There are many types of barrels out there. I prefer the wooden ones to the plastic ones. Wooden barrels seem to be more weather resistant and last longer. After purchasing the barrel, make sure it is clean and free of bugs and dirt. Next, buy a pack of small stones to place in the bottom of the barrel to prevent the soil from bleeding out. This also helps with drainage. These barrels have a hole in the middle of the bottom. Next, buy a 1.5-cubic-foot bag of Miracle-Gro potting soil that contains peat moss. I also recommend adding some mushroom compost to the soil to give the flowers nutrients. Fill the barrel until you have a 2-3″ gap from the top of the barrel to the ground. The above steps ensure that the flowers will last a long time. You can also add a little organic plant food to the soil. Feed the flowers during at least three months.

Now it’s time to go to the nursery to buy the flowers. Depending on the zone you are in, certain plants will work better than others. For example, I have two barrels like the one in the photo. I have vervain and petunias in both. I also have some mixed marigolds. I have also planted begonias, impatiens and asters in these barrels and they have done very well. Butterflies love them! I have recently seen a pair of swallowtails and a monarch.

After you have planted the flowers, be sure to water with at least half a full spray can to promote root growth. Then water every few days so the flowers acclimate to the barrel. Since many days of the summer seem to be dry, water is very important to keep your flowers looking great.

From time to time you may need to add more compost or soil as it might sink a little over time. I also try to weed every few days to keep my barrels looking great.

Every fall, after the flowers have died, I remove dead flowers and roots and level the soil for winter. Then in the spring I empty the soil into the barrels around the trees and put in fresh soil and compost. This gives the new blooms a chance to be as good, if not better, than the first batch.