Easy Maintenance Low Bowl Containers

I've been switching out the plants in my low bowls with each change of season. Since they are very visible when we walk into the back garden it's been fun to have seasonal flowering plants in them. They are close to a water source, but even the largest bowls have fairly shallow soil. I've done something super low-maintenance for fall/winter. A mix of succulents and bromeliads mostly. 

I walked around my yard and gathered pups from reliable bromeliads. They don't need an adjustment period. Just poke them into the potting soil and they look like they've been there all along. I left the moss rose, guara, thyme and angelonia from summer and they are doing fine with natural rainfall also.

I rarely have to hand-water the bowls now and it feels like another step to more freedom!

What are your favorite easy maintenance container plants?
Meems



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How-to Make a Bromeliad "Tree"

Bromeliads provide uniquely colorful, tropical texture to any Florida garden. Terrestrial bromeliads are an excellent groundcover. They multiply rapidly in the bright, filtered sunlight under my mature oak trees.

There are also epiphytic bromeliads—they don’t require soil. Epiphytes receive nutrients and water from the air and rain. These characteristics make them suitable to attach to wood for a spectacular focal point as a vertical element in the garden.

June 2012. Supplies: Cypress wood, decorative container, inner container

Last year, while vacationing in the quaint coastal town of Apalachicola, Florida, I purchased a substantial piece of driftwood. It is a Cypress tree (Taxodium distichum) “knee” hollowed-out, boasting dramatic architectural character. I'd had a long-time vision in the back of my head of the type of bromeliad tree I'd like to make some day. The moment I saw the wood I knew it would be perfect for what I had in mind.

I actually put this project together last summer. It's taken me this long to write a blog post about it. I knew y'all would want the low down even if I am late getting around to sharing it. Here's **how I did it.

Supplies: see list below

Supplies and tools:

• Wood piece (my cypress is rot resistant~ something to think about when choosing wood)
• Container ~ a size appropriate for the wood and one that will hold the weight of your finished tree.
• Plastic pot~ to fit inside decorative container ~ find one without drain holes or tape over the holes
• Cement ~ I used Quikrete so I didn't have to mix
• Wire~ 17 gauge galvanized wire for attaching plants
• Screws ~ about 4 to hold the plastic pot to concrete
• Tacks ~ double pointed for attaching wire
• Drill ~ 3/8" bit
• Hammer
• Pliers~ needle nose with side cutters
• Plants ~ I used bromeliads, tillandsia and (later) orchids.
• Liquid Nails ~ the photo shows this but (in the end) I opted not to use it for attaching plants

Prepare the Wood:

• Drive several spikes half-way into the wood a few inches above the bottom end. I used screws. This will help secure the concrete to the wood. Optional: treat the part of the wood that will be immersed into concrete with wood preservative to extend the life of the wood.

Notice my plastic pot doesn't have any drain holes. You may be able to find these from a garden center.

Prepare the plastic pot:

• Insert several screws (about 2" long) from the outside around the base of the pot. This is going to hold the cement to the pot.

Concrete:

• Pour the concrete into the plastic pot and mix according to directions. It should come to about 3-4" below the top of the pot. (Be ready with your wood if you use Quikrete. It really does start to dry quickly.)

Wood placement:

• Place the wood into concrete and be sure it is in the position you desire.
• Let it set for 24 hours just to be sure it is not going to move.
• See step below (drill holes before plastic pot is placed inside decorative container).
• Place plastic pot inside of decorative container.
• Balance and center your tree inside the decorative container. I used pieces of styrofoam from a shipping package to fill in the gap between the plastic pot and the decorative container. You may not have a gap but you will need to use something waterproof if you do.

Now you need that big ole drill bit:

• Drill holes along the outside of the plastic container for drainage just above the concrete.  ( I did this before I put my plastic pot inside the decorative container as shown in photo above this one).

Prep for plants: This is the fun, artistic part you've been waiting for.

• Visualize where you want your plants to grow on your tree. It might help to hold them up where you think they will fit best.
• Mark where the base of the plant will be.

• Cut pieces of wire long enough to wrap around the base of the plant.
• Hammer the tacks in to hold down the wire where you marked the tree for plants.

• Twist the wire around the base of the bromeliad tight enough to hold it flush to the wood.
• Repeat this process for each plant until your tree is as full as you'd like it to be.

• Fill in the space at the bottom of the tree and on the surface of the cement with rocks to finish it off and make it look nice. I used Spanish moss wedged down between the styrofoam and pot. (Plants fit into nooks and crannies of the wood depending on the shape of your wood. I used the cupped out parts of the cypress knees for plants also).

