POTS I MADE

Being a lover of everything gardening and having dabbled in many things garden related it seems quite natural that I would eventually have a go at making my own pots. My first attempts involved using the material hypertufa which being a mixture of peat moss, vermiculite and cement makes for much lighter weight of container.
This was one of the first ones I made using the inside of an old plastic planter. It has weathered the years well.

Then I tried my hand at making something that would mimic the English garden troughs that were common in farmyards. They fetch a hefty price in antique and garden shops.

In a fairly shady area of the garden it has weathered to a nice patina with mosses now growing on one side. I think I could pass this off as the real thing.

Next came a larger one. I underestimated the mix so was not able to make it quite as deep as I had hoped.

The texture really looks like stone, but no mosses on this one as it is in full sun.

One of my favorites is the agave bowl on the pedestal in the herb garden. Made using the inside of a well protected copper bowl I have in the house. This photo was from last year.  The mother Confederate rose agave in this planter has decided to flower this year so I couldn't get a good shot of the whole stem. It will be all change in this pot next year.

Lightweight as these pots are they are still pretty heavy when planted up with gravely soil. An even more light weight planter is one made from polystyrene boxes; and a lot easier to make at little cost. A small one  can be made in less than an hour!

A similar texture can be achieved using a wire brush, sealing the surface and craft paint.

And the bigger boxes make great vegetable containers.

One of the boxes I just finished had been waiting in the garage for me to find the time to work on it. No sooner had I finished it than another one appeared-picked up at a garage sale for $1! When will I have time to get that one done. Not this week for sure.