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

Bonsai plants are extremely attractive specimens of age old practice. Bonsais are highly attractive, so many people proudly display them in their houses. However, extra care is needed for indoor bonsai trees.
photo credit: Rex Roof

This is mostly because they do not receive the full benefits of natural sunlight and natural weather conditions. They might appear to be hardy. However, there are certain bonsais that will become fragile when it comes to light and water.

Watering Your Indoor Bonsai

When you bring a bonsai tree indoors it will require lighting to replace the natural sunlight that it would have been receiving beforehand. You also need to keep an eye on the frequency of watering. Your bonsai plant will also thrive if kept in a well ventilated area. The variety of bonsai plant that you possess will dictate how how often it requires watering.

Another key factor is the soil. Some bonsai plants or trees require damp soil, whilst others survive well in a drought. Misting your plant might be a necessity. This will help to create a rainforest humidity in which your bonsai plant will thrive. If you decide to use a humidity tray then ensure that the pot is not exposed to the water, but rather placed on some pebbles or a stand.

Bonsai Cutting and Pruning

Indoor bonsai trees still require pruning and cutting on a regular basis in order to maintain their appearance. Simply because bonsai plants look as though they are frozen in time, does not mean that they do not grow.

Depending on the variety of your bonsai plant or tree, you will need to repot it every year to three years. Maintaining the branches is also essential if you want it to hold its shape and style.
photo credit: OpenEye

Depending on the type of bonsai, it’s important to reduce the amount of fertilizer you use during the winter. The reason for this is that there are some types of bonsai that go into hibernation at this time. So they don’t require as many nutrients as in the warmer months.

Because of the artificial environment in which they are kept, indoor bonsais don’t experience the complete cycle of seasons. It is also important to check indoor bonsai trees for pests and other anomalies. When bonsais are situated indoors, they may become a favorite place for spiders and other mites.

The best practice is to clean the leaves and branches with great care using a damp cloth or a brush.

By following these tips for bonsai care, your tree is sure to be an attractive feature of your home for years to come.

Technorati Tags: bonsai, bonsai care, bonsai tree, container gardening, creative gardening, indoor plants, the art of bonsai, thegardenersrake.com