What is the most unusual thing you've used as a container?

OOOOooo Star Gazing, I love that! --- Star gazing rocks, it really does :]
I hope you get to do that one night Domehomedee :]

Cville, Well maybe after he gets used to loud noise & finds it does not hurt him, he will eventually roam back to your area and yard :]
-- Hugs to you, and don't forget to put plenty of flyers out in your area, with a good photo(s) at (post offices, pet-shops, little grocery stores, etc, etc).

Ohmygosh Domehomedee. Make it a king or queen sized "bed" so there's room for stargazing friends! Best idea ever!!

I need to make a list of all my "ideas", some of them would be fun to do. My husband even liked the "bed" idea. Of course I went online and found some pics of grass beds people had made before me. I could probablyl find a good headboard on Craig's list.

We live on a corner lot in the city. My daughter is growing potatoes in papasan chairs, galvanized tubs and old wooden boxes.

Love papasan chairs, looks like it works great.

Those make nice potato containers. Would be good for other vines as well. :)

Thanks, Happgarden. I'll let you know how well it worked come harvest time. Cville gardener, I planted impatiens in them one year and that was pretty. I like the idea of vines.

My son used my abandoned 22" Weber barbeque for a salsa herb garden. but what I'm working on now is my cinder block herb and flower garden. You see, the back prooerty dog liked to dig in the hill leading up to my property under mining the fence. The only way to stop it was something that would hurt the dogs nose if it fell on it. there only ended up one block in their yard. so it worked. originally my wife covered them with pavers. But I didnt't like the vermin housing they provided. so after seeing a few spiders and having the need... the pavers went to use as, er, um... pavers. so this left me about 111 each of 8.5"x6.5"x6.5" plant able holes. I planted them in the spring and had a pretty edging along the fence. However, this past summers servere heat killed most of the flowers. I can't afford to water every day, but in 100 plus heat for over a week straight did the job. Now I have a drip system installed that i can afford. so I have 17 holes with herbs and sowed about 25 more this evening and I'll do that every night till the holes are full. It's an added benefit to be in zone 10B because we have 2 full planting seasons seperated by a harsh heat period... no frost, well maybe 2 nights a year but it's light. for more info on my planting you can check my blog entries.

Plant it forward!

PapaJoe! Great idea!!

25 gl Molasses Tubs, designed to grow plants thru 8 vertical sidewall holes, and anywhere from 2 - 8 plants in the top. Each tub has a 7 gl. water reservoir built into the bottom with 4 ea. 5/8" Polyester wicks. The fill tube is a 3/4" PVC pipe with a capped top, so Mosquitos can't breed in the reservoir. The reservoir top is made from 10mm PVC Coroplast and supported by a Egg Crate made from the same material.

5 gl SIP bucket with 4 vertical sidewall holes, 1 Polyester wick, and the same type of fill tube, this bucket can grow from 5 - 7 plants, and has a 1.5 gl water reservoir.

The 3 rd picture is a 5 gl Float Valve control bucket, with 1/2" drip fittings, so either of the 2 types of SIP planters to have their water reservoirs filled with water 24/7/365 by either water hose or gravity flow from a rain barrel.

Good job, ThunderBear. I like recycling/upcycling. Good in so many ways.

I use the large buckets from the hardware store and drill big holes in the bottom and then plant my tomatoes and "other" plants in them out in the greenhouse in spring for an exceptional summer crop. This way they can root through the bucket if they need to but it discourages the gophers from completely killing the plants. We also use cinder blocks for raised vege beds. That way we can put aviary wire underneath to keep the varments out. The gophers are a constant battle so I plant a lot in containers. Anything that will hold soil, LOL.

There is information on DG about making eBuckets, but I can't locate it at the moment. I think it's in the Vegetables Forum somewhere.

Domehomedee vs gophers

These will work wonders for your gophers.

Classic Spinning Daisy (x6 case) http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Spinning-Daisy-x6-case/dp/B005UDUTGC

Classic Pinwheel Design! Free freight for orders over $20.
•Vibration works to keep underground creatures away!
•Vibrant colors!
•Inexpensive way to brighten your garden!
•Can be used anywhere!

These work for you. I remember when the gopher "thumper" came out. It was this electronic thing that you stuck in the ground and it supposedly kept the gophers away. I started calling it the "gopher dinner bell". Want something removed? Just put the gopher dinner bell next to it!
You know these could be a good addition to the cat repellant sticks. One year I had a cat that was "going" in my flower garden so I put out sticks between the plants to discourage him. It worked good but everyone asked "what are the sticks for?" Spinners would stop all the questions, LOL.

