Thursday, June 27, 2013

A little creative reuse in my garden…

If you’ve read this blog for any length of time you know I’m not a fan of garden art. Need a focal point? That’s what the plants are for, sculpture and the like are just taking up space where another plant could be! I do however appreciate the skill of those who can take a piece of cast-off junk and make it useful. A rusty bucket doubling as a planter, a large piece of industrial metal used as a trellis or “room divider,” doing this successfully requires a certain attitude…and a dedication. A dedication I just don’t have, which is why I was afraid this wouldn’t work…

But it does!

At least I think so.

Andrew and I were at our local ReBuilding Center looking for a piece of wood he needed for a project, he was also trying to track down one more planter that wasn’t a planter for his office. We were digging through piles of stuff when he found this metal gooseneck fuel funnel. There was something about it; I just had to have it.

Coincidently I had an Agave montana 'Baccarat' that needed a home.

I think I like it because you don’t realize what it is until you get close, it’s subtle.

Andrew also found something that worked for him, an old piece of ductwork. I initially threw it aside because it had duct tape on it making it undesirable, or so I thought. Turns out it was a bonus for him.

It’s a long story how he went from just a single planter on the table to two…but they look good together. The short one is actually sold as a planter, still it made the creativity cut.

Especially since it was the perfect size for the pair of Euphorbia polygona cv. 'Snowflake' we’d purchased online for him.

(He’d tried to talk me out of the plants I purchased in New Mexico last January but I wasn’t falling for it. If you are in the market for those ghostly Euphorbia and can't find them locally I can’t say enough good things about these plants and the way they were shipped...order them here)

Sharing space with the euphorbia is a Pachypodium succulentum…

And in the duct work planter…a Drunkards Dream (Rhipsalis salicornioides). You can see why they call it that, millions of tiny bottles!

I think the new planters work well with the old.

By the way I want to thank everyone who voted for our entries in the “That’s So Potted” contest. Neither one of us made it to the finals but it was fun trying.

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

27 comments:

  1. I love how there's space for a martini right there beside the new collection. I'd be happy to sit there and keep them all company.

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    1. I'll let him know, however unlike most places I've worked I think booze in the workplace is actually discouraged there.

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  2. I LOVE your new funnel planter! It most definitely works, especially right next to that Begonia luxurians. That whole composition, the big bamboo stock tank and the Hakone grasses, everything works. I'm intrigued by that Euphorbia that looks like a pincushion.

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  3. Awesomeness all around. I love everything, but especially that gooseneck funnel (fantastic with your Agave montana). Time to go exploring at the ReStore in Sacramento!

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    1. I hope you'll share what treasures you find Gerhard!

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  4. I loooove your funnel! It's perfect! Just the right mix of odd, industrial, old, funk, and of course attitude. And nothing screams bad ass like a single potted agave! Good on ya danger!

    And Andrews duct work planter is priceless. He's right about the duct tape -epic!!

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    1. Ya I had to admit he was right too, once it was planted up and in-situ.

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  5. Love all of these and especially the special meaning one could read into the funnel/agave/drainage/wet PNW. Lyla makes the last image perfect! She gets cuter every day!

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    1. Cuter and more grey...

      And yes, the whole funnel/agave/drainage thing is kind of a visual personal joke. Glad you got it!

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  6. (Funny, but at first I didn't even see the funnel -- I thought you were asking about the stock tank, or one of the other planters)

    Love the funnel, wonder how the heck it hasn't toppled over yet...

    Did you plug the neck, or fill it with soil? If soil-filled, I'm afraid that the Agave roots will travel all the way down into the ground below, and you'll have an impossible future task of transplanting without ripping out scads of roots.

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    1. I kind of wondered if anyone could spot it in the first photo, but that's part of the fun...that it doesn't jump right out at you.

      The base of the cone has a fine metal screen across the opening into the gooseneck part. It holds the soil in place and allows for drainage. There is no soil in the neck, and only extremely fine roots would be able to grow throughout the screen, I don't anticipate a problem esp. since I probably won't leave it in place through the winter. As for stability the tip has a solid piece of metal on it which made shoving it into the ground extremely easy. A good 5 inches or so is buried and the gooseneck part doesn't bend easily...

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  7. I like the way both you and Andrew had a look around and both finding something suitable and unique. There's an industrial theme going on there and we like it!!

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  8. Wow, I always discover new awesome plants at your blog. I had never seen Rhipsalis salicornioides. Nice planters by the way.

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    1. Thanks Lisa, Andrew discovered that plant at a botanical garden years ago and has wanted on ever since!

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  9. Beautiful plant combinations, both in your garden and the office!

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  10. I love the playfulness of the fuel funnel! Subtle whimsy. And Lyla is adorable.

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    1. Whimsy is a word that usually makes me want to run in the opposite direction. Subtle whimsy though, I like it.

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  11. You two are the coolest. Both of planter choices look great and I like that we even got a bonus Lila-for-scale!

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    1. She insisted on being in that photo, what a ham!

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  12. I love love love what you've done with this corner of your garden. I like the fuel funnel - it didn't immediately notice it in the first picture but it adds interest when you get close, which I think is a nice touch.

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    1. Thank you Kris! If the funnel had shouted for attention I probably wouldn't have liked it as much...

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  13. Your venture into garden art is a whimsical, amusing success. And Andrew's office is becoming quite the showcase. You make quite a team!

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  14. Sorry about the use of "whimsical", but oh, well...a bit of attitude adjustment may be in order. After all, I note that a few Rhodys and evergreens have been sneaking into your garden.

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  15. They both look terrific -- industrial chic!

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