I just found these at Target. I bought 2 in different sizes. I am not sure how it is intended to be used but I thought I would try to line it with moss and plant over the entire ball so I get a ball of color.
It opens and flips up. I am not sure how I will do the top half.
Hi Kell,
What a lovely idea! Why don't you try using the coir liners that one sometimes get to line hanging baskets? That way you won't have to struggle to keep the growing medium inside (especially on the top half).
http://www.rolanka.com/index.asp?pg=coirliners
Elsa
Kell let us know how it comes out. Sounds like a really neat idea. Look forward to seeing pictures.
Patty
Kell ... Please post photo's when you get these planted up! I bet they will be Gorgeous! What a great idea! I've not seen anything like that at our Target ... in what department did you find them? I'm going to Target today and would love a couple of those for planting and hanging on my deck! Home Depot and Lowes sell those choir basket liners ... I use them for my wrought iron hanging baskets and they last a long time.
They were in the nursery. They had 3 sizes, the big one was so big I was afraid it would be way to heavy filled with dirt. They also had a lovely metal 3 part screen type thingie. I immediatey saw morning glories going up it. But I couldn't see where to stick it in my yard. LOL. I went back to buy it anyway and it was gone. Shoot. I was hoping it would be on Target online but it is not.
Aren't the coir liners dense and hard? I want to side plant so I will need to be able to separate it to get the plants in.
Patty, I hate to tell you but the only Target we have in CC is a really small one with little inventory!!!!
The coir liners are dense and hard..........you could get rid of that and line it yourself with wet spaghnum moss...>>>?????????????
Kinsman carries all kinds of things like this but they are real expensive........they do have an online site........
A pair of sharp scissors should cut through coir liners (I saw a basket recently that had coir liners that had pre-cut holes but I don't remember the store). I buy liners at Lowe's which has some decent prices.
Oh Kell, that will look lovely when done! Best of luck to you, I'm not sure I would know where to start! LOL
This might help with some ideas. I think this is a great container and planned to order some, but haven't done so yet. http://lawnandgardenspecialties.com/product_info.php?products_id=61&osCsid=73cc578a298af4df0b2ce0c0b49ebd4f
Great find Kell. I saw in a magazine with pansy and a another with succulents,and they were both gorgeous.
Patti
I plant in coir and just cut holes through with a sharp knife and then trim with scissors.
Here is an awesome website to share with you Kell and others.
http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/2002/archives/2002/in_the_garden/gardening_tips,_books,_techniques_and_tools/succulent_ball
Here is another site. http://www.abc.net.au/overnights/stories/s1928356.htm
This message was edited Jul 3, 2007 3:53 PM
What a great idea .... I love that look even though I'm not really into succulent plants! I might just have to do that with flowering plants of some sort!
Patti: Thanks for posting those links!
You are welcome Lin. Pansies are gorgeous in as topiary ball.
Patti
This message was edited Jul 3, 2007 5:10 PM
I wish I could grow Pansies here Patti ... they are so pretty and colorful. We have Pansies at our garden centers in early Spring sometimes ... late Februray .... but they don't survive long at all. It is just too warm.
the best thing about using succulents is that you can mix and match, get lots of different colours and they are fast growing!! It would be stunning!
Here is my favorite company out of England....a local nursery lady will order if anyone wants them here locally........they are my verrry best company !!!!!
http://www.mailordercentral.com/kinsmangarden/
edited to say that i put the 5 foot hay racks (3 of them) across my niece's house, lined them with spaghnum moss , then used chicken wire, reached in with wire cutters and cut the chicken wire wherever we wanted to put a 4" plant..........they were gorgeous, I promise you.l
This message was edited Jul 3, 2007 9:32 PM
Oh Gail they are stunning. Thanks for the website I addded it to favorites. :O)
Patti
Patti, they are prettier in person than online.........they truly are the best of the best.........and never rust or wear out.......a big investment is true......but they last forever..........
