By Steragram
Pembrokeshire,
United Kingdom 
Screen for water butt
I have a new one on the patio for the new conservatory. Its about a foot across and four feet high and not pretty. I could put a foot square planter on each side,and perhaps plant a something which would grow fairly quickly to that height but not get much higher,to screen it all the year round and be happy in that size planter for a long time.
I think someone mentioned a bamboo that might do the trick - any suggestions for the variety (and source)? or any other suggestions for either plants or something else that would hide it and still allow access to the tap please? It stands on concrete slabs which I don't want to lift.
23 Jun, 2011
Answers
In the lid? Did you turn the lid upside down - mine has a rounded top. sounds like a bit of latral thinking but i don't think it would work with mine. would like to see a photo though.
23 Jun, 2011
Slip of the finger Steragram!!! I have 3 butts. Only the one under the canopy roof has a flat top. That's the one decorated by this yellow/green trailer. We sit nearbye to entertain, so different pots go on top to decorate it. At the moment a Heuchera and yellow dangler. They all have different tops. One could be turned upside down. The other slopes, so no use.....just an idea. Lol;)
24 Jun, 2011
A brilliant idea too. I just went out and tried it and it almost works, but the top slips easily and we have a lot of strong winds so any pot (even a heavy one) would blow over.
I was hoping somebody would give me the name of a small non-thuggish bamboo that was mentioned on here a few weeks ago, which apparently can be grown in a pot. Is it possible to do a subject search on the questions (though there will be an awful lot on controlling bamboo that would have to be searched through...)
24 Jun, 2011
Bit of a spend in the GC. Perhaps in the cheapo section....like I have today Lol. Only not all that cheap...but I just had to rescue it!!! Something tall and hardy to remain in the pot. We have one of those tall slim butts down the garden and they are not pretty. They have beehive ones now, that look like wood! Alas too late or too pricey.
24 Jun, 2011
Alas it rained hard yesterday and filled the butt up right to the top in one go! We are not sure what to do next - replace it with a bigger one, cry, lay pipes...
26 Jun, 2011
I have a couple of those flexible 2 handled buckets and a spare lot of pot stand wheels. If I am at home and it rains heavily, the back canopy butt fills so fast, I drain off into the bucket, wheel it aside, and put the other one under. The other thing is to use the overflow outlet, if there is one, and direct into a smaller butt nearby. We often have long dry weeks in Essex. I have a lot of pots on my patio and I prefere rainwater, as it's cheaper.
26 Jun, 2011
That's a good idea. Much easier than filling buckets.
Cheers!
29 Jun, 2011
I have put a bright yellow trailing plant in the lid of my water butt and it has already gone down about 3 foot. sorry can't think of the name of it. It jazzes up the butt though.
23 Jun, 2011