Rusty can as succulent planter: upcycling gone right—or wrong?

It's no secret I like the look of rusted metal in the garden. Weathering steel (Corten) planters, however, are not cheap. In the spring I converted a few old chimney flue liners into faux metal planters using oxidizing iron paint; the result surprised even me.

In my ongoing quest to find low- or no-cost metal accents, I've decided to try something I've avoided so far: use a rusty tin can:

Hechtia epygina

What do you think?

The first time I looked at the final product from a few feet away, I wasn't sure whether I liked it or not.

Now, a few days later, I've warmed up to it. What makes it work for me is the plant, a Hechtia epygina. It's unapologetically disheveled, and it goes great with the honest basicness of the can.

This project—if you can even call it that, considering it's so simple—has one element that's invisible from the outside: a thermal layer that adds a bit of heat protection for the roots. Here's what I used:

An Amazon bubble envelope cut to size to fit inside the can. Cost: $0.00.

Here's the finished planter in its new home at the base of an Agave bracteosa 'Calamar':

It gets a few hours of morning sun, but the sides of the can are in the shade so the roots of the hechtia shouldn't heat up too much.

Now that you've heard the rest of the story, what's your verdict? Yay? Nay? Or simply meh?

As for me, I'm already speed-rusting my next can.

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