pots, pots, pots, POTS.....

I read a blog by Persephone in Bloom about the pots she decorated because she didn't like the plain old black plastic pots. I got some good ideas from her, and thought maybe someone would like to see some of our ideas.

I, like Persephone In Bloom, like to change things from the ordinary to things that I like to plant in. I like reusing things, rather than putting them in the landfill.

Those ugly black pots can be dressed up, changed to be unusual pots.
This is a 3 gallon black pot that something else came in. I took a can of Great Stuff- that expanding insulation that comes in a can, and (after washing and drying the pot) sprayed it on the pot from bottom to top. A spray around the lip of the pot tops it off and makes it look finished. Let it set up, dry, then paint it with spray enamel. This pot is about 3 years old, it has been repainted a couple of times, but it will last for goodness knows how long. And I think it looks a LOT better than a plain black plastic pot! An extra benefit is that the insulation keeps the plant roots cooler.

We like to make other things useful for planting too. These were tires from four wheelers, small aircraft, and some were the spare tires that come with a new car now days. My Darling cuts them with a jig saw, both sides of the blade ground to smooth edge, then turns them inside out. I paint them with plain, exterior paint that I now purchase by the gallon. They will last forever, and they are really great for growing a couple of tomatoes, or as in this picture, lettuce. You can grow anything in them, they are particularly good in the vegetable garden.














This pot is a particular favorite of ours. It began as a papa san chair, like this. Actually that is THE papa san chair.....
So, what we did was keep the sitting part of the chair, and sent the base of it to the vegetable garden to be a planter for herbs (that is another story). We covered the seat with chicken wire, then stuffed it with long cut spagnum peat moss; add some potting soil, plant with Macho ferns, and it was ready to hang.





YES, this is a hanging basket! We hung it in the pecan tree out front, using chains that support it around the bottom of the pot too. It is on a chain that is about 20' long, and it hangs close to the ground. We don't want it to fall on anybody. My Darling likes to sit on the porch while he has a cool Lite Beer from Miller, watching it sway in the breezes.



Every body used to have old chairs around to set on, but they are hard to find anymore. That is because everybody is planting their chairs.