Originally designed to age alcoholic beverages, whiskey barrels are often used as garden containers. The barrels are sold to garden enthusiasts after many years of service aging liquor. Their aged wood and rusty metal bands have character and work as a great contrast with bright flowers. Whiskey barrels can be purchased whole or cut in half. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Stabilize your whiskey barrel. Before planting, drive metal screws through the hoops of the barrel. When whiskey barrels are exposed to the elements, they may shrink and lose their shape if their hoops are not secured.
2. Add approximately two inches of rock or pieces of broken pottery to the bottom of your barrel to serve as drainage material.
3. Fill the entire barrel with potting soil. It will shrink far below the top when watered.
4. Select seasonal plants that are suited to grow in containers. Consider the height and spacing requirements of each plant. Plants that do well in container gardens include pansies, salvia, mosses, geranium, basil, chilis, ferns and coleus.
5. Place a larger focal plant in the center or your potted arrangement. Surround it with smaller floral and foliage plants. Add trailing plants to cascade over the sides of the barrel.
6. Cover any exposed soil with mulch. Mulch helps prevent water loss from evaporation.
7. Thoroughly water your whiskey barrel garden on a regular basis. Container gardens should be watered every other day in most climates. During harsh summer heat, container gardens may require daily watering.
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