not very creative, but someone else's junk just the same

16 years ago

neighbors 3 houses down cut down their tree 2 days ago. i've been going crazy gardening, mostly container, the past 2 months and was just talking to my son this morning about where and ways i'd like to elevate & showcase some of the plants we already have & creat new & interesting spaces for more to grow.

we asked the neighbors (whom we'd never met before & here we come a'begging) if they weren't planning on doing anything with the 2 large logs they had out front, would they mind if we took them to set potted plants on? they said no problem & we rolled 'em home.

it wasn't til i already had them home, in place & was re-arranging pots that i began wondering if it was safe to put my plants on these logs. the tree was obviously dead or dying. does that mean they could still have or pass something on to my potted plants that i place on top of them? if so, could i treat the logs or even just varnish the crap out of them to make them safe to be pedestals?

i found an old wash tub at an abandoned house today that i plan to use for some prickly pear i'm transplanting, but for now it's acting as a barrier, sitting on the log with a potted plant in it.

can anybody tell me what i should do?

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Comments (10)

cait1
16 years ago
Um... pictures?? hehehe We want to see!!!
The logs should be fine to use as plant stands. Dread logs only house little bugs; I doubt anything life threatening to potted plants.
User
16 years ago
As Cait said, I think the logs would be fine as plant stands.
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nonacook
16 years ago
I agree-shouldn't be a problem...
carrieanne_22
Original Author
16 years ago
sorry for not adding pics originally.

photo 1-the slightly larger & more awkwardly shaped (take it from the person rolling it home) of the two. taken last night.
{{gwi:140825}}

photo 2-the second log with the 'new' washtub & pot of lantana...
{{gwi:140826}}

photo 3-...& without. both taken half an hour ago.
{{gwi:140827}}

i'm going to need to get someone over here w/a chainshaw to level these out (volunteers from the SA area welcome!), then i think i'd like to try doing a mosaic on at least one of them.

btw, i have to say thank you! all of a sudden, i have such wonderful ideas. i've always been a garage saler, i used to be very craftsy (before teenagers took over my life), and i only began gardening recently. it had not yet occured to me to combine the 3! thank you & expect tons of pictures in the future!
galcho
16 years ago
I am using logs all the time and never thought about any danger to potted plants or plants planted next to it.
Here is one of my container gardens.
http://home.comcast.net/~vetka/images/frontCont.JPG
lisa_does_mosaics
16 years ago
Love the washtub! Lucky find! Now, when you say you are going to mosaic one of them, do you mean one of the logs, and if so, how would you do that?
superiorgirl2
16 years ago
I don't think there's a worry about bugs to the plants. I would suggest finding some little things to set the stump on to raise it up off the concrete and let some air get under there. When rain gets on it, the wood will absorb it and it will stay wet on the concrete and stain it. Not to mention icky slimy things will get under there and make their home. If you get it up even a half an inch it will help prevent that. You could set soda bottle caps or something similar underneath it.
carrieanne_22
Original Author
16 years ago
beautiful area you've got there, galcho. i'm just getting ready to work on some hens & chicks this morning.

& lisa, yes i was thinking of doing mosaic on the top of one of the logs. having never done mosaic in my life, i'm not yet sure how i'll be doing it, but it does just scream to me that it must be tried. :-)

& for superiorgirl, thank you for the tip with the bottle caps. these particular logs will be going out into the yard, but it's rained so much here the last 4 or 5 days that any attempt to roll these bad boys out there right now would just tear up the yard further and cover me in mud. there are some other logs i've come across since then that i will definitely remember this tip for!
kudzukween
16 years ago
Looks good to me!
goldenpond
16 years ago
Did you count the rings on that log? Amazing isnt it.I love the rustic look. Washtubs are so useful for everything besides washing!

not very creative, but someone else's junk just the same

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cait1

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not very creative, but someone else's junk just the same

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