So pretty, Pegi!
This may seem like a dumb question.BUT...do you need to drill holes in the bottom?

I don't know if Pegi drills holes, but I sure do. I drill about 9 holes in the bottom of my styrofoam boxes using an apple corer.

I would think you would have to in order to keep plants healthy, unless your are doing a bog garden. Wow that would work great for a bog garden.

Both containers are green, the blue is top of my recycling bin.

Guess I will have to get some blue paint, have to look around here first, you never know what I will find here. Yes I put holes in the bottom, I used a knife but an apple coror sounds good. The containes had two round circles in the bottom so I made holes there plus 4 more. The small containers I have already have neat holes in them, glad of that. I was going to work on my containers today because it was cool out, but instead cleaned up the dried up sweet pea vines. I have 2 long metal containers that my son drilled holes in for me. I just put my hen & chicks in one.

Thanks for the hole information, Tabby and Pegi.

I put n large holes... use about 1 1/4" drill bit for my holes...
As my contaners sit on a hard surface.. and bottom holes would be sealed over with the heavy planters pushng down on the holes aganst the hard surface... they would never dran... so I make my holes in the side of the container... just above the floor... or elevate the bottom off what is below...
Lynn... no I don't have to do anything to the foam before the stucco... which can be applied with a trowel.. a paint brush or roller..
here's some pctures of the stucco/foam being used as a buildng exterior surface
http://www.parex.com/projects-...

OH... this is the cool room/ dormant storage buildng... I cut up every year to make my planters and such... ... in the spring... I cut some holes in the roof and put in some plastc pannels... to wake the mostly dormant plants up... and give them some growing jump before puttng them outside..

Wow Gordon, you've got some incredible ideas. Thanks for sharing your creations and instructions. I'm amazed at your creativity with styrofoam!

All I can do is repeat what goldfinch4 said. WOW. I just find it all amazing. We can't wait to see what else you will amaze us with Gordon.

I never though about putting holes in the sides of the containers for drainage. Great idea!

I put holes in sides of all my containers with a base, works great.

From now on all containers will have holes in the sides. One menber who is really into the Red, White, & Blue suggested I paint styrofoam containers like that. Mmmm thinking of my small ones, or even painting a flag on one of the bigger ones. Not artistic at all, but think I could do the flag.

I never thought about holes on the side either. Great idea.

That is one of the great things about containers (especially styrofoam), you can decorate the exterior in so many creative ways.

How are you new containers coming along Pegi?

Well, the unpainted ones aren't smelling fishy now, but that is as far as I got. I haven't done anything with my finished ones yet, one more cool day so I better get busy. Did some inside work today, I hate working inside. I mentioned to DH about an old iron stand that used to hold a fish tank years ago. It is stitting here piled with junk and I thought that would make a great stand for a couple of my containers. DH asked what I was going to do with all the white tiles (saved them when we replaced the kitchen counter) , well I do have a trash can. I'll probably never use the tiles, well maybe a few, so it is time to get rid of them. I need that stand for my plants..........end of story.

I'm seriously thinking about doing the American flag on one, I love patriotic things. I'd just paint it on one long side and just paint the rest a solid color.

I think that will look great Pegi.
Glad the baking soda worked.
Are you sure you won't use the tiles for something? You could paint them for more garden art. http://garden.org/forums/view/...
Bet Becky could help you think of something to do with them.

lynn... yes.. applicays are easy..
cut striips of foam then glue them on... for a molded detail.. here's one wth a few bits of foam glued on.. and a concrete heart in the center.. whenever I'm doing something with grout or concrete.. or dashpatch.. and have some stuff left over.. I make a heart out of it.. I've got a biig collecton of them..



they have foam crown molding.. or you can make your own..

Gordon that makes me think of plaster detailing inside older homes.

I think I may have to get some styrofoam glue now. Love the extra detail on containers. Have to make myself a list for when we go to Lowe's. I'm getting more excited all the time.

I will check with Becky about the white tiles, but I do have a lot of them and couldn't begin to use all of them.

Pegi.. well they are great for covering most anything... I've done the bottom of all my kitchen drawers.. and cabinets..and cabinet shelves..... no shelf paper needed.. especially the one under the kitchen sink...and they will be easy to clean for centuries.. the paint adheasve shelf n the worroom is a natural for tle also.. anywhere you spill or drip..
I stick them down with the polyurethane construction adheasive .. most of mine are 12 x 12 marble.. with some being ceramic tile... wndow sills are easy to clean with them down there..