My completed project fits well into the landscape as a prominent focal point in my side garden. I see it every time I drive up in the driveway.

The bromeliads I used were all pups from plantings in my garden. I added Anthurium and tillandsia to complete it and give it more texture and diversity.

I think a variety of colorful leaves is what makes this type of arrangement an exciting and interesting vertical garden.

A few weeks later I tucked in some Calathea plants (Rattlesnake and Prayer plant) around the base to add lushness.

During the summer season when 'Red Flash' caladiums and  'Triostar' Stromanthe are flourishing it all blends together in an inviting combination of warmth and color.

I'm really pleased with the way it turned out and the variety of color it presents. Recently I added some orchids a friend gave to me. Then a neighbor gave me more and I attached them to the back side of the wood.

My bromeliad tree has done well over the past year. It takes zero care or maintenance other than pulling off stray pieces of moss that fall from the trees above. Some of the bromeliads are putting on pups and I didn't lose any of the plants I started with. It makes me smile when I see it.

How have you made use of the vertical space in your garden? Meems



**My directions are loosely adapted from information found on Tropiflora.com.

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Bromeliads for Groundcover

Have I said it enough times yet? Florida's winter was the mildest we've had in the past 5 years. I can't help it... I'm still in awe over the spring garden without the effects from frost damage. Bromeliads in my garden started putting up their colorful bracts in December and they just keep getting bigger and brighter.
I'm growing them directly in the ground under the oak trees because they make an easy clustering ground cover. Unless they get frost damage. Which they did not this year... wait... I DID already say that.

Planting them under a tree with lots of big roots is easy. They need very little dirt to live in. Some of them can live completely without dirt. I'm experimenting with some of the epiphyte types that don't require any soil. (More on that in a later post).

The maintenance requirements for them are almost zero when placed in the right environment. In my experience they do well with well draining soil. Bromeliads multiply all on their own by making pups or offsets and spreading faster than you realize until you are reminded by a photo occasionally.
The vivid and exotic colors are eye-catching and, in this case, add some spice to the brightly lit edge of the shady areas.

I hope you are getting the most out of spring in your garden. I am in love with the Florida weather this week! Happy weekend... Meems

Drought Resistant Plants for Containers

All summer long on my wish-I-could-get-around-to-it list was to re-vamp the container arrangements on my back lanai. It was an idea I never got around to tackling. Until this week.
The photos on the left portray how extremely root bound the existing plants were. Do you think a plant might be too old if the roots perfectly mold to the shape of the container? The photos on the right are the newly potted up plants.
I am always looking for ways to avoid dragging the hose around every other day to irrigate thirsty container plants. The photo in the center is a container I put together last summer and rainfall has proven to be sufficient for this combination of plants.

With that in mind, I replaced every container on the back lanai with a mixture of bromeliads and other drought resistant plants that will survive mostly on rainfall. It will take a while for them to look full but in the meantime it is a huge job crossed off the never ending to-do's.

Plants combined with bromeliads:
Foxtail Fern (Asparagus densiflorus 'Myers')
Dragon's Breath Hemigraphis
Spider Plant
Florida Sedum Gold
Carex Oshimensis 'Gold Strike'
Cordyline 'Red Star'
Macho Fern Nephrolepsis biserrata
Ornamental Sweet Potato Vine
Lemon Grass
Rosemary

Florida-Friendly Plant Choices

Being in the garden this week with Easter activities was especially nice. Taking a look back at last year's photos from April there is no question the garden is much further along THIS April. Probably due to our 'early' freezes in December and then a steady warm-up in February recovery was quicker and earlier.
Choosing the best plants for our own specific climate (or micro-climate)becomes even more crucial in these times of unpredictable weather patterns. In my garden I've found I'm leaning more and more towards designing with the endurable characteristics of each plant in mind.

Florida-Friendly Dietes iridioides 'Arican Iris' blooms repeatedly all spring (and sporadically throughout summer)with each rainy day being the encouragement it needs to open a new flush of pristine white flowers.

In my zone 9 garden it is also:
~cold hardy
~drought resistant
~divides easily for transplanting
~maintenance needs are limited (pruning dead/dried foliage)once established
~grows in sunny situations or shifting shade

A dapple here and a dapple there of sunshine that shifts and moves around during the course of the day proves to be a challenge for "just the right plants" in "just the right place". But don't be discouraged. In Florida I've found these conditions to be an advantage. Our full spring/summer sun can prove to be brutal on certain plants. High shifting shade from mature oaks offers a great opportunity for tropicals and Florida-Friendly plants that thrive in humid conditions.

