Dear Friends,

I invite you to watch my gardening segment on the Hallmark Channel show, "Home & Family" airing on Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013 at 10AM EST.

Have you ever wanted to make a "string garden" but didn't know how to do it?

I'll be demonstrating the basics on the show and writing a step by step blog post later this week for you to enjoy.

 

 

String gardens are "no-container" hanging plants and are also known as "kokedama" planting arragements.

These unique hanging plants are expensive when bought but very inexpensive to make!

 

Set your recorders for the "Home & Family" show, and if you like what you see, please post a comment on the Hallmark Channel discussion forum!

Check your local listings for broadcast time in your area.

 

 

The Home & Family show is a unique talk show centered on home and family topics!

Hosts, Cristina Ferrare and Mark Steines welcome experts from every facet of lifestyle including cooking, crafts, design, gardening, relationships, celebrities, fashion and more!

Let the producers know how much you appreciate seeing gardening segments on the show.

Look for Home & Family on Facebook too!

 

Thanks!

Shirley

 

 

 

Low priced gardening containers found in supermarkets?

Keep your eyes open and you will find super deals for gardening products in unlikely places such as your local grocery store.

This is one of my favorite stories of how I "stole" some garden pots from my grocery store!

 

To the left of the entrance doors of  my local Pavillions supermarket  is the floral department.

It's offerings are nothing special, just your typical mini roses, gift azaleas and "foliage plants."

Oh yeah, they have balloons there too.

 

On the day I "stole" the garden pots, there was a big box jutting into the entrance area.

I had to walk around it to enter the store.

A young, lanky clerk was busy moving the box and I could tell he was exerting himself.

Whatever was in that box was HEAVY!

 

The young mans forehead was dotted with sweat and he spoke in short sentences as he tried to conserve his energy for the laborious task before him.

"What's in the box?" I asked, typical of my nosey self.

 

"Ah, I don't know…some stuff for gardening," the teen answered with dispassion.

 

"What kind of stuff for the garden?" My curiosity was piqued.

Anytime I hear the word "garden," I'm all ears.

"Some garden pots..I'm not sure. It's a special shipment for a sale we are having." he continued.

 

 

"A sale on pots? Since when does Pavillions sell garden pots?

Can I see them?" I asked

 

"Would you mind waiting until I take them out of the box?

If you are shopping for stuff, why don't you come back in 20 minutes?"

The young clerk seemed to be running out of patience to continue the conversation with me.

There was no preciseness to his language, everything was just "stuff."

 

 

 

 

The pots that were on sale are a glazed terra cotta and large enough for my container-planted tomatoes!

 

The clerks impatience with me just made me more curious!

The words "pots" and "sale" in the same sentence had a lot to do with it.

 

"Here, let me help you. I have to leave soon and want to see what you have."

I started pushing the box out of the way before he could accept my offer.

 

The clerk froze in silence  as I had my way with the box of mysterious gardening "stuff." 

A cardboard sign that read, "$39.99"  sat on top of a stack of garden containers?

I picked it up to see what was underneath.

Bingo!

There were some huge glazed terra cotta pots that provoked a closer look.

 

I asked him to help me take a pot out of the box.

He agreed but was not happy about it.

 

As the container was lifted, I could see that it was a beauty and not a bad deal for $39.99!

I started sweating…not from the heavy lifting, but from excitement!

 

 

 

I spoke with bated breath.

 

"Wow, this is gorgeous!

Such a  deal for $40 dollars.

How many do you have?"

I was willing to take the whole box full.

 

 

"I have six of them but the price is wrong, I have to make a new sign."

 

"Oh, great," I thought to myself, the price did seem too good to be true.

 

The clerk continued, "They are supposed to be $9.99, not $39.99"

 

I couldn't believe my ears!

There was no way these pots could cost only $9.99.

I buy pots all the time at wholesale prices and I never paid $9.99 for pots of this size and quality!

It had to be a mistake.

 

I knew I had to move swiftly and with purpose before any of the other shoppers  saw them.

