To Mailbox Garden, or not to Mailbox Garden? (flowers, growing plants, autumn)

[gentlearts]

It is my intention to plant a Sweet Autumn Climatis, and a passion vine at the base of my mailbox. Seemed like a good idea when I thought of it, and I picture it looking nice.

However, as I scout around the internet for other ideas, I've found there is a debate about doing this. The debate is: Why draw attention to a mailbox, when a mailbox is one of the things around a house that should disappear, not have attention drawn to it, like a water meter.

I totally get this, since I've never understood why people paint their gutters, garage doors, or downspouts a contrasting color, for example. I also am very conscious of my plantings having a relationship to each other and their surroundings.

I know I can do what I want, but how do you come down on this issue around your yard?

[BlueWillowPlate]

We briefly had a confederate vine mailbox pot. The pot was huge and a beautiful sea blue.
They are so cute and charming and I'd rather look at them then just a solitary mailbox. I still see a solitary mailbox--it does not melt into the background for me. But that's just my opinion.

We ended up moving, and my husband refused to leave it behind.
He was able to save both confederate vine and the pot, which now are thriving in separate locations.

[foxywench]

for me, i like the look of a mailbox garden, but as someone who is allergic to beas/wasps/hornets, i also understand that a mail carrier has to frequently put their hand in sad box, and theres chance they too are either allergic or afraid of these frequent visitors to mailbox gardens...so i typically tend to keep the area around the mailbox relitivly clear (or with a few nice low growing plants)

[B4U]

I love it. No matter what, mailboxes don't blend in. I've seen some very creative ones down here, and alot of folks even decorate them or dress them up for each & every holiday. Aside from doing base plantings.
This is a popular one here for those who want to throw away $400.00.

http://www.manateemailboxes.com/DSN/wwwnaturalmagiccom/Content/Images/MMmanateemail.jpg (broken link) and decorate for all the holidays.

I didn't notice where you're from, but if you have 4 seasons, you can put seasonal stuff to fill in where things die back.

Go for it.

[misplaced1]

I'm personally happy for any excuse to create some color and depth so I'd do the planting

[ArkansasSlim]

Go for it! It will be much more attractive than just a plain old post out there. Our daughter's mail carrier often compliments her on the seasonal flowers/shrubs around hers and they do not get in the way of the mail delivery. One of my "roundtoit" projects is to drive the streets and roads and photograph the many, many unique and unusual mailboxes I see.

[AnonChick]

I'd avoid a live mailbox garden out of respect for the mail carrier. Yes, flowers around the box are pretty. But bees and wasps buzzing around the flowers around the box are not fun for the carrier. You can dress up your mailbox with all kinds of things for the season...there are fake flowers that look amazingly realistic that you can put around the box, and there are non-flowering plants you can put around the box. I'd stick with things that don't increase the risk to the guy who delivers your paycheck.

[kinkytoes]

I just planted tulips around my mailbox...I never even thought about allergies. Well, too late now, but I guess I should have asked first. At least the tulips will be gone by summer...

[B4U]

Originally Posted by kinkytoes

I just planted tulips around my mailbox...I never even thought about allergies. Well, too late now, but I guess I should have asked first. At least the tulips will be gone by summer...

I love seeing them too. You do know, I hope they do, multiply each year, right? What color(s) did you plant?

[kinkytoes]

Originally Posted by B4U

I love seeing them too. You do know, I hope they do, multiply each year, right? What color(s) did you plant?

Around the mailbox, I planted red ones!