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  • From: Melanie <melaniev@optonline.net>
  • To: gardenwriters-on-gardening <gwl-g@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [gwl-g] Inovative containers
  • Date: Mon, 06 Jun 2005 14:42:06 -0400

This morning I stopped by my favorite retail nursery, Main Street nursery in charming Huntington Village. My good friend Gianna runs their Greenhouse and there's always something new and cool to find there (although prices are quite steep).
 
Today I was drooling over the 4' high and 4' across clump of Symphytum in their herb garden when I noticed some really cool, unusual containers. They were made of ceramic, 22" high, 4" wide at the bottom and 10" wide at the top. Imagine those containers that florists soak long stemmed roses in but these were all different ceramic patterns.
 
When I asked about them Gianna starting laughing. It turns out these are inverted bases from ceramic birdbaths. She explained that every now and then they lose the top bowl part of a bird bath due to employee, customer or mother nature accident. She had the idea to invert the hollow base and plant it like a planter. One key element is to first take a wooden stake 1" square about 36" long and hammer it in the spot first. Then slide the hollow base over the stake, press firmly along the ground level and fill with potting soil.
 
The stake keeps the whole planter stabilized through bad weather and stray dog incidents.
 
She was able to sell me two of them at the bargain basement price of $5 each!!!
 
The best fun is now shopping for plant material to put in the containers. My first is a combination of Sedum "Dragon's Blood", Sempervivum "Red Rum" (one rosette is 9" across) and Bronze Fennel. I think I'll plant the second one with dwarf hosta :-)
 
If you'd like a digital image showing mechanics, contact me at melaniev@optonline.net
 
Melanie Vassallo


  • [gwl-g] Inovative containers, Melanie, 06/06/2005

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