This was the steal of the century!

 

"Don't take them out of the box, I'll take them all!  

(There was no way I was going to pass up this opportunity).

 

"Let me get someone to help load these to your car.

Do you need to make a couple of trips for them?" He asked.

 

"No, I can take everything now. I have a truck.

"I can help you," I said with a smile.

 I'm used to heavy lifting, this is no big deal."

 

The young clerk thought I was weird.

He didn't say a word but his baffled expression revealed his feelings.

 

Maybe I had a deranged look on my face.

The kind of expression someone has before they are about to commit a crime….like "stealing" some garden pots from the supermarket!

 

Explore More!

Read my post on "How To Make A Thriving Container Garden With Less Soil" on SnapGuide.

Tree Box Holiday Planter 

Most people who plant large trees purchase them in wood box containers.

You can find discarded tree boxes in dumpsters sitting in front of newly planted yards or piling up at a contractors yard.

Such a shame!

 

Once a person plants their tree, they look for a way to dispose of the large planters.  

I'll take them, and you should too.

 

Re-purpose wood containers as holiday planters, like this creative design I saw at the Renaissance Esmerelda Hotel in Palm Desert!

This design caught my eye and is easy to duplicate.  

 

Holiday planters can be expensive, especially one this size.

If you notice a neighbor doing a landscape project, ask them if you can have a couple of their tree boxes.  

 

This scrap wood  tree box container takes on a new life as a silver holiday planter.

 

Tree branches are also re-purposed as a sculptural tree.

See what a little  spray paint can do!

 

Tree Boxes as Raised Vegetable Planters!

Another idea for using tree boxes in the garden is to plant them with vegetables.

Tree boxes make fantastic raised garden beds.

Watch what my friend and landscape designer, Marilee Kuhlman did with hers.

 

  

For more ideas about creative garden container designs, subscribe to my blog, Eden Makers!

 

EdenMaker DIY:

Next time you trim your plants, don't add the "waste material" to your compost like you are encouraged to do.

That's right, I'm offering you advice that goes against the grain.

Why compost "certain" plants when you can use the cuttings (trimmings) to create new plants, or even a gorgeous container garden!

 

That's what I did!

 

I had two planters that needed some pruning but I was in a creative mood. I was itching to produce a work of garden art from my refuse material! 

 

1. Trailing sedum                                                              

 

  2. Bulbine 

The first planter (1) had overgrown trailing sedum that needed to be trimmed. The second planter (2) was home to a bulbine plant that was bursting at the seams and needed to be divided and repotted.

Perfect "donor" plants for a new container garden, I thought.

 

 

Echevaria

 

After gathering my cuttings, I noticed some fledgling echevaria plants  peeking out of another planter, "crying out" to be saved from under the weight of it's decaying mother plant.

How could I resist? 

 

 

  Echevarias, bulbine and other cuttings ready for planting     

                              

I Need a Container!

So you think I was going to go out and buy a container for my cuttings? How silly! Of course not.

I was in the mood for "FREE" and I was confident I could find something to repurpose as a planter around the storage shed. 

 

But first, my future planter had to meet some requirements:

 

1. Made of non-decaying material and stand up to water.
2. Made of material that I could drill a drain hole into without cracking.
3. Be of more value as a planter than as something that I never use!!
   

 

Repurpose a Copper Container!

 

I discovered a neglected copper beverage container that was destined for another purpose.

I reasoned that if it was designed to hold ice, it could  function  as a planter.

A little soil and water won't hurt it. 

Copper beverage cooler = great planter!    

 

     

I drilled a few drainage holes at the bottom of my new planter to ensure good drainage. Succulents are not fond of excess water.

 

  

Ups A Daisy planter insert 

 

Before adding soil, I placed an  Ups A Daisy planter insert into the container, about half way down.

The Ups A Daisy insert functions as a barrier between the plant and the bottom of the planter.  Since the plant is suspended away from the bottom of the pot where water drains, roots are never sitting in water.

