~Container Challenge~

[Snowwark]

Open to all Buds, Lurkers, and anyone who loves to garden!

This is the plan, it's not an original one, I got the idea from another site...;)..but it should be fun!

What we'd like to see is a very original, unique, container planting. The gardener with the most unusual container, will win a prize. We will also have an honorable mention gift. Voting will be done via PM.

The deadline to post a pic of your entry will be sometime in early-mid August, the date will be announced soon.

Please, no washroom entries! No tickseed in the toilet, umbrella palms in a urinal, no bidens in the bidet. :)

If you're interested in participating, please sign up on this thread.

Come on gardeners, let's go to pot!!

:)

[amid chaos]

I'm in! Going to a trough planting next week...have a great old trough I found!
need to do a hanging planter for competition...yeah, it's all garden club....:rolleyes:

[December99]

I'm in too. Mine won't be original or funny but hope it will look nice at least. :)

[TimNDansMom]

Well, since I'm going to do all container planters this year, I'd better join in too. Now I really WILL have to be creative! ;)

[DebºoºS]

Count me in. Sounds like fun. I have no ideas yet but I'll think of something:jester:

[marydmjj]

Cool beans! Count me in.

:earsboy: :earsgirl: :earsboy: :earsboy:

[Snowwark]

Did I mention that there would be a prize, a real prize? :eek: Not just another picture of a prize! :o


Anyone else? Everyone is welcome to enter! :)

[DixieDreamer]

I have NO unusual containers to plant!? I will look around and see if I can come up with something... but I just finished potting up all my patio containers... so not likely... BUT ... I am looking forward to seeing the entries... and casting my votes!

[Snowwark]

You have lots of time to find and pot up an entry, Laura. I have great faith in your creativity! :)

Up here, most of us haven't even begun planting our annuals. Very soon though, I hope. :)

[Tulirose]

bidens in the bidet ??? :p

Sounds like fun. I have no unusual container but I will be doing planting the containers I do have and I am trying to be more creative in what I plant (thanks to this garden board). No more pink impatiens in my containers only, nosirree bobbie - I wish to EXPAND my horizons... and my containers....

I'm in.

[olena]

HMMM....this could be fun! I'll get back to you...:D

[Snowwark]

~Bump~

Anyone else like to give it a try??? :) :)

[MomE@Home]

I'll give it a try-sign me up !

[Snowwark]

:Pinkbounc

[Mamu]

I planted mine up today, I think it's going to come out good. A few last minute things to do to the outside of the planter and I'll be finished. Then sit and wait till it fills out.

[Snowwark]

:Pinkbounc :)

Great Mamu, and thanks for the bump!! :)

[olena]

I have a GREAT idea for this, but Chris won't let me do it.....:(

[Snowwark]

Time to ~bump~ this up!

How are your containers coming along? Don't say too much, don't give away the surprise! :)

Olena, I hope you were able to change Chris's mind?

For those of you who have decided to give it a grow, remember, you'll have to send me your address (in case you win..:)). Feel free to send it to me via PM whenever you'd like.


Kim

[olena]

No I wasn't. He was adamant.

[Tulirose]

:eek: Oh my! I dare not ask what your idea was!

[DebºoºS]

I potted mine up a couple of weeks ago. I'll see how/if it grows. Doesn't look like much now but maybe in a month it will.
For me it'll be more fun to see what everyone else grows.

[olena]

It wasn't anything crude. He just wouldn't let me "destroy" something to do it.

[December99]

Ok olena...may I ask WHAT you were planning on destroying to do this little project???? :D

I need to get a pic taken of mine because it is doing awesome and get it submitted before I go on vacation next week. I'm afraid it might not be alive when I return!!!! ;)

[Snowwark]

***** BUMP *****

If you are participating in the challenge, please submit your pics to this thread. I will also need everyone's address (via PM), so please start sending them along. :)

We'll get our voting underway late next week! :Pinkbounc

Can't wait to see what you've all come up with!! :)

[Mamu]

Considering all it dome for 16 days is rain, and rain and rain.

