The Container

 

I didn't want to have to drag the hose this year. It's worked out pretty well. I have a container at my front door, that has always needed lots of care. Constant watering...sometimes twice a day. We like to keep our hose neat...don't want it laying on the sidewalk or in the grass...but rolled up in a caddy next to the house. It was always a hassle to unroll it and then roll it back up. I sure sound lazy writing this, but I'm getting older and this year I looked for ways to alleviate some of the garden work. About this time of year...the container looked a little bedraggled and needed some fresh things added for fall. At the beginning of the gardening season I took a look at the pot...a good look. At one time I wanted to make some tipsy pots..(clay pots one on top of the other on a post of sorts...that leaned kind of tipsy looking) I loved them but felt that they would require a lot of watering. I had another pot in the garage that wasn't being used...so I took it and placed it on top of the big one. There was another decorative pot a little smaller and it went on top of the second. Scattered around the yard were various containers of sedums and hens and chicks. I gathered them and put them around the bottom layer, then the next level and finally the top. I was in hopes that this would solve my problem and that the plants would thrive.The top picture shows how it looked when I first planted it and the bottom as it is today.I tucked a few pansies in to take up space, but they were crowded out and never really got established. The hens and chicks are now green, I wish that they had stayed red. You can see that in a couple of months time...this container is packed full and thriving. When you are close to it, you see the different shades of green and the different textures. I've had many comments on it. Now we'll see how winter treats it and hopefully next spring after pulling out the dead material....I won't have to fool with it much. This was just an experiment and I like how it turned out. I'm getting an idea for a hanging basket for next year. I've seen on the Martha Stewart show,  a couple of different ideas for using succulents. She made a hanging basket of succulents. They  turn out to be a ball of succulents... by sticking the plants in through the bottom and sides of  the hanging basket.. By the end of the season, the whole basket is engulfed in succulents. Just an idea rolling around in this old head.

Balisha

PS This "old head" is swirling this morning after watching the Rep. convention last night interspersed with hurricane news. I liked hearing about how wonderful we women are from Anne Romney..but not really what I wanted to hear. I would have liked a little more reality. Didn't get much from last night, but then that's what these conventions are all about. Promises that are most often not kept.We'll see what the Democrats have to say.

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To my blogging friends in the storm...bless you this morning and I hope that the storm doesn't do too much damage.

Me