That sounds like a great, creative planter! I bet it would be gorgeous with some of the native cactus and aloes. You may just start a craze in the neighborhood. I have a 300+ gallon rain tank that I've always wanted to paint, but it "sweats" and I'm afraid the paint would peel off. I guess you wouldn't have the humidity to deal with there.
When I was little, my mother made my dad drive from Roswell, NM to Biloxi, MS with a huge tumbleweed tied to the top of the car....two days. At home, she dipped (what was left of) the tumbleweed into pink liquid starch, sprinkled it with artificial snow flakes and stuffed it into a neighbor's fireplace for Xmas. It was quite a hit!
