#plant projects

[abruzcadabra]

The Plant Ladder

 https://abruzcadabra.tumblr.com/post/679950157533659136/the-plant-ladder

[abruzcadabra]

The Plant Ladder

I call it the Herb Ladder at first because it was my intent to plant herbs in it. I have yet to harvest any herbs from it although some have been growing. Much of the problem growing herbs in it probably has to do with the extra care that must be taken when planting in such small pots.  

Plants need extra water and nutrients when they are grown in small receptacles. 

A great article that addresses successful growing of potted plants can be found here.  

When we bought our house, we inherited a lot of stuff that could be called junk or treasure, it depends on who you ask. I put aside many items that I thought were special, but didn’t quite know what I wanted to do with them yet.  

One of these ‘treasures’ was an old wooden ladder.

I decided I needed to decorate my yard with a ladder of hanging plants.  

I settled on planting herbs due to their beauty, smell, and usefulness.  

I had a picture of it in my head, but I didn’t know where to put it or how I was going to hang the pots from it. I got started anyway.

I had previously bought textured spray paint in brown and cream that I couldn’t wait to use. It was not as great as I’d hoped. The texture was difficult to apply evenly and would sometimes gum up the nozzle. The finished appearance was also not what I expected. Additionally, it peeled away in the weather. I should have just stuck with the original terra cotta finish. I don’t know what I was thinking!

Over several days I applied coats of paint to the pots. I put paper down on the floor of the garage and spaced out the pots. Every few hours, I sprayed my pots, trying to get them evenly covered with the color and texture. I had to apply many layers which ended up being very thick.  

My ten small pots used up two whole cans of paint!

Once they were finally dry, I used copper wire to make small hoops with handles, within which the pots would sit. Then I wrapped wire around the rungs of the ladder and fashioned hooks at the bottom on which the pot handles would hang. Nothing fancy, just wrapping copper into a functional shape.

I experimented with leaning the ladder against our rear patio, but I wasn’t happy with the way it looked. I finally decided on a clear area underneath our grape trellis and used paracord to tie the top of the ladder to the trellis with the ladder leaning at a slight angle. I tested the strength of the knot (one like you would use on a fishing hook) before adding my planted pots to their copper hooks.  

I varied the lengths of the hooks and tilted the handles so that the tops of the pots faced slightly forwards.  

I got a little growth that year.  

Update: The ladder is still up. It survived the trellis being blown over in a storm. It’s on the new trellis now and I’ve switched to succulents. Those are doing fairly well.

[jarsofplanets]

I made a terrarium ☀️🌿

Eilies projects!!!!!

[totsyblog]

How to Create the Perfect Plant Vase

A green plant can spruce up any space - the living room coffee table, the office, even a bookshelf.  Arranging a plant is an art in itself.  There is so much room for creativity.   One of our favorite ways to spruce up a green plant is with marbles and stones.  Check out this easy, elegant and beautiful arrangement below.

You’ll Need:

Plant of your choice - be sure to ask your local florist about which plants need to be kept in soil and which can be sustained with just water

Clear glass vase in any shape - we used a rectangular one here

Small marbles and stones - marbles can be purchased at your local store and we found some small stones in our backyard which we rinsed thoroughly with water

Step-by-Step:

Be sure to trim down your plant if it’s too tall for your vase.

Clean out the vase and fill the base with a layer of rocks and marbles.

Add the stalks of plants and hold them into place. With your other hand, begin to layer on more rocks and marbles.  Keep layering until you have about an inch left at the top.

Carefully arrange the plant so that it looks the way you want it to.

Slowly fill the vase with water (be sure to use filtered water, chlorine from the tap may be harmful to your plant).