Being a crafty person doesn't come easily to me, or many people, but it's really nice when a project comes together and looks like you've always had a talent for it.
If it turns out more economical (frugal) then so much the better.
So, while brainstorming the other day about how to come up with a new hanging plant for the season, without spending money I don't have, the light bulb came on when I noticed several old bird cages
lying around and one hanging (empty) in a tree.
They've never been used to cage birds, I just thought they were unique to have around.
So, a plan was born and I came up with the idea to create a hanging "cage" of plants.
It's so simple anyone can do it and even tweek it for things you probably already have on hand. Someone with their own business wouldn't be ashamed to charge a lot for something like this,
so surely no one would laugh at yours or mine, however it turned out.
If you garden much at all, you're bound to have old pots, baskets or cages lying around or in the garden shed. And nature will supply the plants and groundcovers and even moss growing under trees. Annuals and perennials you already have growing in the garden or in planters are a plus.
Now, for the thrill of the hunt and off we go to see what we can come up with.
I cut several paper plates for the bottom of the cage and found some bagged moss left over from other crafting projects (you can purchase moss at most any department store in the craft section).
It didn't take long to find several succulent type plants, ground covers and even some ground moss. Most anything will continue to grow if it has enough roots. So I dug deep enough for roots
and kept enough soil with each plant to start anew.
Succulents on the ground that have spilled out of their pot. What a thrill :-)
I found several things in an old broken birdbath that, over the years,
has became a good place to fill up with any extra garden surplus.
There was some nice fresh ground moss under our very old red maple tree.
Now we are ready to begin.
I began to assemble all this by putting the paper plates in the cage first.
(You could also use a pie dish or other plate if you prefer.)
This was followed by the craft moss on top of that. This is good for drainage and airflow.
You could also use Horticulture charcoal (not from the grill) small rocks or pebbles.
Granted, the paper plates won't last forever, but this is a seasonal "eye candy" anyway,
and something which you can always re-pot in the fall if you want to keep it going.
The next step is to add each plant carefully so that everything could receive water and light naturally, with enough breathing room to grow - cos we expect it will!
After a bit of moisture added to the plants and soil, it was ready to hang in the Woodland Garden.
We will see how our crafty little addition does in this spot.
And we can certainly add more soil or plants if something doesn't thrive very well.
It's always nice to see what will grow and do well in the gardens and what doesn't,
and even nicer to know that we can use our own imagination and thriftyness
for that crafty personal touch!
Happy Hunting!
~ Gwen of IRISH ACRES
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