This wall garden was in Parkdale, the west side of downtown Toronto.
Pizza restaurants go through dozens of these cans every week, just ask. The restaurant cans are much larger than anything you would buy yourself and recycle - these cans are 1 gallon, the size of a can of paint.
Painted with rust paint these looked pretty good for two years, the third year I did touch ups on the rust that was showing.
Kinda toxic process - not recommended for edibles, but oh so gorgeous for flowers. Rust paint comes in a dozen colours these days!
The cans are attached to the wall with wire. (Check out a close-up photo and also the overall look of the sidewalk container garden)
HOW TO:
----------------------------
First, punch two small holes near the top of the can with a nail or screw. Use a piece of wood to support the edge of the can, position a nail on the metal, and hit with a hammer. The metal of the can is pretty soft. Punch TWO holes to help the can hang straight vertically.
While you're at it with the nail and hammer, turn the can upside down and punch some holes into the bottom if you have not done so yet.
Next, use a regular drill bit to make holes in the wall. (Brick is pretty soft, the mortar even softer.)
Hammer in a drywal plug and screw in a screw with about a 1/2 inch sticking out. (The holes can be easily filled with colourmatching silicon putty when the cans are removed.)
Cut a piece of wire, bend into a squared off loop shape, and thread from the outside to the inside of the can.
Wrap the wire around the screwhead in the wall just once or twice, and position the wire ends behind the can. Straighten the can to hang vertically and screw the rest of the screw length into the wall to tighten on the wires.
---------------------------------
This project was included in the You Grow Girl book. There is also a You Grow Girl Flickr group.
Garden and photos by Magda Wojtyra
---------------------------------
This photo has been viewed more than 12,000 times! Keep planting those
cans full of flowers. :)
catswhisker, nuwa, thesmartestfish, ignutzz, and 92 other people added this photo to their favorites.
View 20 more comments
Happy Sleepy 13 months ago | reply
Yes, do it!
angiejoy1958 11 months ago | reply
:) "Cuz it's nice to know there's a little bit of sanity within the jungle that is Parkdale!! I grew up around Dunn Avenue and watched as the area got rundown and seedy. One by one the grand houses were turned into rooming houses, occupied by the mentally ill and drug addicted. I still know of many little splashes of beauty, calm and serenity around the area....you have added to them♥
Happy Sleepy 11 months ago | reply
Thank-you!
This installation was dismantled in 2005. The perennials I planted in the soil under the tree were soon trampled into the ground and the earth is hard packed and bare as adobe again, just like I found it in 2001. It was nice while it lasted and I got loads of positive feedback from passersby.
Happy Sleepy 4 months ago | reply
This photo has been viewed more than 12,000 times! Keep planting those cans full of flowers. :)