Gardening is creating with plants, whether they are flowers, vegetables or herbs. And making your gardening arrangements unique and artistic just adds to the fun and your backyard garden areas.
photo credit: bestfor

A Tilting Clay Pot Garden saves space so is perfect for apartment dwellers, balconies and small patios. It also makes a great garden accent or focal point. And its fun to create!

You will need a pot stand that should stand 5 to 6 foot tall. It can be wood or metal, but I myself prefer metal because the pots will be heavy once filled with soil and plants. It is possible to buy a stand at a garden center but it’s just as easy to assemble one.

You can use a strong dowel (mop or rake handle works well) or rebar. You can pick a piece of rebar up at a junkyard. An old section of metal pipe will also work. If you use a straight dowel or bar, you must drive it into the ground about one foot.

To build, insert the pot stand into the first pot. I usually us a 12 inch pot as the bottom pot.

Fill the pot half way with rocks and gravel. This will weight the pot down and add stability to your Clay Pot Garden. Add soil and pat the soil in place.  Next, place your second clay pot on the rebar pole.

Turn the second clay pot in the direction you want it to face and fill the pot with gravel, rocks and potting soil. Continue this process until you have all six pots in place. As you create you clay pot planter the clay pots should get a little smaller. It just has a better look this way. Also rotating the direction of the pots add interest and more color once the pots are filled with plants.

Once all the pots are in place and filled with soil its time to plant your plants. This planter look great with any plant variety and can easily be changed each year or even each season by changing the plant selection.

Flowers, herbs, a mini garden and a mixture of all are equally beautiful. I will suggest a vine in the bottom planter that will vine up the pole and add more color and greenery to the planter.

An herbal spice kitchen garden works well if located near the kitchen door. And the very popular Pizza garden or Barbeque herb garden works well too.

Care of your Clay Pot Planter

Water this planter from the top down.

Water very slowly, making sure the water soaks slowly into the soil, especially the first couple of times you water.  The plants need time to get established in the pots.

If you water too quickly, the water will just run over the side of the pot before soaking in! I quite often will lightly mist the planter before I water the planter. It seems to help set the soil.

One other addition to this planter is to give the planter an aged look by mossing the pots. This process is called The Moss Milkshake Method. It adds interest and an artistic look to the planter.

The Clay pot planter will save space, add color to your garden and patio area and will get many positive comments

Technorati Tags: container gardening, creative gardening

Garden trellises happen to be one of my favorite garden tools. It seems funny to consider a trellis a garden tool when it adds beauty and charm to a garden or backyard area but trellises serve many valuable purposes.
photo credit: Jellaluna

By using a trellis you can add beauty and color to an otherwise unusable area. You can also grow plants vertically to save space, add privacy and prevent plant insects and disease.

Another use for a garden trellis is that it gives you the opportunity to change the look and atmosphere of your garden in a matter of minutes depending on if you used potted plants or garden art for décor.

Garden trellises can be created from any object that can add privacy or be used for plants to grow or hang from. By shopping at garage sales or rooting through your attic you can design several unique trellises that will be a focal point in a garden, patio or balcony area.

Step Ladder Garden Trellis

An old stepladder that is no longer in use will make a great trellis or plant display area. You can leave the ladder as you found it and paint it to complement your landscape design.

You can plant vining flowers or vegetables around the base of the stepladder and allow them to climb the rungs of the ladder. This style of planting will create a flow and make the ladder part of the garden area and design. You can also add a few pots of the steps for more color but I would suggest anchoring them in place so that the wind does not blow them off.

The addition of a rectangular planted on the ground of first step also will add to this quick and easy trellis.

My favorite vine for a stepladder is the scarlet runner bean. It has such beautiful color.

Metal headboard frame trellis

Old metal headboards can be found along curbsides for free and at auctions for pennies. Choose a location for the headboard, usually along a wall or back of a garden and measure the distance between the metal posts.

Pound metal stakes into the ground and either slide the headboard over the posts if they are hollow or attach the post to the headboard with screws or plastic ties. If you want the headboard to be more sturdy, pound another metal post in between the tow other post and secure the headboard to the post.

Plants vining vegetables and flowers near the base and let them climb. In the front of the headboard add more flowers, vegetables or herbs for color and interest.

An old bedspring can also be used but I like the thicker look of an old headboard myself.

Old wrought iron fencing and posts that were popular in the later 50’s and 60’s will also work well as trellises and can often be found at junkyard and old metal scrap piles. They can be put together as trellises, gates or even arbors.
photo credit: apium

Whether you trellis is handmade or bought you can quickly change the look of your garden area by adding garden art to the trellis or placing hanging pots on the trellis that can be quickly changed for a new look in color or design.

Technorati Tags: Backyard Flower Garden, creative gardening, garden art, garden trellis, growing plants

Tea gardens add character, color and a plentiful supply of herbs for creating your own tea blends. I have also found tea gardens to be one of the easiest gardens to add your own flair or personality to.
photo credit: net_efekt

Another benefit of a tea garden is that it takes a very small amount of space. A 6-foot by 8-foot garden is actually quite big. If you have less space you can make it smaller. And if you only have indoor space available, a tea garden will adapt well to being indoors or on a balcony.

If you have more room you may want to set the tea garden up in a cottage garden tea garden design with a small fenced in area with a gate and trellis or arbor.

Many cottage herb garden designs plant honeysuckle, clematis, climbing rose bushes or wisteria on the trellis or arbor. It will not be long before these plants climb over the arbor and trellis and add astonishing color to you garden area.

Whatever size you select for an outdoor tea garden you will want to divide your entire garden down the middle by making a path. The path can be wide enough for a wheelbarrow or a slender path used for harvesting. Next create narrow paths within each planting bed on either side of the path.

Your goal is to make everything is within arm’s length for weeding and harvesting. This will keep you off the soil and allow more room for your herbs. I will often place a flat rock to stand on just off a path if I need to be able to reach into the garden bed further. This also adds a more natural look to the garden.

Choose herb plants that will thrive in your garden zone. A trip to you local nursery or garden center will help you with your plant selections. I also mix a few colorful fragrant flowers, fruits and vegetables in the herb garden just to add interest and color.

As with any garden, plant the garden based on what each plant needs for sunlight and spacing.

Herbs can be planted closer together than many plants and still thrive so fill the garden. If possible leave a very small section for a tiny bench or a very small table. This will give you a place to relax, enjoy the garden and have a cup of fresh tea.

I also try to add a rain barrel to my herb garden area so that water is easily within reach for watering the plants.
photo credit: chaz2b

And if your only available space is the patio or indoors, herbs grow very well in containers and hanging baskets. Just try to find a spot that get 6 to 8 hours of sunlight for the plants.

Herbs make wonderful container gardens because you have interesting color and texture in herbs and by selecting unique containers and planters you can create wonderful relaxing garden art that can be changed during the season and that also adds tea and seasonings to you home.

Technorati Tags: backyard garden, garden design, herb garden, herbal tea gardens, herbs, small space garden, small space garden design, tea garden, theme garden