What isn't covered in slugs has either rotted, molded or has mushrooms growing instead of flowers. I'm about ready to pull everything out of the garden. :sad: :sad: :sad:

It's been one of those years, oak tree seedlings, maple tree seedlings now crab grass inching it's way into the house. And gross slugs.

[amid chaos]

As mamu said....mine look like poop too....I tried to do some fun stuff with color...didn't work.

[Tulirose]

Oh! Oh! I have pics but I need time to post them and I have no time now. How long do I have to get them here???

P.S. - Missed you guys. Trying to play catchup after being away so long and so much to do around house too. Hope everyone is well.

Give me a date when photos have to be up by and I will do my best to oblige .....

[Snowwark]

Awww....poor Buds..:( My stuff kind of looks like crud too...(can I say crud??? :o ).

Don't worry, we'll be gentle, and if you don't have a pic to post, that's okay too. :) :)

We've missed you too, Tulirose. :) Post your pic whenever you're ready! :)

[DebºoºS]

I'm late I'm late... for a very important date!!!
Not much time left before my latest adventure. Between the laundry from our last trip to visit colleges and the power failure trapping DH in NYC it's been way too eventful.
I'm trying to upload a planter pic that I took with my new digital camera. The DIS gallery is taking it's time uploading it though. I'll try again tomorrow. It's not much (pitiful actually) but it's the only one that survived this whacky summer with some dignity.

[DebºoºS]

Here's my container entry:
http://www.wdwinfo.com/photopost/data/500/245herbsglories-med.jpg
His name is Herb. He's my only summer of 2003 container survivor. He's stayed green through the cold then heat, fungus, beetles, bunnies (couldn't reach him), drought and monsoons. Now the morning glories are starting to choke him!

[Snowwark]

Oh wow Deb, Herb looks great!! :) :) Not a lot of men can get away with that look, but he carries it off very nicely! :smooth:

I see that you're about to go on vacation (lucky Bud!), when will you be back? :)

[DebºoºS]

He's a real herbalicious guy. Well the time has come to say good-bye to the DIS buds. I'll be back next weekend, Kim. It looks like a hot week too.
See you all on the flip side:Pinkbounc

[TimNDansMom]

I love Herb, Deb! Although he does resemble the Gorgon Medusa a bit, lol!

I tried to do something with Morning Glories too, but they look very sick, so I am submitting two containers that I used a Canna Lily as the focal point and were my biggest success this hot, dry year. Pics to follow soon.

[DebºoºS]

All of my containers are flops this year. My callas didn't do well at all. I came back from WDW to find Herb strangled by the morning glories. The morning glories have grown there by accident as well as the sunflowers taking over the pergola. Figures if I planted them intentionally this year they probably would've died by now.
The only garden that looks good is the new rose garden that DH planted for me this year. They've had some beautiful flowers and are doing well against the bugs, fungus, drought and bunnies.
Of course the mint is very happy to spread all over everything too. At least it's green.

[Snowwark]

"I came back from WDW to find Herb strangled by the morning glories."

On dear, but death by flowers? Fitting for the Flower & Garden board! ;) :p :)

I hope you had a wonderful trip, Deb! :)

Here are Julie's lovely entries! :)

http://worldzone.net/anime/snwark//julieplanter1.jpg

http://worldzone.net/anime/snwark//julieplanter2.jpg

Thank you, Julie! :)


Anyone else?

[olena]

Bravo! Those are great...:D

[DebºoºS]

Just found this container in the garden while I was cleaning up for the hurricane. I gave up on it early in the summer. The rose was origianlly named Jubilee but when it died I couldn't throw it away so I threw some petunia , ageratum and allysum seeds in there hoping it would do something.
http://www.wdwinfo.com/photopost/data/500/245Jubillee-Isabel-med.jpg
I didn't even know what color the petunias would be because I've had them for years. Put my cintronella candle in it and left it to either bloom or die. Went to WDW, which was T-rific. Thanks Kim for asking.
http://www.wdwinfo.com/photopost/data/500/245Isabel_collage.jpg
The rose is now named Isabel after the hurricane and the petunias turned out to be lavender solid and varigated, white, pink solids and the allysum is white and lavender.http://www.wdwinfo.com/photopost/data/500/245Isabel-planter-b.jpg

[Snowwark]

You know Deb, my "planned" containers, never look nearly as nice as the one you "threw" together. Not even knowing what colour the petunias would be, and look how it turned out....gorgeous!!! :)

Thank you! :)

I hope you and our other New Jersey Buds are keeping safe!!

