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Large Garden Planter

Kieren1980Kieren1980 Posts: 17
in Plants

Hiya, with the awful weather we had today I decided to make two planters, instructions off the internet. 

Didn't really appreciate how big they are until I got them outside. 120 cm long, 600cm wide, 400cm deep. 

Not decided on final position yet but there is very little shade so mainly sun loving plants and we're near the coast so it can be windy! 

Was thinking of a rockery type thing with succulents for one of them but thought that as they are quite large it might be a bit boring?

Any help much appreciated! 

Posts

  • B3B3 Posts: 25,280

    Wow! Some people's gardens aren't that big. Are you sure you've got the dimensions right.?

    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • Kieren1980Kieren1980 Posts: 17

    lol, sos, 120 cm long, 60 wide, 40 deep.

  • Kieren1980Kieren1980 Posts: 17

    It's this one...

    http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-A-Garden-Planter-From-Decking/?ALLSTEPS  image

  • B3B3 Posts: 25,280

    I love it. I'm sure you'll get some great ideas when people wake up tomorrowimage

    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 29,162

    Well done.   Good looking piece of work.

    Before you do anything you need to decide where it will go as once full of compost it will be impossible to move.   I think you need to drill some decent drainage holes in the bottom so your plants won't be waterlogged and your compost become a smelly bog.  

    Then you probably want to line it with black plastic to stop moisture rotting the wood from the inside.    Punch holes in the bottom lining then put in a good layer of crocks to aid drainage.   You can use broken chunks of polystyrene or packing shells to keep it light.  Use a good quality potting compost, maybe half and half John Innes no 3 and multi purpose.

    As it is so deep, there's quite a lot you can grow in there.  I wouldn't go for alpines as they need shallow soil and sharp drainage.  You can try hemerocallis and achilleas which come in a wide range of colours and will give good contrast of foliage and flower forms, red hot pokers, verbena bonariensis, agapanthus, cistus (a shrub), hyssop, veronicas, perovskia.....   Or else change the display each year with a mix of upright and trailing pelargoniums and summer annuals and bulbs for spring.

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • Kieren1980Kieren1980 Posts: 17

    Cheers Obelix, yeah was thinking of using the compost bags to line it with. 

    Thanks for the plant ideas, as it happens I have a few small red hot pokers coming on in the greenhouse at the mo, I like achillea a lot too and agapanthus but never had much success with the latter.... If you had perrenials in the planter would you have plants that flowered all at the same time or spread the flowering time out? 

  • Kieren1980Kieren1980 Posts: 17

    Thanks B3, hope so! 

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 29,162

    I'd spread the flowering times to take the interest thru the seasons and rely on good foliage forms to maintain interest.   

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • hogweedhogweed Posts: 4,053

    I think you should also explore the rock garden/alpine idea. There are some lovely alpine plants and they are not all small cushions. Have a look at the rock garden Society web site for ideas.

    'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
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