The last one is my fave! With the rocks being similar and sparse planting it looks more habitat like

Fantastic! You've really caught the look of mini landscapes with the use of the rocks. I use rocks as well, in nearly all of my succulent bonsai, but I don't think they looks as nice as your dish rock gardens..

Thank you. Caudex, The last one is about 5' across so the scale allows things to approach how one might find them in nature. Central texas is a very rocky place so inspiration and examples are available just by rubbernecking.

Last one's spectacular. Well, all are great, but that one takes the cake for me!

Your eye for groupings and colors are just amazing, and your plants are all stunning! There's such balance in all of your pots. Since being outdoors is not an option for my succulents where I live, I have to concentrate on container growing. What a treasure trove of inspiration you've provided!

This post was edited by Danielle317 on Wed, Oct 9, 13 at 15:49

The tree above that last one has grown a lot and the shade has gotten thicker., so now I want to move that dang monster of a pot. That pot is a iron caldron top from a huge foundry. It weighs in EMPTY of dirt at 700lbs. I bought 5 of them at a scrap yard for 1/3 scrap prices. I don't think they had seen a girl for a couple of months or something. I ran home and got my 16'trailer and headed back. they loaded me up with a loader and that was when I learned that when they come at you with heavy shizz on a loader and when you get home and your alone, you are in a fix. My husband and I unloaded them and moved them into position by ourselves. It is amazing what one can do with some WD-40 greased boards, a prybar and cut lengths of rebar. One has got to think like an Egyptian. That was 13 years ago. I don't know if I can do it now. This iron pot does have a handle and I can loop a chain onto my tow dohickie on the van and drag it around to the other side of the house, but I think I would have to undo the planting. It is a rocky bumpy drive around our backyard.

wantonamara,
You have a great talent. Much better than flower arranging. Rock arranging! I like some rocks in my pots but nothing like yours. First time seeing this. Deserves to be in a show case for all to see. I bet you can sell the pictures on line. What art!!!
Stush

I love how you've done this. You have a great assortment of rocks and plants and you know how to show them both off to their best advantage.

I envy your caldrons, but don't envy trying to move them ... LOL

I am working on some cactus rock gardens in my yard and I am running out of rock and soil. The bed looks more like a nursery for small specimens.

I'm in awe of your incredibly artistic displays Wontonamara! I'm a brand newbie- been lurking and learning for about 8 months now. Thank you and everyone else for the lessons.
I have been wondering if there was a more pleasing way to display my succs- right now they are lined up like in a big box store and I have been wanting to make them look more attractive together. You got it! Totally! Wow!
Hope you don't mind newbie questions? Does each group require the same care or are you always moving plants in and out of the pots according to different needs?
Do you bring them in or cover them when it rains or gets cold?
Last and possibly shocking to all you people who know what you are doing, would Cloud Cover work to protect my succs from light frosts? Sorry if that last question is succreligious! Thanks, Min

What is Cloud Cover? is it a product or ar you saying that a cloudy night sky would protect from a light frost. If it get down to freezing the cloud cover was not successful. I throw towels and frost cloth over my plants . Some I take in at different temperatures.

Beautiful!!

Mara, you are so dang GOOD at grouping!.. and photos! You got mad style, yo! Seriously, I've never seen anyone pull off those sorts of groupings. There's a little nerd in the back of my mind who's baffled at the combinations and can't understand how you get a certain few of those plants to grow together long term... There's a lot of talent in Texas.

Very nice...! I, too, loves bones and stones ;-)

Josh

Eye of an artist and hands of steel, Mara. Nice compositions.

I think you are very creative.....You don't have to have beautiful pots to have such a nice display....

Your plants could win a photo contest!

Mike

Somewhere there's a garden magazine which is the poorer for not doing a photo spread on your amazing rocky pots.

(Loved the story behind the cauldron top!)

Thank you all for your kind comments. Ryan. I think I am at times protected by my ignorance of the rules. Or maybe the plants know they are looking good and it is their vanity that buys them a life with their new unlikely friends. Life is exciting lived on the edge. LOL.

Jeff, Hands of steel? I whish. Right now they are FULL of thorns , holes and small bothersome infections from working on extending a rock garden. Pictures will follow when the garden gets more filled in right. They still look really raw and wrong..

Mike, Right now, I like my pots to be simple. It allows the forms of the rocks and plants to be clear. I love the wide white low pots. They also add a sence of continuity between the pots. It shows off the colors so nicely. If I was making pots, I do like to take photos. It gives me a way of looking at the plants...

The act of gardening has so many areas that one can exercise creativity in. One can play with a sense of structure, a "collection of plants that is a biologically creative journey with the choice individual direction, One can design the plant like ryan with his hybridizing, One can play with plant combinations to create textural color feasts, stone structures, pathways, rooms as relationships of space,, One can also get into the making of garden art. and then one can document and create beauty in the image.

Are you guys familiar with andrew Galsworthy? he doodles with plants and nature. primal etherial stuff.

Here is a link that might be useful: Images : Andrew Galsworthy

Cloud Cover is a spray (also Wilt Stop) that lightly and invisibly coats a plant and holds in it's moisture and protects from damage from a light freeze. I have used it successfully on other plants and I wonder if it will harm succulents. Anyone know? Min

Thanks for the link to Andrew Galsworthy. Beautiful stuff! Inspirational. Now all I want to do is take a hike and make some art.

my sister showed him around Alaska for two weeks and watched him spit weld icicles. I did a workshop after a visit by him with a group of friends out on the Pedernales river. It was a great afternoon.

Great pots with rocks, Mara! I love rocks, but don't really have access to any. I'll be looking for some to integrate into our front yard project. Love the combos you've made! Wonderful shots of all! Thanks for inspiration!!

Love the pictures! Great inspiration. I love the one with the little scull and the campfire crassula

Love the pictures! Great inspiration. I love the one with the little scull and the campfire crassula