Is there a flower more typical of fall than mums? Probably not! There are definitely some flowers worthy of autumnal appreciation but the mum is the most common one you’ll find this time of year. I put together a little project for Lowe’s Creative Ideas that uses mums and reuses my dad’s old wheelbarrow. The wheelbarrow planter project was easy and I’m very pleased with how it’s turned out.
The wheelbarrow already had some drainage holes in it courtesy of some natural iron oxide action around the bolt holes. I filled the wheelbarrow with compost and some soil conditioner then I added several similarly tinted shades of mums together inside. This time of year I’m very partial to the fiery fall colors. The reds, reddish-browns, oranges, and yellows just scream fall to me. So that’s what I picked!
To blend the wheelbarrow with the rest of the mailbox garden I put a couple mums in the ground near the wheelbarrow along with a few small purple colors asters right next to the mailbox. All these plants will do fine planted in the ground and come back next year. In a few weeks I’ll transplant the mums in the wheelbarrow into other areas of the garden and replace them with some nice winter tolerant plants. Perhaps violas and pansies with a side order of ornamental kale or cabbage. The wheelbarrow has a bit of height to it that I think will discourage the bunnies from making a meal of my mailbox garden!
Here’s how the wheelbarrow plant project started.
Once the mums are done flowering they can be planted anywhere in the perennial beds. Mums are perennials and will return each year to enjoy. You could even start a side business growing and propagating mums!
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It turned out great Dave!
I love my wheel barrow planters….I have a sedum one that's year around pleasure.
I love mums – all colors! I put them in planters through the bloom time and then put them in the ground as you plan to do The wheelbarrow is a great addition to your mailbox garden.
A very nostalgic vignette…and, yes, mums are definitely a sign of fall, and football games, a hot chocolate, and…
I put my mums in pots that look like whisky barrels and decorate my front porch with them. I like the wheelborrow idea.
I love mums! Your planter looks great! I put mums in containers on my porch. Later I'll put them in the flowerbeds. I've done this for years and they've mostly come back and are blooming now.
I like how you incorporated the other mums around the wheelbarrow! What a great use of an old wheelbarrow! I keep a few on the porch in containers and have a few planted in my garden.
I love your wheelbarrow planted with mumms! Mumms mean fall to me, my favorite time of year.
I love having mums planted in the ground around an old mailbox post I have in the garden.
Mums make great borders!
We put them in pots and decorate the front porch in the fall.
Love your mum wheelbarrow display! We had an old wheelbarrow separate due to rusty bolts recently. Now to see if someone threw it away. Chances are good since getting the trash to the curb takes an act of God 🙂
So pretty! My mums are in pots on my porch and patio. I will be looking for a wheelbarrow at garage sales now!!!