In yesterday’s post I showed you how Jamie and I planted succulents (hens & chicks) for her wedding reception.
These are the plants I brought home from the wedding. I needed a place to plant them.
If you follow me on FB or Twitter you already know what I ran across while cleaning these cans out! I generally post what I’m working on if you’re interested in following there. The can on the right had a MOUSE family that committed suicide in it. There was a cap on the top, apparently they went in through the spout. Joyce said she thought it was a great mousetrap!
After I got it cleaned out, I drilled some holes in it.
Then I used a pair of tin snips to cut a larger hole. I tried a hole saw, but it didn’t want to work very well on the roundness of the can.
I used a file to remove some of the sharp points.
I filled it up with a sandy topsoil. Not pictured: I drilled many holes in the bottom for drainage, and added some rocks to the bottom for drainage. These plants need well drained soil.
I didn’t fill all the holes because I thought the babies would come out of the holes. Cathy thinks they won’t. Thoughts? Can you help me know how these things work?
This is just for staging because it is too shady in this area of my flower bed.
I will have to move it to a much sunnier location.
I had a few more plants, and wanted another unusual container. I found this vintage watering can in my shed.
I drilled and cut holes in it too. I also did drainage holes and rocks in the bottom.
This is a very small decorative watering can. I put some of the leftover plants that were not used at the wedding.
This is an old furnace grate. I used all of the leftover dirt and garbage roots from the container that Marybeth delivered Nana’s (aunt Jean’s) hens & chicks in. I have this in the sunniest part of my back yard. I will keep you posted if this “garbage” produces any plants. I am hopeful that it will.
What is the most unusual container YOU have used to plant flowers/plants in?
gail
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Im so rubbish with plants I see all these wonderful ideas & I feel very shameful
Right now I am working on a lid from an old trunk. I am making a moss garden. Your watering cans are great. I would probably snip a finger off!
8>)
Your cans look like they will fill in nicely. I just got myself 2 old metal watering cans and maybe I'll make them planters too! Thanks for the ideas!
The new planters look great. You need to put a chick in each hole. The chicks form off the mother plant.
The most unusual thing I've planted in was an old turquoise toilet complete with the tank. I sold the toilet, plants and all for $50 at my moving sale.
In my experience, the chicks only grow right next to the mother, so they are not going to spread to the rest of the holes. Eventually, the mother will probably die off also. Did you clean the gas can really well? Gas will kill vegetation.
I planted flowers in an old rubber boot. It was too cute!
love your containers.. i have some hen and chicks my mama gave me for Mothers day last year and they are still living..surprise surprise and I honestly havent done anything to them at all. I like that kind of plant.
I can't tell you anything about them, but my Dad gave me a vintage mccoy pot to plant some hens and chicks in. (I got the babies from a teacher's assistant last year before I retired.) I hope yours and mine will thrive.
loving this! and kicken myself for not grabbing a couple cans at a garage sale last weekend because I didn't know what I would do with them to convince my husband why I needed them. umpf!
That's such a cool look, and it's only going to look better and better as the plants grow! I think it's really special that all these plants are "family" plants, and now you have some, too.
I hope the furnace grate gets a few hens. That would be fun to see!
The cans look great! I just started a new addiction with hens & chicks last year, now I have some new ideas....
I was going to buy some of these the other day! I still have other plants that need to be planted before I buy more. They look cute in the watering can. I have an old chair I painted blue and made a basket for it and filled it up!
Who says you aren't cre8tive! I love this, it is too cute.
Very clever, Love them. 10 years ago my Grandma gave me a bin full of hens and chicks. Back then I didnt garden or even know what they were but at least I had the sense to plant them in all the rockerys. I have tons now!
I love that idea! Hens and chicks are so easy to grow!
Gail, I love the succulents in the tea cups and the gas can too! You did a beautiful job. The gas can definitely makes a prettier planter than it does a mouse-trap -- Eek!
Jenn
This is such a cute idea! Love how the plants and the can just 'fit'...they were meant to be!
Also, thanks for stopping by 'Just Dream, Jelly Bean' and your sweet comment...come on back anytime :)
have a great week...
~ Jill
what a fantastic idea! i love it!
Those turned out really cute Gail.
Totally cool .... super creative. The chicks will not come out of those holes though. Sorry....
so cute...i am so glad you soldiered on after the 3 blind mice incident!
How cute! I love the idea and it looks great. I'm not sure if the plants will come through the holes, you could wait until the shoots start to come off the ones you planted and then replant them in those wholes. I really love how the gas can turned out, may have to scour some yard sales for one of my own!
Also, I have a great giveaway going on for some chalkboard labels and would love if you entered! http://eyespydiy.blogspot.com/2011/05/chalkboard-label-giveaway-from-ginger.html
I want to run, run, run and get some containers and hen and chicks.
Last year, I planted lavender in an old metal mop bucket.
Lady you amaze me. I love these..that is cool and I love the old look of the cans.
Before my mother retired she worked in a factory where she had to wear steel toed boots my mom had special order them since she wore a size five . When she retired she filled her boots with hen and chicks!
I love your blog and your projects - thanks for sharing them! The watering and gas can planters are awesome.
I have been harvesting chicks n hens for many years. I have some photos of the things I've done with them that I'd love to share with everyone, but I can figure out how to insert the link...
Chris-you are a no reply blogger, so I can't email you. I don't know if you will see this comment or not. If you have a blog post, or a link to pictures, just copy and paste it in a comment below.
Thanks!
gail
Okay, I think I'm a reply blogger now...maybe. I tried copying and pasting my link but it tells me I can't use tags. So, I'm just going to try pasting the link "naked".
http://tigergeorgia.eaph.com/viewalbum2.cgi?Flowers/Succulents
So vintage, and yet so beautiful and still so useful. Love the idea and creativity of this DIY.
Cheers,
Cathy@white nursing shoes
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