I had every intention to plant these up in the last 2 days but I never got to them. I hope I will get to them tomorrow. I sure want to see how they look.
WOW Rose, those succulent balls are so fun. I see the holes in the ball itself are smaller than my balls so I think I will wrap some wire around it to make them smaller so they hold the moss in easier.
I would love to see pictures of what you made Gail. Sounds so pretty! I do not quite get what you did with the chicken wire though.
PlantladyLin, we plant our pansies in late fall here and they bloom all winter for us. Same thing with snapdragons and calendulas.
Kell, where are you going to hang that flower ball?
Kell I am looking forward to see whatever you do with topiary balls.
Patti
that's what I'm talking about!!!!
I love, love, love the use of non-traditional items for container gardening. I'm definitely copying the ball idea.
my Target has no nursery. what is wrong w/ them????
Nery, You can take two wire basket and wire them together to make a whole ball. If you can't find the wire balls.
Patti
I think there are now Super Targets food/nursery ~ WM knock offs...
We have 2 Super Targets here in our city, but they don't have those balls. I like Rose318/Patti's idea of wiring two round iron baskets together to make a topiary type ball for planting! I still haven't done it, but it's on my to do list!
Hey Kell,
Just wondering if you planted that really cool ball. I looked for them but no sucess in finding them. Would like to see a picture . I was thinking they would look cool with staghorn ferns, or maybe even orchids.
Linda
It took me FOREVER to find this. I remember really liking Kell's garden sphere and hoping I could find one to put in my garden. Shortly thereafter I did find some smaller ones which sat in the "project closet" for about 6 mos.
Here is one of two balls. I'd guess it is about 6-7" in diameter, like a large Christmas ornament. I lined it w/ sphagnum moss, then added soil with lots of perlite, closed the ball and started inserting my succulent cuttings. so far, so good.
Then I have a small one, more like 4-5" in dia. with I'm decorating w/ hens & chicks. Not ready yet. Pic to come later. I plan to hang both on low tree branches once I see they have rooted.
This message was edited Dec 15, 2007 5:16 PM
another view
That is so cute Vossner. I have tried to find the balls with no sucess, which is really ok because I would never get around to planting it anyway.lol I sure like yours though.
Linda
I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with yours Kell!
Vossner, that is great! good idea to use succulents, I don't think they need as much attention.
Thankyou for this interesting thread. Terri
Awesome Nery. I been wanting to do the same thing. If I can only find time. LOL
Thanks for sharing. :O)
Patti
hello, Vossner
Long time no see on dave's. I love those balls........thanks for sharing with us
Nery, I love it!!! I think it will look spectacular when it's all filled in!
Hey Kell? How'd yours turn out?
yes, Kell, let us see yours.
Also, I was at H Lobby on Saturday and they had a small birdcage for 1/2 price. It occurred to me it would be nice to add a chain to it, sit a nice small potted vine inside the cage, and hang it somewhere. I may go back to get it. But husband is giving me such a hard time about thrashing our landscape with too many cutesy-wootsey doo-dads. He's raining on my parade, lol.
Go get that cage! LOL
This message was edited Dec 31, 2007 8:54 AM
LOL, Tell him doo dads add character to a garden - but then there are those dreaded hurricane threats when you have to run around and pick up all those doo dads so they don't become missiles in the wind. That is when I get angry with myself for having them. Every year I say no more and every year more stuff moves in to my garden. Pitiful
Anything, including the lawn chairs which aren't light weight, become missles in the daily wind we live in. I don't have anything outside but chairs that I have to put in the barn if there is a hurricane threat.
I haven't found a "ball, But DH built a wire wreath that we/he has been working on
it still has a few spots to fill in, So far it has Ferns, Broms and succlents.
Vossner, We also have a Bird cage with a Hindu rope in it, You can show it to DH
to prove it isn't cutesy-wootsey doo-dads.
Pheadra
Front of wreath
Back
Birdcage