Another benefit of using a planter insert such as the Ups A Daisy is that less soil is required to fill your container.

Lighter containers!

 

 

                                     

I filled my planter with "cactus mix"

You can purchase a special "cactus mix" at the garden center for planting succulents or you can make your own.

Here is a recipe by Jeff Moore as seen on the Fine Gardening website for you avid DIY'ers

 

I arranged the succulents along the perimeter and created a backdrop of bulbine behind them. I draped the pantyhose in the open area between the plants and tucked them in.

Pantyhose for the garden

 

Panty hose  are binding, suffocating and too hot to wear in Los Angeles. But like many things, they can be used in the garden.

Panty hose make a great soil barrier and keep some of my finishing touches such as colored glass or designer gravel from sinking into the soil!

  

 I topped the panty hose with tumbled, colored glass.

 

Colored glass is a sparkling accent that provides year-round color to the succulent container garden. The glass also highlights  the subtle colors of the succulent petals. 

 

 

This stylish succulent container garden only looks like a million bucks! Plants were free and the container was lost treasure!

 

What can you make from what you have  sitting around your yard?

Want to learn how to propagate other succulents? Watch my video: "Multiply This Plant"

It's fun and easy.

 

 

 

 

 

Many of my container gardens are made from repurposed materials, plant cuttings, anything that strikes my fancy at the moment.

Here’s a little “eye candy” and design ideas  for the container garden enthusiast!

 

Create a vignette using inexpensive “Coca Cola” glasses from the dollar store, filled with gravel, sand and succulent cuttings.

The mosaic bottle unifies the look.

 

 

A repurposed  muffin pan filled with moss makes a creative container display for succulent cuttings.

 

 

Orange tumbled glass adds color to my bromeliad while I wait for it to bloom!

 

 

Metal Figure Model + Common Annuals= Uncommon Combo!

 

 

“Sacred Succulent Gardens” add sculptures or figurines to your pots

 

 

“Simply Sorbet!” Don’t be afraid to add containers within containers.

Contrasting colors are striking.

 

 

Earthy Textures and Statuary for Your “Meditation Garden”

An art statement!

 

 

Zinc Planter Trio- “A Garden Within a Garden”

 

 

Just add the bunny and make this simple planting combination, special!

 

 

Design Tips

Use statuary and garden decor in your containers to add personality or to create a mini-themed garden.

Stack contrasting colored pots or pots of the same color for added dimension and drama

Use colored recycled glass as a mulch for your container plants for year-round color.

Anything that can hold up to water without rotting or leaching toxic chemicals into your container can be used as a decorative figurine.

Don’t be afraid to experiment and add your personal style to your garden!

This blog post is part the Garden Designer’s RoundTable group blog event today.

Please visit these other talented designers for more inspiration!

Please feel free to join in with a comment here, on our Facebook Page, or on the individual blogs themselves; your thoughts and experiences add to the conversation in such a nice way (and we like to know you’re there!)

 

Enjoy.

 

This month’s bloggers!

Christina Salwitz : Personal Garden Coach : Renton, WA Debbie Roberts : A Garden of Possibilities : Stamford, CT Jenny Petersen: J Petersen Garden Design : Austin TX Jocelyn Chilvers : The Art Garden : Denver, CO Laura Livengood Schaub : Interleafings : San Jose, CA Rebecca Sweet : Gossip In the Garden : Los Altos, CA Rochelle Greayer : Studio “G” : Boston, MA Lesley Hegarty & Robert Webber : Hegarty Webber Partnership : Bristol, UK Scott Hokunson : Blue Heron Landscapes : Granby, CT

There are many holiday gift ideas waiting for you right outside your door in the garden!

 

Use Plants and Recycled Materials!

It's another "recession Christmas" for most people but I'm not going to let this financial challenge get in the way of my gift giving this holiday season!

So, get ready my friends for your "living gifts" from the garden.

 

Here are seven of my favorite projects and crafts that I've culled from past Eden Maker blog posts to inspire you!

