Hints From Heloise

Dear Heloise: I recycle plastic packaging peanuts by using them to fill the bottom third or half of a whiskey barrel and other very large planters before adding the soil. Most summer perennials do not need great depth of soil, and large quantities of potting soil are heavy and expensive. The peanuts reduce the weight, provide good drainage and are free! - Marjorie Jones, Yarmouthport, Mass.

Thanks for your recycling hint! Something interesting to consider, before filling the barrels and planters with the foam peanuts: Test one to be sure the kind you have aren’t water-soluble. All you have to do is put one in a glass of water to see if it will dissolve. You don’t want all your efforts to be wasted. - Heloise