Thought I would post this as a bit of fun and to get some advice from you great gardeners. This year I've got lots of plans for the garden after spending most of last year doing the heavy work of putting in 5 raised beds and a soft fruit garden. This year I'm focusing closer to the house in the kitchen garden. This is the area we spend most of our nights in whilst eating dinner etc. I've got three main features in this area, which at the moment are eye sores rather than features. So i have two options either throw them out or add to them to make them a feature. I hate throwing things out.. So i've added pictures below of the two tree stumps i have and the chiminea. in the hope you guys can give me some suggestions. I'm in zone 5 with the two tree stumps getting full sun and little shade. and the chiminea I would like to move into partial or full shade. Heres the pics Chiminea or plantpot ? ( photo / image / picture from Danjensen's Garden ) Unfortunately its too cracked to use anymore, but the top fits a 6" pot perfect and obviously a great hole in the front for flowers. Tree stump 1 ( photo / image / picture from Danjensen's Garden ) Not sure the picture shows it correctly but it has a great grain to it and is actually quite nice to look at. I've been considering the obvious of a vine. Specifically either carolina Jasmine, evergeen clematis or possibly a honeysuckle Tree stump 2 ( photo / image / picture from Danjensen's Garden ) not as nice as the other stump but has a nice collection of lillys at its base Thanks for any suggestions you can give.
Since stump #1 has good grain, how about a couple of hanging plants off the stubs, and let the grain show? Stump #2, how about turning it into a feeding station? Add a platform bird feeder for sunflower seeds, a hanging finch feeder, and perhaps a shallow watering station at the bottom among the lilies? You could even add a hummingbird feeder if you wanted. The chiminea, I think you already have that figured out!
Well I know what I would do with the chiminea! I would put soil in the opening and have my herb garden in it. The trees would look good with a mandevilla or something similar. Would not plant honeysuckle as they spread too much and tend to take over. At least here in the south they do.
Thanks guys. I haven't considered hanging baskets that could be a wizard of an idea especially as the wife loves them. I like the idea of the bird station, I love to photo graph them. Would you flaten the top of the main stump and put the platform on there? Thanks for the advice on the honeysuckle, the mandevilla looks great unfortunately i doubt it will handle our winters in zone 5
Actually, I'd leave the top of stump #2 just as it is. The birds will appreciate a place to perch while they "peruse the menu" and a feeder up there might be hard to reach.
Stump one: You could make a smallish re-worked bed at its base and plant a clematis in it...possibly two. Stump two: a feeding station is a good idea, removing the feeding thing and replaing it with a bird nesting house is another idea. Perhaps one with glass on its side so that you could have a look inside one and awhile. The Chiminea could be moved closer to the patio and you could use it on cooler evenings in the spring and fall...to warm you when you sat outside drinking tea or coffee.
thanks guys. we picked up three hanging baskets this weekend. So will be using them this year and seeing how they go. it will be close to my kitchen veg patch so easier to water. cant use it for fire sjoerd, as its got a bad crack and i reckon further heat will break it. planning to put some impatiens in it and move it to a shady spot near the house.
OH...I see--well, that thing does have an interesting look to it, Dan. The impatients sound a good idea. I assume you mean down below where the fire would be. As for the upper end of the pipe perhaps you could make a fairly deap hanging basket out of small-hole chicken wire and fill it with a porous liner, moss and rich potting soil....let it sink down into the hole, but with bent-over edges of the wire being crimped onto the lip of the opening--you know, to keep the basket from sliding down into the tube. Because there is a "lip" on the upper opening--you could make the chicken wire basket large enough to extend well past the lip and then use wire to bind it securely BELOW the lip--this making it virtually impossible to slip down inside, because of the weight. You could plant any hanging, drooping plant in it and let it cascade down the chimney tube. Another plus would be that when watering the plant above--the excess water that would drain out the bottom would go to the impatients below, watering them as well. Just a thought, mate. I hope that it is clear what I am trying to explain here. At any rate, I hope that you have fun with that thing and enjoy the flowers very much.
yep sounds good, i was thinking abut the watering yesterday with the same idea that it would do both at the same time. i've actually found a pot that fits snuggly into the top opening. just need to try it with some weight in it. i was going to try and do the same for the opening, but if it doesn't work your chicken wire is a great idea. thanks
Those are all marvelous ideas. I especially like the suggestions for the chiminea. Can't wait to see what look like all full of flowers and birds!
Hey Dan, I just wanted to add my 2 cents worth to the other ideas as well. Invest in a package of the Soil Moist crystals if you plan on going with the idea of planting in your chiminea. Add them to the potting mix when you plant your plants. They retain a lot of moisture. During the hot part of the day you'll really need them if you aren't home to water the plants. Plug the chimney down quite a ways so your plants have quite a bit of soil mass to set their roots into and have adequate amounts of moisture. If you just set the potted plants in the top they may be blown out if you have any wind and they get light.
thanks guys carolyn, thanks for the advice on the water crystals. i was planning on getting some for the chiminea and the hanging baskets.
Thought i would post some pictures of how your suggestions came out. quite proud of how it looks and worked out in the end. still plan to add a third hanging basket to the tree. and still thinking about the other tree trunk with the bird feeders. Chiminea with clay pot on top and Impatiens ( photo / image / picture from Danjensen's Garden ) Used Impatiens and they seem to be thriving in the full shade of the corner. hoping to see the impatiens in the bottom expand out and fill the opening. Going to putting some natural yoghurt on the cracks this week as it should be great location for mosses on the terracotta. Old tree stump with hanging baskets of mini roses and petunias ( photo / image / picture from Danjensen's Garden ) Hanging basket ideas worked great, my plan is to get the hummingbirds. had one visit to the roses so far but hoping the petunias will help. planing on one more hanging basket higher up on the right. Any suggestions for a red flowing plant that will cascade down? full sun location. thanks to everyone for the help hope you like the pics
Dan, everything looks good. Are you looking for an annual for the basket on the top? the only thing that comes to mind quickly and easily obtained are petunias. There are some really pretty new varieties available and you are getting to the time of the year that they are starting to get marked down and you may find something really showy and pretty reasonably priced. You may be able to find a "bag" planter. these are a plastic bag instead of a basket and only appear to be trailing, but the effect is the same or find something that is a combination planter, maybe something with some trailing foliage instead of trailing flowers. Sweetpotato vines are foliage but have orchid/pink petunia like flowers.
Way to go! They are looking awesome! I too would like to hear about a red trailing plant... so I'll keep my eye out for the suggestions you'll be getting.
