On 8/1/11 6:06 PM, Chris Thompson wrote:
"David E. Ross" wrote in
:

On 8/1/11 12:42 PM, Chris Thompson wrote:
Hi all

I just inherited a rectangular planter, about 3 feet by 16 inches by
16 inches deep. I am looking for suggestions on what to stick in
there. I live in Rockaway, NYC, close to the ocean, so salt might be
an issue. We do get hard freezes here. I would prefer some kind of
hardy perennial. Would some lilacs do OK in that size planter? I
don't know if they could take the winters. Thanks

Chris

Lilacs enjoy a cold winter. My daughter lives in Saskatoon, Canada,
where winter temperatures below -30F are common and lilacs are so
common that they are a cliche.

Salt should not be an issue if the potting mix in the container drains
well. You might want to add a little gypsum once a year to help
remove salt from the soil, but salt in the air should not be a major
problem.

However, lilacs are woody shrubs that can grow quite large. I don't
think your container is deep enough.

The best source of a recommendation might be a nearby comprehensive
nursery (not a hardware store or lumber yard).


Do you think one of the "dwarf" varieties might do well, if I kept it well-
pruned?

Thanks

Chris

Any details regarding the actual growing of lilacs are beyond me. They
don't do well in my climate because we don't get snow.

Where I live, I would use such a planter for evergreen bulbs or
bulb-like plants, perhaps Agapanthus, Alstroemeria, or daylilies. Or I
might fill it with various colors of wax-leaf begonias or 'Goodwin Creek
Grey' lavendar.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean, see
http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary