Project: Stock Tank Planter

What? How do I have time for a project? Well, there's no way I would have either the time or energy for a project if it weren't for my wonderful husband, Rob, and my wonderful parents offering to pick up the girls on Saturday so that we could have a whole long morning to ourselves. Well, Ian was along for the ride, and I should give him credit. He's an amazingly patient baby with all the car rides involved.

The first car ride was to Tractor Supply Co., to pick up a 2'x4'x2' stock tank. Actually, Ian wasn't along for that particular ride. But he did come with me to Barton Springs Nursery to choose and purchase plants. (Not surprisingly, he didn't give any opinion on the plant choices. I'm sure Rachel would have, had I brought her.)

Then he came with me when I picked up bags of spare packing peanuts from neighbors, and when I headed over to Red Barn Garden Center to pick up garden soil and mulch. I pulled the "my baby is asleep in the car" card that time, and just pulled up to the front, left the car and A/C running, hopped out to purchase the items at the front, and asked the cashier to have one of the guys load it for me. Years ago, I wouldn't have dared bend the rules like that. But I didn't have 3 kids then, and I know now never to wake a sleeping baby if you don't absolutely have to.

Finally, after my failed attempt at borrowing a pickax from a neighbor, I strapped Ian into his carseat once again to accompany me to the Home Depot. I probably got some sideways glances, hauling an infant in a carrier on my chest, and a mattock in my cart. Oh well! I promise I was extremely careful.

Here's the stock tank ready to fill, in approximately the same spot it's in now.

I used the mattock to punch drainage holes in the bottom. Apparently it was a louder process than I thought--right as I was finishing, my next door neighbor (opposite side of the house from this) and my previously-napping 3-year-old came around to see what the commotion was. A few whacks didn't quite punch through, but most of them did. Thanks to Robin at Getting Grounded and Lori at the Gardener of Good and Evil for the pickax idea!

Another idea of Lori's--to add drainage and save money on garden soil, I started with a layer of (free) packing peanuts at the bottom. They floated up and fluttered down like snow as I poured them in, and again when I tossed in some rocks.

Here's the rock and packing peanut "casserole".

I threw in some cardboard tubes that have been through a couple of rains in the backyard. I guess they'll eventually decompose, but for now they might help with drainage maybe.

After the first couple of bags of garden soil...

Full of soil (to the top bend in the tank, which I believe would be called a "chime", as it is on a transport drum.) Atop the soil waits a clump of 'Alphonse Karr' Bamboo (Bambusa multiplex). This is one of the most expensive plants for its size I've ever purchased, so I sure hope it works out.

At this stage, the project was fast, easy and fun. Pick up a plant, scoop out a hole for it, remove the pot, break up any compacted, circling roots, carefully lower it into the hole and tuck the dirt back in around it. With loose garden soil, it couldn't be easier.

Here's the profile with only the bamboo planted.

I positioned it close to the back of the tank, where it'll get mostly shade. This is on the West side of our house, which is a challenging spot with morning shade and afternoon sun. Plants that can hack it here will have to be able to survive some temperature extremes.

Next, I dropped in the two potted Bicolor Iris (Dietes bicolor). Note: This is not a true Iris. But it is a tough, attractive plant for hot, dry climates. I'll have to preferentially water the bamboo in the back.

Then, I tucked in the Sparkler Sedge (Carex phyllocephala).

It doesn't exactly screen the A/C unit yet, but I am optimistic about this time next year.

Finally, I added Silver Ponyfoot (Dichondra argentea) to cascade down the front, and Purple Heart Setcreasea pallida) to fill in and spill over the side and back.

Silver Ponyfoot--this would already cascade down the side, but I nestled it into the tank, hoping it will take root and form a mat, then start fuller-looking cascade, rather than the lone dreadlock look.

Here's an overhead shot of the Purple Heart on the side of the tank, still in bloom.

Here's Purple Heart at the back.

This is the view looking into the backyard. Someday the plastic Adirondack chair will be replaced with a nice bench, and a large planter on the other side of the bench. I'd love to replace the existing wood fence with a metal bar gate at some point. I wanted to screen the A/C, trash and recycling, but I also want to create more gathering spaces around the garden, even in quirky, odd little spaces like this one. The kids love playing in these rocks, so I figure this will be another place where Rob and I can enjoy watching them play.

Here's the long view from the front sidewalk.

Here's the finished, mulched planter.

Have a seat, stay a while...

