A couple years ago someone posted a photo of a wire globe filled with hens and chickens. I don't recall who. I have seen them in catalogs but they are very pricey. I wonder if he christmas lights in globes could suffice? I think the framework is plastic and it wouldn't rust. I bought a round pot of hens and chickens the other day at our Lowes just in case the mood hits me to build this momma. I have old hangars with shredded something in them I can stuff it with/ Think this would work?
Betsy
That is a really nice find.. I don't have anything like that here.. Best pond I can hope for is one via EPDM liner slapped into a hole.. Which.. Is on the list of things to do.. ;)
Already have two preformed "ponds" by the side entry, if you can call them that.. It's hard to call anything less than 5-6k gallons a pond IMO.. More like a water feature.
Hoping to do around 2k gallons or so with the liner. Who knows.
Really great recycling idea.. Thinking out of the box IMO.. So did you seal the concrete with anything or no?
At any rate, great idea! :) And such easy labor, too.. :p
I'd always been one to keep an eye out for people breaking up concrete or anything else that would need hauling off. Have yet to run across any good finds though...
WONDERFUL idea using recycled concrete from a slab like that.. And I love the thought of putting bulbs in between the slab chunks.. Really great idea..
I'm hoping that I run across a find as good as that.. Though, I do have a stack of bricks in the back yard it's not enough to do a good patio out of. Besides, I like a broken look better such as you describe in yours.
I'm glad you brought up freecycle.. Ended up signing up to the local division.
I figure I'll hang around and see how it works before I pester the list with requests.
Too bad I don't live close, sure I could put it to use.
I'll second that request.. Would LOVE to see it! :)
Sounds like a fairly steep grade to it.. It's hard to find something to do with areas like that..
Know the feeling about cutting out trees. I'd removed some younger ones when we moved in.. I could have left them but for them, it'd have been bad so they had to go.. Doesn't sound the same for yours. Perhaps they can be worked in?
Price on stone has kept me from doing quite a few things.. I'd love to edge these cheapy pre-formed ponds I have beside the side entry but for now I'm holding off, trying to think of a really good budget way of dealing with it.. It'll come to me in time.
Didn't you say that you were getting into lilies? I'd say that is by far the best place to start. Friend of mine has a Day Lily farm and has thousands.. He's registered quite a few in his and his wifes name. Says it's fairly easy to do.
Lilies are like this, but not as bad. Nice smaller scale and blooms in first to second year or so depending on how well the cross is.
It is indeed hard work, but you've got to admire the payoff. In a way, science has taken the fun out of it..
Hmmm, isn't there a plant that scientists did which glows? For some reason I recall hearing about it.
Wow.. Those all sound like interesting finds.. Can't say that I've seen anything like that, or perhaps I had but didn't have the sense to pay attention.
Older I get the more open my eyes tend to be, if even a little more tired.. Oh well.. At least I've got the sense to see.
Long as you're making an effort to even have a garden.. ;)
I tire of seeing stark balconies with nothing more than a chair and table..
Did a google image search a few nights ago for rooftop gardens (have two flat roofs on this home, pondering planter box borders), wow, alot of creative work there.
The space is nice, but I'd found with the space the time to upkeep seems to grow exponentially.
LOL.. I'd say too cute, but I'm sure it was frustrating at the time.. ;)
I need one of those.. I've got a small section by the house which is unused space, plan on building an L shaped fence of sorts out of lattice to close it in out of view so I can dump tools and such in it. Small enclosure shed inside the area for now.
Full garden shed will come in due time. Remaining budget goes to the inside of the house, so will shift back to the outside for major things later.
Naaa.. And thanks for bringing up Heuchera.. It just made my wish list! ;)
Shhhh.. That space to the left of you is awful bare... *chuckles*
The first thing that popped into my head when I read this was a pile of chickens in an odd shaped pen.. o.O
Not sure if the plastic would hold up, but you know, there are cheap metal baskets everywhere to be found.. Try going to a Freds, Dollar Tree, Biglots or something of the likes to see what they have.