Just a few ideas for plants I've found that cherish these conditions and don't require additional water or maintenance:
~Begonias (heracleifolia and rotundifolia)
~Stromanthe sanguinea
~Impatiens (will wilt in the evening sun but perk up by next morning)
~'Variegated' Shell Ginger Alpinia zerumbet (often you'll see this one planted in too much exposure ~~I find they flourish best with shifting shade)
~Variegated Arboricola (Scefflera)(same scenario as shell ginger)
~Blackberry lily
~Queen Emma Crinum
~Buddha Belly (jatropha podagrica)
~Blood Leaf (Iresine)(sited on the edges of shade to receive some late afternoon sun)
~Spathiphyllum
~Lemon lime dracaena
~Cordylines
~Selloum
~Xanadu philodendron
~Coleus
~Apostle's Iris Neomarica caerulea 'Regina'(also can take more sun)
~Bird's Nest Fern
~Caladiums
~Fox tail fern (also performs well in lots of sun)
~Alocasia (Polly & Plumbea)
~Flax lily Dianella tasmanica 'Variegata'(also performs well in lots of sun)
~Variegated Aztec Grass
~Rojo congo philodendron
~Artillery Fern Pilea microphylla
~Holly Fern Cyrtomium Falcatum

Closely observing the specific hour(s) of the day and length of time the sun's rays peek through the branches of trees in each area is invaluable for correct placement. With each season the angle of the sun can also change.

Placing containers of favorite combinations on the outer edges of my tropical pathway adds focal points of brightness where 'pockets' of sunshine are adequate for growth. One of the beauties of contained plants is the flexibility they offer to move them around if needed.
Above photo:
~Macho fern (keep contained or it will be everywhere)
~Coleus 'rose kong'
~Lysimachia 'Golden Globe'

There are a few 'corners' of my garden that receive a full 4-5 hours of beaming sunlight. In these situations I've purposely chosen to group species of plants that prefer dry, hot sunshine. I view these rare places as an opportunity for plants that otherwise won't do well elsewhere in my shady garden.

The damsel fly above is resting on a thin blade of purple muhly grass. Muhly grass REQUIRES a goodly amount of sunshine to thrive. Next to it is white yarrow. Its bright green foliage resembles an airy fern. This yarrow (not sure its name) has a much different foliage than Achillea millefolium. After transplanting divisions of it to several partially sunny locations this site next to the street in the front garden seems to make it the happiest. It's blooming! That makes me happy.

One of the thrilling aspects of healthy gardening that allows predator bugs to eliminate harmful bugs is finding all kinds of new critters that haven't been seen before. I'm thinking this caterpillar is some sort of moth. Anyone know???

The new and exciting compared to the very familiar in an established garden. My garden wouldn't be the same without the dozen or so cardinals that freely flit to and fro from morning until night.

The archway on the perimeter of the circle garden is laden with profuse blooms of Confederate Jasmine.

They only last about 6 weeks so I'm savoring drifts from their sweet fragrance daily.

Below the blooming ligustrum and next to the archway is the grafted Miami Supreme Gardenia. A grafted specimen will have better chances to avoid the nematode problems our Florida soils are often rife with. Intensely fragrant flowers of gardenias are a classic symbol of springtime.

Creating an inviting environment in our garden contributes to the ease in which we make the most of our outdoor life around here. This week we colored eggs on the back lanai with the little ones.

And then while playing in the garden the youngest one discovered a newly emerged monarch. While drying its wings before flight it was willing to sit on our little guy's finger much to his utter delight.

Not the same monarch but another one resting in the dappled sunlight of an Oakleaf hydrangea leaf.

The blooms of the native Oakleaf hydrangea are large and brilliantly white this month. Another shifting-shade-loving plant that requires no additional attention once established.

I'm not sure if bromeliads are officially considered Florida-Friendly.

But my UN-official determination is they are SUPER Florida-Friendly in my garden. I've been using them as easy-to-care-for container plants since they require very little irrigation and they don't shed messy flower petals.

Satisfying the conditions a plant requires will always, in turn, satisfy the gardener. There are many areas of my garden that are nearly self-sufficient after getting fully established.

Sure there is weeding, some soft-pruning, and occasional fertilizing. In general, it's remarkable how much easier life in the garden becomes when we master "right plant, right place" in any given area.

