Yep that would work but the crocosmia will get pretty tall too. Mine in a container last year got about 2 ft. tall. The ones in the ground got even taller.

Penny

Thanks for your response Penny. I'm not worried about the height but more about how wide the spread. I've had sunflowers in my barrel and they looked nice and I've also had a Hollyhock in it before!! Now I'm just hoping they grow. Right now it looks empty because of course nothing has sprouted up yet!!!! I am hoping it will be a huge barrel of goodies for my hummers in the summer time!!!

They should do really well. I just put leftovers in a small 10 inch pot and they bloomed like crazy last year. In a barrel it will be like heaven to them.

Penny

I planted some red crocosmia several years ago and they have spread "slightly". I've never noticed any hummers at them, though.

Well I had to put some up turned mesh baskets all over the top of the barrel. Yesterday a squirrel started digging in it!!! I found at least one chewed up bulb and who knows how many of the nastutium seeds got thrown around!!! Now I don't know what will come up but I guess I'll just have to wait and see. Boy I HATE those squirrels. I know they like tulips but I didn't know they would go after crocosmia!!!

My hummers used my crocosmia 'Lucifer' as much as they used the Scarlet Sage last year.

You can put hardware cloth over the wiskey barrels on the soil surface and the plants will grow up through the openings in the mesh. Just cut it to fit the surface of the barrel.

penny

I second Penny1947's suggestion about the hardware cloth, but use 1/2" mesh. There is a 1/4" mesh and that is too small. The shoots will grow through it, but will get strangled as they grow. I might even look for 3/4" mesh!

Thanks yardman,
I forgot to mention to look for the larger mesh size.

Penny