Another thought would be the three tier hanging baskets, like the one in my kitchen holding the onions.
At any rate, it may work.. So long as the price isn't too bad be worth a try.. But my opinion is, mo cheaper, mo better.. It's all good on a budget.
Rather than go on and on and on like I'm known to do here and elsewhere, let's go terrace, lilies, and mutations & trees.
The terrace is about 45 degrees, oh maybe 5' high. I've got to get the roses going on the top first, then worry about the other. My son did offer to do it for me, but I think it's best to get a better handle on what I've already got going. 3 iron things to prime and spray, one an old iron fence in 3 sections I'm planning to use for a border on a small area I dug and planted with hosta lilies & a couple plants my sister gave me. The plant stand my friend sold me for $15, had to have that welded for 20 something, used steel wool and a brush on my drill until I ran out of patience. What is the third? Oh 3 pretty pieces of iron filigree decorative pieces for something I picked up, $30 at Habitat Restore. Only about six inches tall, very heavy, and 24-30" long? I had to shove it under the couch lol. That will make a half hexagon for a rose border filled in with some flowers.
Daylilies would be practical for the terrace, maybe even better the way it is, once they multiply, there shouldn't be too much maintenance. I'll go easy on those. I've looked at umpteen photos of them and don't fall in love with too many and would want them in clusters. Everybody grows Stella so I don't want it. I prefer the orientals (they like sun all day or they bend) but daylilies are more practical and bloom longer, have read and saved info on propagating them. Maybe see what my fall-planted ones do, Jedi Free Spirit, got a freebie Baja going, and start with open-pollinated seeds. I ordered a Mrs. Backhouse & couple other odd ones (don't think they are daylilies) from Old House Gardens, will see if they come up in the spring.
The mutations. I don't see many which is why it came to mind, probably have missed many odd things in my life. One of the oddest ones was a small tree growing in an unpaved area behind a fast-food type restaurant. It gnawed away at me, should I ask if I can dig it up, too busy with kids and too tired during that window of time. My memory of it is now dim, it was probably not a mutation, but it had the prettiest markings on the bark going up the young trunk, partially circular like at intervals, thought what a pretty walking stick it would make (after I made sure I had a couple going for living stock), just wish I knew what it was and had a camera at the time.
I can work around the trees, one is an old apple tree I planted in the
70's at the top of the terrace and back a few feet. The other is an apricot that grew funny because it wanted more sun. Both are taking up room that could be better used for something else or better stock. Nothing like a Jonathan, and I didn't see any in my Gurney's catalog. This is a Jonadel. Apricot is a standard Moorpark, get fruit about once every five years because it blooms too early & frosts keep them from fruiting plus another pollinator might help. It has to self-pollinate well because I can't think of any around here, and when it does produce, there are usually a lot. I hate to cut down otherwise good trees. Your case is different because you have several of the same kind and more sq feet.Did it again. Too long :-). I'll be on the lookout for more mutations, interesting cross-pollinations, sports on roses and anything unusual that would look natural for my zone.
I planted some Hens & Chicks in an old blue speckle enamel colander I got for a nickel at a garage sale, looked pretty cute sitting on the back porch by the kitchen door. I also picked up a HUGE (20+ inches across the top) wooden salad bowl that had one hair line crack in it for a quarter. I drilled a few small holes in the bottom and planted a clump of Ladies Mantle in it. Worked great, I had the bowl sitting on two bricks to keep it off the ground and the thing never did rot out. I have no idea what kind of wood it was.
Val
Good ideas.. :) My whole point on my post was about thinking outside the box and using less than ordinary things as planters that can be had for cheap.
It's good to see that others follow the same route.
Food for thought.. Cheap clear plastic glasses, imaging three of varying sizes in the center of a table with flowers growing out of the top. Can see the dirt and everything.. Now wouldn't that be a unique centerpiece. All you'd have to do is drill a single hole in the bottom and place them into a platter.
;)
regain the body i had in my 20's. I wouldn't need to do this only in the garden.
but i'm probably not going to get around to doing this little chore...
:-)
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