Bin there, done that

Inspired by Helen Dillon's use of dustbins as planters (see my Tulip scrumptious blog entry), and a beautiful planting of massed sunflowers at Rose Farm Studio (open under the NGS last year but sadly not this year), this is my own version. Dustbin planters planted up with (home-grown) Helianthus 'Teddy Bear' - a really cute, dwarf sunflower, with what can only be described as fluffy flower heads.

To provide drainage, my husband created eight holes in the base of each bin. To aid drainage, and to save on the amount of compost needed in each bin, I placed old plastic plant pots in the base. I also lined the bins with cardboard, to give some protection to the sunflower's roots and prevent them from frying if the metal bins get hot.

The bins are placed at the end of the paths in my vegetable plot - my husband tells me that in the dark they look like a row of daleks. Bonus!