Monday, April 02, 2018

I Love Pots!


Hopefully, you didn't misread the title of this post, but if you did, no one will know unless you tell them.

Nope, the type of pot I'm talking about is the sort you use in gardening. It's normally called container gardening, but I don't always call objects by their normal names. My grandmother didn't go in much for this type of gardening unless she was trying to grow something that was frost sensitive and needed to be moved indoors during the winter. The reason I started buying pots and plants was much simpler:

Have you ever tried digging holes in Phoenix?

Even after soaking the ground with water, you still need dynamite to fashion any sort of decent-sized hole, and if you add tree roots to the equation, it's enough to make you rip out your hair. I dug the holes around the perimeter of the back garden to plant my Tombstone roses and oleanders for privacy, and then I retired the shovel and bought pots. I could move them around if they were placed in areas with too much or not enough sun. I could see which flowers thrived and which didn't. The only problem you run into in this climate is the fact that you have to water your container plants every single day in the summer. I used to have a friend who would stop by every day to fill birdbaths, bird feeders, and water the plants whenever Denis and I went on holiday, but I no longer do, so when I wander past all the pots in the gorgeous Desert Botanical Garden, I have to admit that my lower lip can stick out just a bit.

Since I'm going to be posting six book reviews this week, I thought I'd take you around the Garden to show you some of the containers they have. I've seen these pots move from one area to another, and I've seen some disappear and new ones appear. Since some of them are absolutely huge, I have to wonder if they get damaged while being moved. Let's wander around and take a look at some of them.



Now this one isn't so bad, size-wise!


Here's how this one looked in mid-February...


...and how a cousin looked a few yards away at the end of March.


Desert Roses are perfect for planting in pots.


They even got a new variety of Desert Rose to show off.


I think this one's going to need some work before that crested whortleberry topples over!


See how pretty they look decked out in spring flowers?


These bougainvilleas in pots are gorgeous, but one of their thorns can go through the sole of your shoe. Ask me how I know.


A smaller pot for a smaller cactus.


I'm glad I don't have to re-pot this one-- Ouch!


Although I have learned (the hard way) that cacti like this one with tiny, hairy thorns are the worst. They're hard to see and very difficult to pluck out of your skin!


Agaves and succulents look wonderful in pots.


Newly potted. I'm wondering if they're going to put anything else in this one.

As you can see, the Desert Botanical Garden has different sizes, colors, and styles of pots, and I think they all look wonderful. I'm just glad I don't have to re-pot or move them. And...with my penchant for crime fiction, I know it won't surprise you a bit if I say that some of these pots are big enough to hide a few bodies!


4 comments:

  1. Gardening with pots can really be fulfilling, Cathy. I've tried it a bit, myself, 'though I must admit I absolutely do not have a green thumb. What I like about using pots like this is that they're ideal for the apartment or condo dweller who wants the joy of a garden, but hasn't got space.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, they are perfect for the space challenged.

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  2. This was fun and I enjoyed it. We don't dig much in our area either. Not that you can't turn over the soil, but there is so much limestone in our area - several quarries down the road. We have incredibly 'hard' water and big, big rocks. I am not any kind of gardener at all. Truly. I can kill plants by looking at them. It's a gift. LOL

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  3. Love these photos with cacti in post. I wish I could use them but I can't in an apartment where every growing thing has to be on or right neat a window sill.

    But one can dream.

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