 

 

1. Mixed Lettuce Bouquet (or other seasonal vegetable)

 

 

I put together this mixed lettuce bouquet from my garden as an unconventional hostess gift.

I picked the lettuce thirty minutes before leaving the house to preserve as much freshness as possible.

The  lettuce leaves were washed and rolled in a moistened paper towel and aluminum foil.

Read the rest of the post: "Unconventional Hostess Gift: Mixed Lettuce Bouquet

 

 

2. Palm Frond Recycled as a Succulent Planter!

 

 

 

Is the wind blowing palm fronds onto your street?

Don't be so fast to throw away this debris.

I was impressed with some clever succulent planters that were created by a group of  Los Angeles Arboretum volunteers using re purposed natural materials like palm fronds and hollowed tree stumps..

Read the rest of the post  "Succulent Planters: Would You Believe Palm Fronds?

 

3. "Living Tapestry Pillow"

This succulent pillow is a  Shirley original, as far as I know, (a vision came to me for it while watching Citizen Kane ).

Inspiration comes from the most unlikely places!

 

I created the "Living Succulent Tapestry Pillow"  for my  presentation at the "Epcot International Flower and Garden Show" in Disney World last year.

Read the rest of the post  "Living Tapestry Pillow"

 

 

4. Miniature Rose Garden in a Container!

 

What do you do with those cute miniature roses that you can buy at the supermarket, big box store or discount outlet?

Take them out of their pots and make them the star of a container miniature rose garden!

Read the rest of the post "Create a Miniature Rose Garden in a Container!"

 

 

5. Hanging Edible Container Garden

This hanging, edible container garden makes a great gift.

Re-purpose kitchen items that can handle water as containers for planting herbs, like this onion hanger  from the "Dollar Store."

Read the rest of the post "Edible Gardening Containers from the Dollar Store" for more ideas like this.

 

 

 

6. "Antique Dresser Re-purposed as a Potting Table!"

 

 

Are you handy with a paint brush?

Here's an idea from one of my garden makeover segments on HGTV.

An antique dresser can make a great potting table.

Read the rest of the post "Garden Furniture as Art!" for a few other clever  gift ideas for the DIY'er to make.

 

 

7. "Artistic" Container Garden

Plants are inexpensive and mixed with "garden sculptures" or re-purposed decor, they can be transformed into an artistic, one-of-a-kind gift!

Read the rest of the post "Container Gardens That Catch the Eye!" for more ideas like this.

 

I hope some of these ideas provide a stimulus for your own creative gifts from the garden!

Thanks for reading and I invite you to watch my weekly, online Garden TV talk show, "Garden World Report."

The latest Garden World Report Show is called, "Garden Center Holiday Tour" and features tours of garden centers all over the country decked out for the holidays and more!

It’s Fall and many cold climate gardeners are bringing their plants indoors.

The focus of this week’s Garden World Report is “Indoor Gardening” to  inspire gardeners to be as creative indoors as they are with their outdoor plants!

The impressive show lineup includes:

Paul Epsom, host of the PBS “Victory Garden” show and podcast. Paul will take us on a tour inside his home to view two of his unique tabletop gardens.

Billy Goodnick, blogger at Garden Wise Guy will debut his “Crimes Against Horticulture” series

Mark Highland, president of the Organic Mechanic soil company will lead a tour of the Longwood Gardens conservatory and annual Chrysanthemum Festival!

Jenny Peterson, a landscape designer from Austin Texas shows us how to make an “Instant Succulent Wreath” that can be used as holiday tabletop decor.

Dan Eskelson, landscape designer and talented musician who will present a special music video inspired by his gardens.

I’m going to share “professional design tips” for indoor garden arrangements and preview the “PotRiser” on Garden Center TV.

I hope you enjoy the show. It will be looping on the video player until next Monday when a new Garden World Report show is posted.

You can access archived shows and individual contributer videos at GardenWorldReport.com by selecting the “Latest Videos” tab.