Garden Photo of the Day

Looking to unlikely materials

Michelle Gervais, Associate Editor

50 users recommend

Click to enlarge.

Michelle Gervais

Click to enlarge.

Michelle Gervais

Click to enlarge.

Michelle Gervais

Click to enlarge.

Photo: Michelle Gervais

Add Comment
Print

When I pulled into the parking lot at Atlock Farm a few weeks ago, this was the first thing to catch my eye. After admiring the intriguing mix of plants and the massive, drool-worthy metal container, I noticed a peculiar thing. Is that a tire at the base of that pot? It is! How cool! According to Ray Rogers, who "plays" at Atlock (did I mention, the other day, how awesome this nursery is? Cats....), Ken Selody, the owner of Atlock Farm, bought the urn from an Atlock customer who claimed it was part of the duPonts’ original dynamite plant in Delaware. It was once lent to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, who used it in a competitive display at the Long House Reserve in East Hampton, where it was judged by Martha Stewart...and won.  The tire is from an old (and big!) reel mower used on the sod farm that Atlock was carved from. Ken thought it had a nice pattern, and since he needed something to stabilize the round-bottomed cauldron, the two were married. The bottom half of the cauldron is filled with stones, then landscape fabric, then potting mix with lots of composted chicken manure. Here are the plants in the design:

Papaya (Carica papaya, USDA Hardiness Zones 10-11)
Autumn sage (Salvia greggii cv., Zones 7-9)
Lanatanas (Lantana camara cvs., Zone 11)
'Fireworks' fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum ‘Fireworks’, Zones 9-10)

Want tips on how to design your own stunning containers? Click here.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Welcome to the Fine Gardening GARDEN PHOTO OF THE DAY blog! Every weekday we post a new photo of a great garden, a spectacular plant, a stunning plant combination, or any number of other subjects. Think of it as your morning jolt of green.

Sign up to get new posts delivered to your inbox each morning so you'll always remember to take a look, or subscribe to our RSS feed. We look forward to sharing our garden travels with you.

READER PHOTOS: We love featuring your photos, too. If you think you have a photo that we should share on the Garden Photo of the day, email us. Send hi-res images if possible. We'll only respond if we plan to use your photo.

Add Comment Print

A pool that belongs

Back to List

Garden visiting through the eyes of a 5-year-old

Comments (3)

tractor1 writes: Lovely planter but that ugli cement block has to go, detracts from the naturalness.. has to be a flat natural stone somewhere... Posted: 6:46 am on August 4th

ncgardener writes: I love the ingenuity of the items. This is wonderful, especially the usage of the plants to draw the eyes up and add a sense of flair. Posted: 6:45 am on August 4th

Deanneart writes: Great container and planting! Posted: 6:12 am on August 4th

You must be logged in to post comments. Click here to login.