Monday, May 11, 2009

Container Gardening

Container gardening means more to me than placing a pot or a series of pots at your front door, though I do plenty of that !
I like to place containers in the garden to add height, focal point interest and textural diversity.

Below is a photo of my shade garden gallery in zone 9 Northern California.
The dimensions of the area is about 40 feet long and 20 feet wide.

At the center of the garden gallery is a zinc pot planted with a Cordyline, succulents and aeoniums. Below it sits a series of ceramic ‘nut’ pots ( air brushed glazed, cone 06 firing) planted with succulents.

From Container Plantings


Along with my landscape design work I also sculpt for a living, hence the desire to create a garden gallery to display my personal work as well as work from other artists.

A ceramic pot head :
From Container Plantings


and another
From Container Plantings


and a 3 foot tall sculpture from the Carmen Miranda series :
From Container Plantings


A 38 inch tall celadon strawberry pot planted with Phormium Guardsmans, aeoniums,
echiverias, and an ornamental grass:
( Photo by Marion Brenner)
From Container Plantings


And just to let you know that I do place a series of pots at the front entry, here is my composition in blue :
From Container Plantings

10 comments:

Linda@ Lime in the Coconut said...

Gorgeous...all of it! How, prey tell, would one get ahold of a pot head (other than sculpting it themselves?)

Love 'em!

Deviant Deziner, aka Michelle said...

Linda,
Glad you like the pot heads.
I've seen plain cast concrete pot heads in the Smith and Hawkins catalog.
They look kinda Romanesque in style but could take on a certain personality with the right type of planting.

I'm not set up yet to do production work.
All of my sculpture work is commissioned or designed on the whim.

I've been toying with the idea of starting a pot head line. Maybe I'll start to get serious now that my landscape architectural business has slowed down to a nice normal pace.

Thanks for stopping by and leaving a nice comment.

much appreciated,
michelle

danger garden said...

So much fun - frankly I am surpised how much I love them (the heads), I think it's the amazing color combo's that you put together with the glaze and plants. Your garden looks very inviting!

Phrago said...

Mich, You should see if the name "pot heads" has been taken as a trade mark already, as that would be a great name for your pot company. Maybe you'll get lucky like you did with the name for this blog. Who would have thunk that "Garden Porn" was still available when you started this blog. But it was... Phrago

Steve said...

Linda, those "pot heads" are not only perfectly named for Northern California,;-) , but they are actually stunningly gorgeous. Your pictures are simply beautiful.

thistleandthorn said...

Hi Michele, let me add to the raves! I've long admired your dexterity with succulents and containers. You are an inspiration.
I don't know if these pot heads are your design or someone else's, but the colors and plantings you use knock me out. I feel lucky to have been looking at these pics since your GardenWeb days!

healingmagichands said...

I just came here from the GGW site and I am in love with your containers. I particularly like the Carmen Miranda one, and the grouping of blue pots by your door is absolutely gorgeous.

I've been enjoying walking around your gardens here.

Saxon Holt said...

Hey neighbor - and now garden photographer competitor seeing your winning photo at Gardening Gone Wild. When ya gonna invite the competition in to see the back yard ???

Deviant Deziner, aka Michelle said...

Hi Saxon,
You're welcome to stop on by anytime !

The garden just had a 'clean up' due to an out of town visiting photographer, so it's in pretty good shape with the exception of the tiny front lawn which I am letting go dry for the summer.

stop on by anytime

michelle

Teresa said...

Congratulations on your winning photo. Definitely enjoyed browsing through your garden. It's just beautiful.
Teresa