[DebºoºS]

Thanks Kim, I've had so many containers that didn't trun out it was encouraging to see one do well. Even if it was behind my back. I give all the credit to DH & his dirt ( or should I say soil). It's like garden gold dust. He can grow just about anything in it.

In honor of Halloween and the end of a very bad season for all containers. How about a container challenge (no prize) called
"The Ugliest, Worst, Weirdest Most Horrible Container"?
The only rule would be that it's still alive...even barely.
I know I have some real contenders:jester:

[Snowwark]

Garden gold dust....I like that! :)

OMG, if I posted pics of the majority of my containers and how they look right now, the" powers that be" would bounce me right off this board!! LOL....:o :jester: :o

Hmmm...I may have a pic to share. Not a new one, but still kind of weird! :)

[DebºoºS]

Why Not? I took a few pictures before throwing them into the compost pile. They were really bad.
There is no way anyone would kick you out of our garden flops or not flops. You're firmly planted!

I'll post mine if you post yours:crazy:
Of course I have to find a place to put it first. I don't think I can post directly on the board and there is no way I'll put it in the DIS photo gallery.

[Snowwark]

Deb, you could email me your pic, I'll put it up on my Worldzone site, no problem! :)

Snowwark@Netscape.net

:)

[DebºoºS]

Thank you Kim, I'll send it tomorrow. That is if we don't lose our power!!.

Today is hurricane preparedness day LOL


Maybe we should start a new thread for this challenge. The rest of the garden might be in shock when we start posting our losers on this one.

They'll think we've gone to seed for sure!!!! SLOL

[Tulirose]

Deb - What happened to your Herbie planter??? That was fantastic! It is just a red x now. :(

Well, I finally am getting around to posting a couple of my container photos. I will start with my "best". It is dedicated to my kitty, Ollie, who was hit by a car this past winter. (I told you guys that story, right? I know I posted about it on my cruise thread but not sure if I did same here.) At any rate, Ollie got excellent treatment by our favorite vet (who happens to be our nephew-in-law!) who put him back together nicely and he is now doing fine. I used to hate Oliver, I used to call him the Intruder. He adopted us and I wasn't happy about it. But the accident made me realize how attached I have grown to him over the years. Anyway, with no further ado, may I proudly present my Ollie planter:

<IMG width= "300" SRC="http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid81/p40d1144e020296ca249ea112ec69ada3/fafb0a7a.jpg">

Kindly note the Ollie planter's tail is dusty miller! Hahaha! Also of note, is that this kitty face was once a planter in itself which I dropped a few years ago and broke to smithereens, except for the face part, which I couldn't bear to part with. So I glued it to a metal retangular planter and, in doing so, created the Ollie planter!

[Tulirose]

My second planter photo was inspired by.......amid? oh geez! or was it Gina??? I have been away from this forum too long!!! WHY do I get you two confused all the time???? Which one of you did red/white/blue planters last year? Well, YOU were the one who inspired the following pot!


<IMG width= "300" SRC="http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid81/pd567449aa1822ea1691ea16368887a92/fafb0ab3.jpg">

And oh look! You get to see Ollie wandering around in his back yard. He looks so good. He actually got a face lift, ya know. Really!

[Tulirose]

These are just two regular old hanging planters. Nothing creative or inspiring about them. This was taken at the very end of July. They didn't fare very well through August, however.

<IMG width= "400" SRC="http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid81/p5a28fefbe34011e9e42c52ebc4884e3b/fafb0aab.jpg">

I had some dianthus in there somewhere but can't see them.

[Tulirose]

Want more? Well, ya getting more anyway... I'm on a roll here.

