Birdbath planter, revisited; suggestions for plants with shallow roots
My MIL knew how much I loved my cool cement birdbath that I'd converted to a succulent garden, so she bought me another birdbath. This one is plastic, but does have some interesting shapes to it.
There's a plate of some sort at the bottom that's about 1 1/2" deep:
And the bird bath itself is about 3" deep:
I'm thinking of taking the top off (the part that looks like a lighthouse), then sitting a pot on there instead with some sort of flower or grass.
Then drilling drain holes in the birdbath and that bottom plate, and plant something in the birdbath that hangs over. Something like a Creeping Jenny, maybe? Or Lantana?
And then maybe petunias or vinca in that bottom tray, since they have relatively shallow roots. Or maybe strawberries.
Thoughts and suggestions?
I'm OK with annuals here, I know my options are going to be pretty limited. And I don't really want to do a second succulent garden, this one will be a little farther from the main gardens so I need bigger colors to be seen from a distance.
Comments (15)
Jilly
last yearMy plastic one developed cracks in the bottom, so I turned it into a planter. It’s even more shallow than yours.
Portulaca thrives in it. Last year:
Just planted this year’s. I use three 4-in pots. By late summer, it’ll be spilling over.
I’m in Texas, brutal summers … this gets nearly all day sun. I water every 2-3 days.I tried other annuals, nothing thrived like these do.
Jason, zone 7A, near Greensboro NC
last yearRelated Discussions
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Comments (10)You need some shallow stepped beds or terracing down the slope for erosion control before you worry about the flat part. "what the standard practice is for hardscaping areas with shallow roots near tree" You avoid doing it. Either the tree roots destroy the hardscape or the hardscape kills the tree. It doesn't happen immediately, which is why you see it, but it's almost certain to happen. If you were starting from scratch, there are "polite" trees that don't throw out surface roots, but you want to keep the tree. Same with raised beds/planters on house wall or fence, unless you do some extraordinary waterproofing. Rot is inevitable. So ... what to do to improve the livability of that area? Because that's the real question. I would put a "floating deck" around the base of the tree, made with modular wood pallets resting on concrete pavers at the corners so you can clean under it occasionally and enjoy the shade of the tree. Outdoor living area big enough for a couple of chairs and a bistro table, or bigger. If you go modular you can increase size by adding more modules. And make raised beds - away from the fence and with one side high enough to have a sittable edge - at the borders of the floating deck. If you put them between the deck and the house you would have a sense of privacy. And seating! kinda like these: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/286049013801894262/...See MorePlanter Box Plant Ideas Appreciated
Comments (4)I utilize potted ivy/hanging geraniums elsewhere with great success. With a little deadheading & fertilizer, they thrive. It's the middle of Dec and they're throwing out blooms like crazy. So yes, geraniums were at the top of my list although I was thinking about branching out. I love lantana although my experience with them is that they get quite large. And in my part of the world, they don't bloom well w/ winter shadows. Do you think a mish-mash of different flowers would be aesthetically better or worse than a consistent mix of 1-2 plant types (i.e. geraniums & petunias)? Also, do you keep your planter box flowers in their pots so you can trade them out twice a year? Or do you plant them in soil and treat them like perennials? Remember: I'm within 5 miles from the ocean and don't have to worry about frost. Southern CA has its issues, but weather is not one of them. I've lived in Seattle & Dallas and learned that many of the traditional rules don't apply to our gardens. Thanks......See MoreWould love some indoor windowbox 'how to's' and plant suggestions
Comments (6)you can train (for lack of a better word) philodendrom up a trellis and the plant can be very very tiny. I have one that I keep in a tiny frog planter on a window ledge and the leaves are no bigger than a finger nail. The planter is maybe 4inches long and the pot circum is an inch. They need very little soil to root and little light to grow....See MoreCan I use a cement birdbath as a planter?
Comments (5)You could also try a mix of drought-tolerant perennials and groundcovers. A nursery at which I often shop has a beautiful bird-bath planting of various hens and chicks (which which you are already familiar), mixed sedums, Dianthus 'Tiny Rubies', Irish moss, assorted thymes and some creeping Jenny. I liked it so much I did a similar thing on my deck, adding blue-eyed grass into the mix for some height and grassy foliage texture to go with all of the succulent stuff. All of those things should be able to overwinter in your zone, although to be safe you might want to take the bowl off the pedestal and put it on the ground so it can have that for insulation. Ditto on the hole in the bottom, a must. A shallow layer of gravel at the bottom, too (or a goodly proportion of small gravel mixed into the planting mixture), to allow all excess water to quickly get to the drain hole. - Steve...See MoreJilly
last yearlast modified: last year
popmama (Colorado, USDA z5)
last yearI grow sedum and moss in mine and a bowling ball! It looks a bit different these days. But sedums work great.
Jason, zone 7A, near Greensboro NC
last yearpopmama (Colorado, USDA z5)
last yearJason, zone 7A, near Greensboro NC
last yearlast modified: last yearA focal point in my succulent birdbath was Lemon Ball stonecrop:
https://www.calloways.com/lemon-ball-stonecrop/
I loved the color! And apparently it would do well in part shade, so it might work well in yours, too.Mine had Ice Plant and Dragon's Blood, too, but neither looked anywhere near as full as yours! And neither survived the winter :-(
This is mine from last year:
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
last year
l pinkmountain
last yearDragon's blood sedum was also my thought. Any of the sedums in fact and other succulents. Ideal for those dry conditions. Reminds me to get some to plant around this little guy!
getgoing100_7b_nj
last yearJason, zone 7A, near Greensboro NC
last yearPortulaca (moss rose) is already blooming, so it's looking pretty awesome today! I have a feeling that this is going to become a crowd favorite :-)
I still need to figure out how to handle where it touches the ground. Mondo grass will be too big, I think, and I'd have to split it up all the time to keep it in check so that's a pain. I might cover it with creeping jenny or Anne Marie ivy; something I can cut back every year without having to dig it up.l pinkmountain
last yearJason, zone 7A, near Greensboro NC
last year
Jason, zone 7A, near Greensboro NCOriginal Author