58 am Post subject: |
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Apologies in advance (in case this has been discussed on this forum before). But I think the perfect thing to do with a can like that - Is to hang it somewhere, and then grow something that can hang out from it.
Or, an even more revolutionary idea is to grow tomatoes upside-down!!! Just see this link, as it really has to be seen in order to be believed! 
http://oldfashionedliving.com/tomato2.html
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marlingardener
Central Texas, zone 8
Posts: 2387
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| Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2010 2:09 pm Post subject: |
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S-H, the milk can is about 3' tall, so hanging it would be a head-bonker! I do like the idea of hanging unusual containers with vining type plants--I'll keep my eye open for good ones at auctions and garage sales. One of our friends tried the upside-down tomato thing, and it was a complete disaster as well as a mess on their patio. I think Mother Nature meant for tomatoes to reach for the sky, not Hades.
Toni, don't worry about us storming your ramparts--if we had any plant resistance at all we'd be able to resist your great ideas and suggestions. Anyway, "Toni said to do it" is such a great excuse!
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S-H
Karachi, Pakistan
Posts: 508
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| Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2010 3:04 pm Post subject: |
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OK, I've got another idea - Why not just use the can as a vessel to hold water, and then hook it up to a drip irrigation system!
I think it already is the perfect size and shape to do that job. So aside from being put to good use, it will also take a load of anyone's mind when you are away for a day or two (as you won't be worried about any plant drying up).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drip_irrigation
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