Wonder how this would work for minis?

kaylyred · Post by **kaylyred** » Aug 02, 2011 6:49 pm

I saw this planter idea used with succulents and wondered if it could be made to work with mini hostas. Would there be enough room for root growth? It really doesn't seem much different from a hypertufa planter.

http://www.pottedstore.com/post/potteds ... lock-wall/

Tigger · Post by **Tigger** » Aug 02, 2011 6:59 pm

How do you seal the bottoms? For succulents, you could use wire screen or something, as they want complete drainage. But for hostas, you'd need to retain some moisture. Very attractive, though.

ViolaAnn · Post by **ViolaAnn** » Aug 02, 2011 10:09 pm

I've seen the decorative ones - http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http ... A&dur=1272 used for some minis and I've seen flue pipes cut into shorter sections and used as planters. Those blocks should work. I hope the link works - it sure is long.

eastwood2007 · Post by **eastwood2007** » Aug 03, 2011 12:00 am

I love this idea! Not sure it would fit in my country setting, but my daughter in the urban area would love it!

kaylyred · Post by **kaylyred** » Aug 03, 2011 12:30 pm

Tigger wrote:How do you seal the bottoms? For succulents, you could use wire screen or something, as they want complete drainage. But for hostas, you'd need to retain some moisture. Very attractive, though.

I wonder if maybe it's a matter of mixing up some concrete or tufa and putting an inch or so layer in the bottom. Seems like that would work.

morgansrgr8 · Post by **morgansrgr8** » Aug 05, 2011 8:06 am

Wouldnt all that cement get a bit hot for the hosta?

gesila9 · Post by **gesila9** » Aug 05, 2011 9:48 am

I'm going to try it. Here's a link to how someone filled the bottoms in.

http://sunnyslifeinrehab.blogspot.com/2 ... armed.html

I'm adding Mister Landscaper irrigation to this section of the garden, so it should keep the mini's cool. I think I'm going to stain the cinder blocks.

Gesila

kaylyred · Post by **kaylyred** » Aug 05, 2011 11:45 am

morgansrgr8 wrote:Wouldnt all that cement get a bit hot for the hosta?

That was another of my worries. But then I thought that a) they're in mostly shade, and b) tufa planters are very similar to cement and minis like them just fine.

Post by **Chris_W** » Aug 05, 2011 1:06 pm

That is a pretty cool looking project. I don't have any cinder blocks but someone I know had asked if I wanted a bunch recently cause they didn't need them so I might be able to pick those up still for nothing. I think you would really need to make sure you had them on a solid and level foundation, though, or it might tip over easily.

Angel3K · Post by **Angel3K** » Aug 05, 2011 11:23 pm

Aha, this is a great idea! I have a very small garden, currently overtaken by my squash.....hmmm

So, I was at Home Depot today, and I was staring at those blocks, and was hoping to get four pieces, just something heavy to anchor my backyard canopy which can easily fly like a kite. The stakes were so flimsy, so I end up coming home with 2 cinderblocks. I thought, ah.... what an ugly block sitting by the base of my canopy?

Now, if I plant something -- hosta, few succelents, it will look impressive! This is my lucky day!

gesila9 · Post by **gesila9** » Aug 18, 2011 6:54 pm

Making some progress on our wall for minis. Got a bonus on this one, created some shade to put some big blues on the other side of the wall

We have to take it down now and glue it all together. I'll take some step-by-step pictures when we're putting all back together.

ogrefcf · Post by **ogrefcf** » Aug 18, 2011 9:20 pm

Very nice! Can't wait to see it planted. I might have to try a wall like this.

redcrx · Post by **redcrx** » Aug 18, 2011 9:47 pm

I saw this topic and it got me thinking about using the blocks as a water barrier. I have a problem when downpours hit and erode the paths in my garden. I'm starting to set them up - just one course - to trap or pool the water so it doesn't do as much damage. I'm only using half blocks (8" by 8" by 8") for more frexibility. Now I have "holes" that need hosta - just got some small ones from Chris to help. It also gives me some elevation for some plants that put their scapes out flat rather than upright - Elvis Lives and Red Dragon to name a couple.

gesila9 · Post by **gesila9** » Aug 23, 2011 6:44 pm

Making progress. Stained and sealed it. Some of the sealer is still cloudy, hope it dries clear. Still not happy with it, will be doing some rearranging. A little difficult to do with plants that are at different levels of maturity.

thy · Post by **thy** » Aug 23, 2011 8:40 pm

You may have to put/ hammer in some of those iron spikes the constructors use on the inside, otherwise the wind can play with it...
They are othen used as low gardenwalls here with mostly sedums, but turning some of them gives a new nice look
A layer of plastic will keep the water for sthe top ones

high
I'm sure they will do fine with nini hostas, but you may need to get themsoaked in water several time before to avoid some of the PH level

gesila9 · Post by **gesila9** » Aug 23, 2011 8:52 pm

It's glued together with some construction adhesive (took three days to get some of that stuff off my hands). I don't think it's going anywhere. There will be hostas on the back side so, just to keep people away from it. I sealed the insides of the holes with a concrete sealer, I'm hoping that prevents issues with the PH levels. I think I am going to add one more concrete block to the left side. There's something I don't like about it yet.

I used 5"x7" tie plates for the bottom, I'm hoping these holes are big enough to allow ample drainage.

gamekeeper · Post by **gamekeeper** » Aug 24, 2011 10:15 am

Last year I bought a real neat planter shelves at a yard sale having no use for it I got the big idea of getting a collection of McCoy antique planters and putting minis in them which I did.Not for me as they either had to much water or not enough and time was not there for me so I put all the minis in the ground and boxed most of the McCoy .The Minis are happier and so am I.

kaylyred · Post by **kaylyred** » Aug 25, 2011 1:58 am

Gesila, I think that looks incredibly cool. Kudos! The staining definitely makes the color look more natural and pretty--a very nice contrast with the hostas.

Linda P · Post by **Linda P** » Aug 25, 2011 9:56 am

That is a very cool project! I think you've done a wonderful job of laying it out. I have a few concrete blocks left over from making my raised seedling beds,
and I'm thinking that I just might try something like this on a smaller scale.

gamekeeper...hostas in McCoy pots! Even though it didn't work out, I bet it looked great for a while. I have 3 seedlings in clay pots that are being
held by an old wrought iron flowerpot holder that belonged to my great aunt. I've enjoyed looking at them for the summer, but they will go back in
the ground for the winter.

Linda P

Tigger · Post by **Tigger** » Aug 25, 2011 3:04 pm

Really great looking!

What is holding the tie plates on for the cantilevered bits? Will the glue do it?

David

Hallson Gardens

Wonder how this would work for minis?

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