Three classic and beautiful DIY potted plants: easily to collect and plant on a budget

I've had the best success planting in these small metal buckets! This spring Jenny, who provides excellent customer service here at Red Hill General Store by day, decided to ring in spring by giving these buckets to the other ladies in the office (she's in agreement that these are some of the BEST buckets for planting anything.)

Materials You'll Need

1. any amount of these galvanized center piece buckets or these colorful bucket centerpieces. We used the "Orhby461" mini metal bucket (the middle of the three). The tapering we liked and the size was perfect. Any of these three buckets look wonderful as planters.
2. Hammer and nail for punching small holes in the bottom of the buckets (otherwise the roots may become too hydrated and the plant can die)
3. Potting soil
4. Small shovel for digging up and replanting the plant you select (Jenny planted hens and chickens, Johnny Jump-Ups, and Sedum or Autum Joy). 

Procedure

1. Once you've received your buckets (and bucket outlet ships very fast, trust us) punch 3-5 holes in the bottom. It's a forgiving art, just make sure the soil can drain.
2. Dig up the plants you wish to transplant and plant them in the bucket using potting soil to fill around the plant. 
3. Jenny says if you keep them outside, they hardly ever need water.

The Leafy flower in the front is Sedum or Autum Joy. It should be transplanted using clippings in the spring. Below is a full grown Autum Joy with flowers.

According to fine gardening, this plant is as dependable and adaptable as they come. Its flowers bloom from August into November; they open pink and mature to a copper befitting of autumn. It is 2 feet tall and wide, with succulent stems and leaves. 'Autumn Joy' looks great with ornamental grasses.The long-blooming lowers change from deep pink to copper. Attracts butterflies.

These small yellow and purple flowers look excellent in a small metal decorative washtub. Jenny found these Johnny Jump-ups in her driveway and transplanted them for a thoughtful office gift.

Known commonly as Heartsease, Johnny-jump-up, Love-in-idleness, and Wild pansy is an annual, biennial, or short-lived perennial. Viola tricolor is pretty in containers, as edging, or as a companion for bulbs. It self-seeds readily.

The Wild Pansy may be collected any time from June to August, when the foliage is in the best condition.

The herb contains an active chemical principle, Violine (a substance similar to Emetin, having an emeto-cathartic action), mucilage, resin, sugar, salicylic acid and a bitter principle. When bruised, the plant, and especially the root, smells like peach kernels or prussic acid. The seeds are considered to have the same therapeutic activity as the leaves and flowers.It was formerly in much repute as a remedy for epilepsy, asthma and numerous other complaints, and the flowers were considered cordial and good in diseases of the heart, from which may have arisen its popular name of Heartsease as much as from belief in it as a love potion. It was formerly official in the United States Pharmacopoeia, and is still employed in America in the form of an ointment and poultice in eczema and other skin troubles, and internally for bronchitis.

A favorite of our grandmothers and great-grandmothers, hens-and-chicks are popular once again with gardeners looking for drought-tolerant, easy care plants. Darlings of today's xeriscape gardens, trough gardens, and rooftop gardens, these plants are appreciated for their easy care and tolerance for extremely dry conditions. The neat rosettes multiply freely by runners that form dense colonies. Flowering rosettes die after bloom time, but are quickly replaced. They are excellent between pavers on patios and walkways.

See more container gardening by Kenneth from his creative container spring time planting blogpost.

Happy Gardening and Happy Buckets this Tuesday!