The Reality of Winter.......

The reality of Winter hangs on here in Southwest Missouri. On top of our normal cold temps Mother Nature dumped a load of snow in our neighborhood while she was on her way to Boston. This season of cold slows our production a little but we keep plugging away. Today I sanded what was dry in the cold frame and stacked it on a pallet. I could have carried it to the pile outside but I dislike walking in the snow or having my feet slide out from under me on the ice. Notice the snow pile just outside the cold frame.......

Why We Build Pots.......

Our first papercrete pots were built because we wanted a specific sized and color of pot to display dwarf and miniature plants. Oh how things morph over time as we experiment with a variety of plantings plus accessories. I begin to wonder am I building pots to match the plantings or do I find the accessories and build a pot to match my finds. It is the old which came first the chicken or the egg question rehashed. Either way the journey is exciting!

The fairy houses pictured are the result of a chance meeting at a craft show. When a ceramic artist meets a plant geek who likes building small gardens the magic happens. Spring is just around the corner and it is going to be fun to put all the elements together.

Papercrete Mold and Results...........

Always game to try something new so I re-purposed some one by six fence pickets into a geometric shape then recreated it in a smaller size. The molds are then filled and stacked accordingly to create a double decker star shaped planter.

I am anxious to see this planter filled to overflowing with succulents. Until warm weather returns I will refill this set of molds multiple times. I think this one will be a winner with gardeners.