<IMG width= "500" SRC="http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid81/p15c290d47c8813f92f679d5b4fcca801/fafb0aa0.jpg">

This is my flower box given to me by my SIL. Nothing special or imaginative planted here either. This was taken mid August. If you look close, you can see it starting to go bad.

[Tulirose]

Well, I guess that's it for me. I had fun posting the photos. Hope you had some fun looking at them.

Julie! Is that cannae (spelling?) and a Wandering Jew? (sorry, I don't know the "real" name for the plant)? Your coleus and potatoe vine planter is stunning. It reminds me of my trip Friday into the City. There were planters all in front of the Library and also near Herald Square, and I literally made my DH stop walking, come over to one of the planters and I pointed out the potatoe vines in them to him. That was something I learned about on THIS FORUM!!!

And Deb, how green your thumb is to just throw a few things together, go off to Disneyworld and come back to such a gorgeous planting. :D

Everyone have a good week.

[DebºoºS]

Rosemary, Your Ollie planter looks so sweet and so does your real Ollie. Dianthus tail, very clever and creative. And your petunias, no fair. They aren't even leggy! Did you stand there watering all summer!?

As for good ole Herbie. He's among the missing because well I needed the space over at the DIS photo gallery for my trip pics. I figured everybody was sick of looking at him so I deleted him. He still has a spot in my hard drive though.

Have a Wonder-ful Magic-al cruise!

[DebºoºS]

The following pic needs some explaining.
It all started when I got a new crock pot. The old crocky was 25 years old, a classic but a fire hazard. I couldn't just throw it away. After much debate I decided to try it as a seed starter. It kept the seeds warm and with the glass lid on it's like a little greenhouse.
There was 1 lettuce, 1 carrot, 1 dill left in it I added a sprig of impatiens and potato when the carrot died. This pic was taken when I got back from WDW. It's dumb, ugly, stupid, I don't know what came over me when I planted it up.
Kim, this is just one of my loser containers http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid81/p88c1ea2491bff132f828f4a4b4eb96ed/faf55707.jpg

[Snowwark]

Tulirose, your hanging plants and window box look a darn sight BETTER than the the majority of my containers....trust me on this..lol !! :) I remember your post about the window box your SIL gave you, that was sweet of her.

Thank you so much for posting your pics, Rosemary! :)

Deb, the crockpot plants croaked? Was it plugged in? ;) I think that is so imaginative of you, it's great!!! I need to look at my old appliances in a whole different light now. :) :)

[TimNDansMom]

Tulirose, yes that is a "Tropicanna" Canna Lily and Wandering Jew in the first planter pic as well as Star of Bethleham and also a lacy coleus which you can't see in this picture. I was so surprised that these two planters did so well. My others (petunias and other annuals) were only just so-so. Your pink petunias are my favourite colours and I think your Ollie planter is so cute!

Deb, my crock pot is of the same vintage but I haven't retired it yet, though I seldom use it any more. It was a wedding gift so now you've given me a good idea what to use it for next!

[Snowwark]

Okay Deb, here you go, a pic of one (there are many..lol), of my loser containers. :blush:

Not a very clear picture, but I think you get the general idea...:)

A very skimpy moonflower vine, with some vapid verbena, and blah bidens! :blush:

http://worldzone.net/anime/snwark//containerdud.jpg

[DebºoºS]

Kim, I wish my losers looked that good. I like the moonflower trellis idea. Very creative. Did it flower for you at least? Never tried a moonflower vine. Verbena is tricky for me. I like the look of it in baskets but never really get it to flourish.

It's a winner not a loser!! For a total of 4 :bounce: :bounce::bounce::bounce:

2 :bounce::bounce:for it's creative blend of plants
2 :bounce::bounce:for it's original form or structure.

[Snowwark]

Gosh Deb, I wish you had been one of my teachers when I was young, you seem like you'd be an easy marker!! ;) :p :D

Actually the verbena and bidens looked great about 6 weeks ago, but the Moonflower, which I had grown before with much better success, only produced 3 blooms, and that was just a couple of weeks ago.

I'll have to think carefully about what to try on the obelisk for next year. :)