Pots and Containers

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Flower Tower: Summer Edition

Tower of Sedum

Tower of Sedum

Earlier this season I created a ‘Flower Tower’ by stacking three clay pots in graduated widths, then securing them with a stake.  The flowers were beautiful, but the narrow space for planting, meant they dried out quickly.  Annuals are shallow rooters to begin.  Couple that with the porous clay pots and you have a watering challenge on your hands.

I loved the tower, and had fun aging the pots with gold leaf.  I wasn’t ready to give up.  I shifted the annuals to larger pots, then replanted with drought-tolerant Sedum.

I’m really pleased with the results.  The plants don’t mind drying out between watering (and in fact probably prefer it).  The soft greens contrast nicely with the clay.  As they grow, they’ll cascade down the sides of the pots, and once established will send out tiny flowers.

Power to the tower!

Sedum Guatemalense

Sedum Guatemalense

Sedum layered in tower of pots

Sedum layered in tower of pots

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Bottoms Up: Potted Hole in One

The strangest things amuse me. While making the garden rounds this week, I noticed an empty pot near the fence.  Tiny baby tears started growing through the bottom hole. I have no recollection of leaving the pot there, but it’s been long enough for the ground cover to take hold.  Now I’m compelled to leave it to see how far it grows. It makes me smile.

Baby Tears Popping UpBaby TearsIn keeping with the theme of the day, I noticed a small clay pot, hand painted by my son when he was younger. It “travels” around the garden, a happy reminder of him. I upended the clay pot and left it in one of the patio planters at summer’s end. I didn’t know their was a bulb just below.  I guess if you’re used to living beneath the soil line for many months, a little old pot isn’t going to slow you down.  The as yet unidentified bulb shot up through the hole an entire foot before I noticed it.  It looks so purposeful.  I can’t wait to point it out to my son. I know he’ll be pleased.

Bulb Breakthrough

So, I’ve been thinking.  Wouldn’t it be fun to scatter empty pots around the garden to see what populates or propagates?  I’m going to give that idea some careful thought.

Bottoms up!