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Deterring Thieves From Taking Your Garden Pots

Don R. — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 04:50:03 +0000

Recently, I decided to put some large garden pots out in my front yard. The area I live in is relatively safe but there is a school close by and I get quite a few people walking down the street and through the yard. So, I have a concern that if I put some large garden pots out that someone will, eventually, either try to haul them away or take them just to smash them up.

I devised a solution that has kept them where they are supposed to be for over two years now. It’s pretty simple so anyone can really do it. I have three large pots in a grouping in my yard but this method will work on any number of pots.

First, determine where you will want the pot (or pots) to go. Draw a circle on the ground around the base of each pot. Now, place the pot off to the side and using the outline you just drew, dig a circular hole about one foot deep. Using a five gallon plastic bucket, mix around a half of the bucket full of cement.

Pour the cement into the hole so it’s about half way full. Next you will need to place one end of a length of chain into the cement. The chain should be long enough that if you were to pull it tight, it would stick out of the top of the hole at least 6 inches. You can hold the chain up tight while the cement is drying by threading a dowel or wire through one of the links and then bracing the dowel or wire over the hole.

Once the cement has dried, fill in the rest of the hole with soil. The only thing you should see now is a short length of chain sticking out of the ground. Now you can move the pot back in place and you will have to thread the chain up through the drain hole in the bottom of your pot.

To secure the garden pot, I used a carabiner that I picked up at a camping supply store and looped it through the link that kept the chain tight and the pot firmly to the ground. You can use whatever you want instead of a carabiner to hold it in place.

I then filled the pots about three quarters of the way full with dirt. This not only adds weight but also keeps anyone from simply removing the carabiner and taking the pot. This method should be enough to deter anyone from messing with your garden pots.

Successful Container Gardening With Garden Pots

Don R. — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 06:06:24 +0000

With some basic gardening skills, you can ensure a successful container garden. Starting with the containers themselves, make sure that any garden pots made from porous materials (such as terracotta or wood) are sealed on the inside with a quality water sealant. Otherwise, the pots will soak up much of the water meant for your plants.

Proper Watering

It’s just as important not to underwater as it is not to over water. To catch any extra water and keep it from rotting your patio or deck, most garden pots will have a saucer or bowl placed underneath. You should try to water your container garden by filling up the saucers. This is the best way to water as it help you avoid over watering and spilling the water over the top of the saucer. By doing this, the water will feed the roots of your plants by seeping up through the hole in the bottom of the garden pot.

You can also choose to water your plants on the top surface. If so, make sure to fill it a little at a time (about a cup or so) and keep an eye on how much water ends up in the saucer. Its best not to overfill the saucer. Your plants will always welcome a fresh spray of water from a hand sprayer. If you have really hard water from your sink, use bottled or rain water so calcium won’t build up on the leaves.

Nourishment For Your Plants

The nutrients in most potting soils don’t last much more than five or six weeks since garden pots are generally small. So, vital nutrients will need to be replenished. Plant food, for the most part, comes in granular and liquid forms. Since they last a long time and keep a steady supply of food going to the plants, slow-release granules are recommended.

Pest Control

Systemic and Contact are the two main types of insecticides. Systemic is poured right onto the soil and is then absorbed into the soil to the root system of the plant and right on up through the leaves. This type of insecticide works best for bugs under the soil that are hard to get to and for leaf eaters as they ingest the poison when they eat the leaves.

The next type of insecticide is the contact type which is sprayed directly onto the insects. It should work rather quickly but you might have to repeat the application after a few days depending on the amount of infestation is going on.

You are sure to have a thriving container garden with a small amount of monitoring and loving care.

Make A Fountain From Three Garden Pots

Don R. — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 21:52:05 +0000

Even though the idea of fountains being made from garden pots is nothing new, I stumbled upon a method of building one that I hadn’t seen before. And, I think this fountain would make a wonderful addition to any garden and its so easy to build that anyone can do it in a short amount of time. The first thing you need to do is choose the appropriate pots. One will be used as the basin to catch the water coming down. The next is a base and then the largest pot is used for the main fountain. When you are choosing the shape for this pot, keep in mind that the function is just as important as how it looks. A slightly tapered pot that is smooth will be very quiet as the water tends to cling on to the sides of the pot as it falls. Pots having ridges or rings will cause the water to splash into the basin causing more sound.

You start with a large sized terracotta or stone bowl as your garden pot foundation. This will be the basin pot where the overflowing water will fall. Drill a hole out of the bottom center of the bowl if there isn’t one already. Now take the cord from your pump and run it through the hole. For larger holes, cover with duct tape and fill with a car body filler. Smaller holes can be filled in with silicon. When that has dried, coat the inside with a water sealant. Now you should be ready to place the basin in your desired location. Although not crucial, try to make the basin as level as possible.

The base is a pot that is turned upside down and houses the pump. Choose a pot that has a base diameter the same as the base diameter of the main fountain pot. Soak the pot overnight in water. This helps make it easier to cut notches around the top rim of the pot. These notches allow water to come in that gets pumped up through the fountain tube.

Cut a piece of tubing about a foot longer than the height of the fountain pot. Attach this to the pump. Now feed the base pot down over the tube through the hole in the bottom of the pot. Seal the gap around the tube with more silicon. Now you should have your basin with an upside down pot sitting in the middle of it with a pump inside and the tube sticking out the top of the base pot.

Now take your fountain pot and test fit it by feeding it down over the tube and placing it on top of the base pot. If everything looks good (it should be plumb and level with the tube sticking out the top higher than the height of the pot) you can take off the fountain pot and run two thick beads of silicon around the top of the base pot. Run one bead towards the outside to help hold the pots together and one on the inside to keep water from running in between the two pots.

When it is all dry, test it by filling it with water. Adjust the height of the tubing to get the desired effect of the water bubbling up. Finish it off by filling the bottom basin pot with rocks. Enjoy your beautiful fountain!

Garden Pots – Blending In

Don R. — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 06:28:37 +0000

Using garden pots in your garden can add a lot of interest. Use large scale pots as a central focal point. Try not to use too bright of colors as larger pots can overwhelm the eye and take away from the actual plants. The scale of the plant should be proportionate to the pot. If you do use large pots, use them sparingly (maybe one or two). Placing medium sized plants or shrubs just in front of or beside larger pots will help cover some of the pot and help to blend it in with its surroundings. This will also help to make it feel as though the pot has been placed in the garden first while all the plants “grew up” around the pot.

If you want to intentionally draw the eye to a particular spot, don’t be afraid to use a bolder color (such as deep red). By placing brightly colored flowers in and around the pot, you will also help it to blend in. Image if you had an all green garden with a big bright yellow pot stuck in the middle. All your focus would be pointed at the pot and not the plants.

Another way to use garden pots is to clump small to mid-sized pots together into groups. This will also draw your eye to these areas. You will have a lot of flexibility with grouped pots. You can use different sizes, shapes and colors to make a drab area more interesting. To blend in the group, the same techniques used for a large garden pot applies. Be sure to plant in between the pots as well.

If you happen to have a large garden pot that is cracked on the bottom, you can either cut the bottom off with a hand-held tile cutter or dig a hole large enough to accommodate the pot and stick the pot in so it is buried half way into the ground. This is a good way to add a mid level to your garden which can lead the eye from taller pots to lower ground cover.