A light bulb goes off and the brainstorming begins! That’s how a garden project develops here at the Flea market Gardening ‘laboratory.’
Jeanie’s two tiered succulent tubs
Creating a new garden project can be very exhilarating when one idea sparks another. You see something and adapt it to the materials you already have and brainstorm with your gardening friends to put on the finishing touches. It’s all good and all fun!
Ceramic pots and sedums. Yes, it’s one idea…
Jeanie Merritt had a ‘light bulb’ moment when she saw an idea at a garden center. She says, “At my friend’s local nursery he had taken an extra large, probably 35” diameter, blue ceramic pot and filled it with soil and various succulents. Then he placed another lighter blue and smaller pot on top toward the back and filled it with one large hen and chicken and Portulaca also called Moss Rose. Stunning! It was something I had not seen before. The bright blue ceramic containers were beautiful,indeed, but very pricy.
Jeanie found a variety of succulent shapes and sizes
I drove home thinking how I could make one of these gardens and not spend a whole lot of money? PRESTO…!”
First step in planting, good spacing, combining color and shape
Jeanie says, “I knew I had a galvanized wash tub and also a smaller tub to go on top. I have lots of sedums and succulents already in my gardens, so I just needed to pick up a couple of extras. After I set up the tubs filled with soil, and planted the plants I still wasn’t happy with the space between plants and the height of the project.
Patience is a virtue..and something you better have a certain amount of when dealing with a succulent garden…my sedums and portulaca will fill in nicely, I know, but at this stage it makes me want to ” fill in those spaces” but experience tells me…GIVE IT TIME!!! I am thinking I want more height to this as well… DRUM ROLL..”
Putting heads together…
“Here came my Flea Market Gardening pals to the rescue and…
“More height, Jeanie? Do you have a smallish galvanized watering can that would fit the proportions? You could put a hook on the fence somehow (to store it, too) and make it looks as if it’s pouring over this.” Hmm, you just gave me an idea that I am gonna go right now and try… Be right back!
AND I filled in the spaces with pebbles. This is the result..”
A watering can now ‘waters’ the new garden
“Instead of attaching the watering can to the fence as one friend suggested, I happened to spy a short shepherd’s pole that I had in my storage in basement… , so it gives a 3 -D effect of the can hanging in mid air…….. I made the adjustments and I absolutely LOVE this now… What would I do without all of you?” Jeanie exclaims!
How to:
- Two containers, one large, another medium sized
- 2 large bags soil
- Gravel or pebbles
- Succulents, sedums and Moss rose
- Shepherds hook or screw in hook
- Watering can
- Rocks for decoration
The dazzling result! A tiered succulent garden with gravel to fill in the spaces and going vertical for good proportion! Amazing!
Gardening with a little help from friends…
“Although my gardens are coming along nicely and I have done everything by myself so far, today’s project I could not do alone. So, I asked my neighbor if he would help. I offered an hourly wage, but he flatly refused. THEN…I remembered how much his eyes light up when I take over cakes, cookies, etc. for the family… “Hey Joe, how about a complete meal with dessert one night for the family?” Joe did help me today!” Jeanie tells us delightedly.
“I have this on my patio…but I think one of the things I am not sure about…is it needs to sit in one of my flower beds…Oh Brother…hauling that around is gonna be fun, fun, fun, OH, JOE! ”