For more ideas on Florida-Friendly plant choices check out Riverview Flower Farms' plant database and the Florida Yards and Neighborhoods' database.

And don't forget to have fun! A most essential ingredient to choosing the right plant for the right place!

Bromeliads: They're Tougher Than You Might Think

There was never a noted time when I set out to collect bromeliads. Even as I write I can't say I intentionally collect them even now although there are hundreds of them throughout my gardens.
As a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure I take them completely for granted.

Around here they are such reliable plants in every season and I get so used to seeing them everywhere that I hardly notice them.

Until the last couple of months.

When this neo's foliage has morphed into the most brilliant red I catch myself staring at it uncontrollably.

Which got me to thinking about the numerous other bromeliads that live here.

Knowing this is a 'neo' of some sort is about the extent of my ability to name any of them. So forgive me for that (please) at the outset.

The cobalt blue glazed pottery is a perfect complement to these remarkably vibrant colors in autumn.
To minimize dragging watering hoses, to the gazillion (hyperbole) container plants located in and around the gardens, efforts are on-going to replace flowers with foliage in a great majority of them. It's taking me a good while to accomplish this idea. But approaching it as a gradual project makes it feasible.
Don't get me wrong. There will always be container plants with flowers. But minimizing their numbers and keeping those that do have flowers closer to the water source makes life a bit simpler.

In the course of this re-design project, I'm discovering bromeliads make a great substitution for flowers in outdoor container arrangements. Mixed with other low maintenance, drought-resistant, less-thirsty plants some creative combinations can fool the eye into thinking just as much color is present as flowering plants provide.

As a terrestrial plant they seem to work beautifully for ground cover at Hoe and Shovel. A concentration of them are tucked in groupings along the tropical pathway and mixed in with other partial-shade-loving tropicals. Sending out pups they multiply themselves.
Many years ago, when I had no idea what I was doing, it dawned on me to stop throwing them away when there were too many coming over the sides of the front walkway. That's when I started placing them at the base of the oak trees in the back gardens.
There wasn't much else back there at the time. They've multiplied like mad. Which makes me happy.

Many bromeliads are epiphytic or capable of absorbing nutrients and moisturr through their leaves. Others are terrestrial and some are both.

They are as diverse as any other species in the plant world. The array of colors, sizes, bracts, and flowering they produce is vast.

The detail found in their foliage of dots, stripes, striations, bright tips, bracts, and flowering characteristics is innumerable. As a matter of fact, often the actual flowers are quite small and insignificant.

In no way do I consider myself knowledgeable about them. If you read the information available referencing what they need it all seems more specific/particular and somewhat more cumbersome than what I've experienced.

Almost confusing.

In general, the success I've had with them has been purely from ignorance and willingness to make mistakes. It's kind-of refreshing not to complicate matters concerning them given the number of plants that don't allow that same simplicity.
There is no fussing or research done to figure out which-ones-do-better-where when it comes to initially siting them. Although in most years I was told that the neos and aechmeas like lots of sunshine and have tried to heed that advice.

Through some trial and error I've taken note of other types that do well in dappled light but take on a more beautiful glow given greater doses of sunshine.

I suppose they probably do require and might even appreciate more specific conditions according to cultivar ~~ more than I know.

My best guess is the tree cover here sustains the atmosphere most of them need to at least perform satisfactorily.
Truthfully, they are one of those plants that I depend on to fill in bare spots without hardly a thought to their care. Remarkably, very few of them were lost even during our harshest freezing winter weather.
Almost all the bromeliads growing here have been passed along to me by friends and neighbors. I truly love receiving them knowing they will take care of themselves.

I mean, seriously, they don't even require "watering until established".
Bromeliads should be much lauded for any garden that supports their basic needs with ample humidity and good circulation. They truly have so many wonderful attributes.
Realizing this now that I've stopped to deeply appreciate their dependable functionality once again.

One additional observation worth noting is the way their leaves collect water like a holding tank. At the beginning of each autumn when our rainy season often comes to a screeching halt I've noticed dozens of bees flying in and out of the largest colonies of bromeliads in the shadiest parts of the garden.

At first I question whether they could be building a nest deep in the shadows. But I've come to the conclusion they are drinking water from these reservoirs during times of lack of rain. Anyone out there know for certain?

See the tiny flowers emerging in the center above. The hot pink bracts are surely the star and the flowers the supporting role.

I'd love to hear your experiences with bromeliads. They really are easier to maintain than you might think.