January garden update

 Yesterday while Rob took the girls to Natalie's dance class, I spent some quality time in the garden, for the first time this year. Cedar fever and cold weather have kept me indoors so far this year. I was thrilled to get back outside.

Amazingly after all the freezing nights we have, the ginger and Turk's Cap I planted last year are still going, as is the row of plumbago that seem to be indestructible. All look a bit faded, and there are some browned leaf edges and a few ugly stems I'll prune away in February.

I'd like to transplant at least half of the Plumbago Jungle to a couple of beds in the backyard. I might break it up in the front yard with evergreen Japanese Aralia, as David Meeker of Porthole Design suggested.

The plumbago looks okay this year, but in several recent winters, it has died back to the ground. It always comes back, but leaves an ugly bare spot for a few months until it does. For 8-9 months, it is covered in pretty periwinkle blue blooms. Natalie and Rachel are fond of picking these and giving them to me. It's a good thing we have an inexhaustible supply.

 The loquat we planted at about this time last year (2012) seems to be thriving in the sunny spot formerly occupied by a diseased Mimosa (Albizia julibrissin) that Rob cut down the year before. It hasn't bloomed or set fruit, and perhaps it's too young--the ones I've seen blooming around the neighborhood are considerably bigger. 

 It's almost invisible in the photo above, but there's a Texas Redbud (Cercis canadensis var. texana) nestled up against the fence on the east side of our house.

 

 In the backyard, in Natalie's garden I ripped out a dead Cherokee Purple Tomato and a depleted and frost-damaged sweet basil and transplanted an overgrown oregano to make room for bare-root Brazos blackberry and a Heritage raspberry. I don't have high hopes for the raspberry, especially after I waited so long to plant it that the roots probably dried out.

The remaining green in this garden comes from an overgrown Buttercrunch lettuce, an artichoke in the back left corner that has yet to bloom, and a couple of garlic plants and shallots.

Natalie and I harvested a nice, fat Danvers carrot that she grew from seed. We had decent success with these carrots this year, which is saying something, considering I've never attempted to grow carrots before, and Natalie is 3 years old.

  



I opted to dig up a Snowflake leucojum bulb I had planted in November to make room for a Blanc du Bois grape along the NW fenceline, facing SE. I don't know if it'll make it as a potted plant, but I thought I'd give it a try. Here it is against a wall on the SE side of the house.

 

I gave the Senecio succulent hanging basket a haircut, and stuck the cuttings in some leftover potting soil from last year's long-gone plants. It's probably not the ideal potting mix, but this is such a hardy plant, I figured it was worth a shot, and besides, I have nothing to lose.

I added a cut stem of Kelanchoe, from one I stuck in the ground last year. It originated as a grocery store potted plant that Rob gifted me for a birthday one year. This little Kelanchoe has survived my worst neglect, even lack of water for several months during the Summer from Hell of 2011. We'll see how it tolerates cutting and replanting.

 

I trimmed back an overgrown Catmint and my little Butterfly Garden nook along the back fence -- Bougainvillea and Tropical Butterflyweed. I don't know whether they'll come back this year. Bougainvillea has always eluded me. I thought some pruning and a sprinkle of fertilizer might help. I cut back the Tropical Butterflyweed rather severely, after noticing that it has buds forming all over the stalk. I figured it might bush out if pruned drastically, and a bush form would be lovely.

 Rob gave me a couple of Cyclamens for Christmas. Plants are a favorite gift, of course, but often present a new challenge. I have nothing to do with his selections, and he often comes home with a plant I've never attempted to grow before. So it is with Cyclamens. I kept them on a windowsill and watered them sparingly for the three weeks or so since Christmas. They were looking so puny, I figured I'd have to repot them. I found this rectangular clay windowbox and it seemed like an attractive option, so now I am trying out the Cyclamens in the backyard, in a semi-shady spot near the Kelanchoe.

One of my experimental spots in the backyard is an impromptu bed I made from some languishing Vinca hanging baskets and wild Morning Glory that started as a weed when this was the trashy part of the yard. I bought the flower trellis, and last year the Vinca/Morning Glory combination was delightful. A few of the Vinca branches succumbed to recent frosts. The Morning Glory has died back completely, as I suspected it would. I hope it'll be back in the Spring.

Rachel loves to pick the Vinca flowers, which are white and pink and always blooming in hot weather.

 I have 2-3 cinder blocks I may repurpose as a sturdier border for this bed, until I can afford something nicer. Right now old chopped up roots and trash logs are doing the job.