Domehomedee

Yes, they work, BIG time.

Here's what I do. Buy about 20 of them for 5 acres.

Start around the house and stick them close together 10-15' apart and start moving them out further every few weeks.

Once they move further, you move further.

Watch your neighbors yard and you will see the results.

Been using these for years. also the small metal windmills can be adapted to work. you just need to drill out the hole for the windmill blades to spin. The more louder the vibrations the further they travel underground.

I'm going to have to see what I can find in "spinners". There was a big mound of dirt IN my hoophouse today. Honestly if that gopher eats my 4 year old papaya I'm going to offer a reward for his carcass. I'm hoping for fruit this year and I've waited a long time.

Styrofoam plates - Years ago I decided to move & split up a generic hosta. I replanted some sections, but didn't have time to plant them all, I set some on Styrofoam plates in a shady spot & forgot about them. They survived about 10 Minnesota winters there in the shade with plenty of snow cover. Then I moved to an apartment & brought one of them to live on my balcony. I planted it in a 2 gal pot. It survived one winter on the balcony, but not the 2nd. I was just not able to give it enough cover & protection on the balcony.

Very interesting.

Painted a tire last summer and put zinnia seedlings in (two photos of that tire), planted a tomato in an unpainted tire, and placed more zinnias in a wooden box (great drainage).

I've had tire planters in the past. The painted ones look very nice with the cut edges. What kind of paint did you use, timmijo?

How hard is this to do? What do you use to cut the tires? I'm just full of questions this morning.

This might help to answer your questions: http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/5002/

It's an account of how I managed to do the white tire. It is very difficult. The tire must be turned inside out.

I used both a razor (box) knife and a kitchen shears for the cutting before the tire was turned. The paint was a combination of diluted interior paint and spray paint.

When you get into the article, click on the YouTube link. They make it look easy, but it is difficult to turn the tire inside out because the tire is fashioned to be one way, and then you are forcing it to do the opposite. If you have any teenagers or college kids around to help, that would be a plus.

This message was edited Jan 20, 2015 3:04 PM

I have such trouble with gophers in my yard that I'm always looking for "cheap" large planters. We plant in used oak wine barrels here in California, but they do deteriorate after a few years. I'm thinking these would last longer. I may have to try to make one and see if they are too difficult for me. I have no doubt they would be popular here if I wanted to sell them.

Here are a few more ideas, in pictures. https://www.google.com/search?q=tire+planter&rlz=1C1ASUM_enUS540&espv=2&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=30zDU4H8IcyryASYp4CYDQ&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAg&biw=1680&bih=917

I've done the stacked tire planters but have never cut any. I like the photo of the whole tires hung on a shed or garage wall.

I usually seal them with like Thompsons water seal, asphalt sealer would be cheaper and is a good suggestion. I find the best way to keep them good for the longest is to get them off the ground. Sometimes I use a small tree ring to set them on. The termites are the problem, as no matter what you set them on the gophers push the dirt up against the barrel eventually. I think the trick is not to care if you have plastic pots in your landscaping, LOL.

"Domehomedee"

Setting them on concrete blocks will get them 7 5/8" high, just need 3 ea 1/2 blocks.

Dbl the height with 6 ea Full blocks, also easier on your back.

I have always wanted a real wooden half barrel but have had to settle for the wooden look in a plastic model instead because of the price of the genuine article.

It's all where you live . . . I can get them for $20 here. It's a great deal for a planter over 2' wide and 2' deep. I have several in my landscaping, it's a great way to get those shorter flowering plants up were you can see them. I just planted some bulbs in one and then planted some at the base, should be pretty in bloom. Also good for fairy gardens, gets them up were you can see them and the kids can play in there too.

I always had them in CA but here they are now $60 for a half whiskey or wine barrel. That's some inflation!

Old toasters and teapots are favorites of mine.

Love the toaster, unkapete. Great repurposing idea!

Thanks. I have about 6-7 toasters that I picked up at yard sales or were donated by friends. Stainless steel teapots too. This season I'll take more pics and post them. I've also used box graters.
There are some great ideas in this thread!

That toaster looks vintage, too. What a great idea. Very cute.

I think we all like the toaster, can't wait for mine to die now, LOL.