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Jug planter

Red mapleRed maple Posts: 1,138
Hello all,
in my attempt to be good and recycle, I have an old (but still looking good) plastic bowl and jug solar water feature that no longer works as the solar part of it broke, so my intention is to use it as a planter. My thoughts are, once adequate drainage holes have been added, to place some trailing lobelia in the jug part to “over flow” and some creeping phlox in the bowl part. Do you think this combination will work? I’m thinking of dark blue lobelia and cerise pink phlox. Obviously, the lobelia is an annual so will need replacing next year, the phlox is perennial. I’m just wondering if the lobelia might swamp the phlox as it grows over the jug?

Posts

  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    @Red maple I am having trouble picturing this how tall is the jug?
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • Red mapleRed maple Posts: 1,138
    sorry, I should have explained it a little more clearly. The bowl part is fairly shallow, about 3 inches deep and 15 inches diameter. The jug slots into the bowl at an angle (this was so that when it was a water feature, the water could flow from the jug into the bowl) and is about 12 inches deep with a diameter of approx 8 inches. If I can work out how to do a photo, I’ll post a photo later.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I know what you mean, with the jug and bowl,  it will work,  you may find that the lobelia will self seed into the bowl and you’ll have fresh plants for next year,  the phlox likes to be kept fairly dry. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Red mapleRed maple Posts: 1,138
    Thank you for your reply Lyn. I’m definitely going to give it a go - nothing to lose by trying, I think.  :)
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