Unique Wildflower Planters

Wildflowers are vibrant and hearty plants that grow quickly and won’t need a lot of your attention once planted, so they’re great for beginners or practicing your green thumb.

You can plant directly into a flower or mulch bed using a little topsoil and fertilizer, or try using visually striking items like an old sink, antique tub, basin, large metal watering can or wooden barrel to display your flowers on an outdoor table, patio or garden. They’ll be sure to add a little whimsy outside your home and spark conversation at your next outdoor party.

This simple wildflower barrel project will help you create the look of beautiful colors spilling out into your flowerbed or lawn using a wooden barrel as your planter.

Wildflower Barrel Planter – By Patrick Brown

MATERIALS
Wooden barrel from a local home improvement store or landscape supplier
2 bags of potting or topsoil, enough to fill a wheelbarrow
1 spade tip shovel
Flower fertilizer (designed specifically for flowerbeds)
A variety of wildflower seed packets

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pick the area of your garden where you would like your planter to go and use the spade tip of the shovel to dig a hole to match the size of the base of your barrel planter, deep enough that it can be partially placed into the ground.
2. Nestle the barrel into the ground at a 45° angle. Use the loose dirt you dug out of the hole to pack tightly around the barrel and hold it in place.
3. Fill the barrel with the topsoil at an angle and around the barrel on the garden bed so the soil looks like it is spilling out into your garden. Make sure to not fill the barrel completely.
4. Apply the fertilizer to the topsoil, following the instructions on the package.
5. Plant your wildflower seeds according to instructions on the packages. Remember to plant some in the barrel and some in your flowerbed around the barrel. Create extra visual interest by planting flowers of different heights and wild color combinations.

Tip: In lieu of purchasing planters from the hardware store, you can easily construct your own by framing a wooden box with 2”x2” cedar wood legs. Cover the seams with a 1”x3” trim of your choice.

Choosing Wildflower Varieties
For the barrel planter project, try using annual wildflowers, which grow and bloom quickly from seeds and include some of the most well-known wildflower varieties available. Annuals blooming seasons typically last about two months.

To create dimension and the look of flowers spilling into your garden, you can plant the tallest flowers in the back of the planted barrel, with smaller heights in the foreground. Just use the options below as a guideline for planting. But keep in mind that this project is meant to capture the wild nature of these wonderful flowers, so plant as you wish and enjoy their natural beauty as they begin to bloom.

The following details wildflower varieties that can be supported by all regions of North America, however you should always check the seedling packets to make sure you are best matching soil, sun exposure and climate accommodations for the area or region where you live. For a primer on specific climate zones, check out this article about hardiness zone maps.

Most wildflower seed packages also include images of the mature plants to help you pick types and color combinations that will look great together.

Tallest Wildflowers: (all grow up to 3-4 feet)

• Rose Mallow
• Rocket Larkspur
• Morning Glory
• Red Poppy

Medium-Height Wildflowers: (all grow to slightly above 2 feet)

• Zinnia
• Cornflower/Bachelor’s Button
• Black-eyed Susan
• Baby Snapdragon/Toadflax

Small-Height Wildflowers: (all grow just under or up to 1 foot)

• African Daisy
• California Poppy
• California Bluebell
• Baby Blue Eyes

Whether you choose to explore these container gardening ideas or find your own inspiration in items you find around your home, remember to have fun and don’t be afraid to go wild!