"It is well to remember that the entire population of the universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others." A.Holmes

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Spot on Sedums

I am going to show you some of the ways I plant and display sedums around our place. Above is a planter of sedums that is hung on a fence by my husband's espalier trees. This area is hot, and since my husband does not want a lot of vegetation around the base of his fruit trees, hanging plants on the fence works well. The sedums can withstand and thrive in the hot and cold extremes of this little area. Below is a better view of the sedum basket and one of the trees.
Sedums in an old chick feeder.
Another sedum filled chick feeder ( below). This one is placed atop a fence beam, also exposed to weather extremes." Sedums: This large genus contains about 400 species of succulent annuals, biennials, perennials, sub-shrubs and shrubs native to the northern hemisphere." The Plant Book
I have also planted sedums, and other hardy plants in old chicken waterers. I have a lot of them, brought home to me by my father who worked in a salvaging and recycling yard on the Puget Sound shipyards. He knew I would appreciate them. This is an old , leaky dove and pigeon waterer. (below) I have hung it on a fence post near my chicken pens in the back area of our property. "Quick growing plants, sedums vary widely in habit from carpet forming to upright up to 3 feet tall." The Plant Book The sedums below are planted in an old black granite- ware roaster and sit atop our oil tank. The freezing winter and blazing sun, made even more extreme by sitting on the metal oil drum, have not killed the plants. The sedums thrive here, look..they are sending little runners out to start new plants. I got creative with an old birdhouse that lost it's roof. A small metal bucket filled with sedums fits in the roofless bird house nicely. I have seen chickadees checking this little house out and I think next year, after the sedums cover the roof, chickadees will move in and raise some young. What do you do with another old metal bucket and an old wood chicken...fill the bucket with sedums, plop the chicken in it and hang it on a fence near the chicken pens. "Sedum leaves may be cylindrical, lanceolate, egg-shaped or elliptical and the five-petaled flowers appear in terminal sprays." The Plant Book Sedums offer me a lot of ways to be creative with my planters and the junk I can't bring myself to throw out. All my sedums bloom every year, and I have patches of it that when in bloom are just beautiful! The best part of growing sedums is they thrive in those areas of our yard and gardens that most other plants will not, and sedums make me feel like I have a very, very green thumb! "Sedums make excellent hanging basket or pot plants." The Plant Book Blessings : working in the garden, enjoying the garden, waiting on God for answers to prayer, answered prayer

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good Morning Kathy, I love sedums and especially love the way you have yours planted in containers that are special keepsakes. I have the best success with Autumn Joy planted directly in the ground. I love the cozyness that your different containers give your home and garden. You are in my heart and prayers.

Karen said...

I especially like the hanging basket with the rooster! Great ideas.
Still praying!

Wobegon Cottage said...

Is sedums easy to grow anywhere like "hens and chicks". I am looking for something to put in a water feature-We have to many trees that are constantly sheding something and the pump clogged,I was cleaning it ever other day so I gave up the water and would like to plant something that wound do well in a shallow container--about the depth of a bird bath

Southern Comfort said...

Your ideas are so cute. I can't believe that I don't have any sedum. I'm going to change that right now. I've got a lot of old containers and odds and ends sitting around-even an old mailbox that I could plant. Thanks for showing us more of your beautiful place and inspiring us to beautify our area.

noble pig said...

I love the old blue bucket, so rustic looking and welcoming even. All your ideas are adorable but that one is my favorite.

Flower said...

Sedums are a favorite of mine! You have so many creative ways to put them around the farm! There is always room for another! I have some in tins, scattered through-out the flower beds..you've given me more ideas!!
Yes, I do can but mostly freeze the produce from our garden. I have big plans, an outside propane stove and hot August mornings full of putting up the harvest! How about you?

Nancy M. said...

I love how creative you have been with where they are planted. Especially the ones with chickens, lol! I need something easy to grow. It seems I kill all flowers and plants.

Shelley said...

I love where you planted your sedum and your planters are all lovely!

Brenda Kay Ledford said...

Kathy,
What wonderful ideas for places to plant your sedums. The photos are beautiful and you've found so many creative ways to plant these. Great posting. Thank you for visiting my blog. Blessings!

Thistle Cove Farm said...

lovely but what happened today??? We've been praying like mad!

Mary Humphrey said...

Kathy, you are after my heart with your "junk" that you make beautiful things out of. There is nothing better than something that someone else might find useless, and (we) find beauty.

I am also still praying (and asking Him a lot of questions), hoping for a silver lining, and there is one, there always is...

Sandy said...

I love all the ways you have displayed your succulents. I was in a nursery last week and they had a fantastic succulent garden planted in a huge bird bath. I'd love to cultivate a succulent garden.

Jennifer said...

I love all the neat and interesting planters you have them in! How cool and a good way to recycle things as well!

Thank you very much for your great comment about NAIS on my blog today! (I wrote more in response to you on my blog but I didn't want to clutter up your comments section with stuff unrelated to your post.)

Leslie said...

One of my favorite types of plants. I don't have enough of them either. Unfortunately some varieties do not do well in our dry climate and others do fine. Hens and chicks are one of my favorites but do not do well here unless in partial shade and watered daily in the summer. I too love all the containers you have. They are so cute.

KathyB. said...

Mildred, we have a lot of Autumn Joy too, especially since it is our daughters' name! The autumn blooms it produces are so pretty.

Karen, thank-you!

Wobegon Cottage, yes, hens & chicks are also sedums. And most sedums grow well just about anywhere, but I don't think they will do well IN a water feature. Around it, yes.

Southern Comfort, from the pictures of your place I know sedums will do well there! And most sedums bloom profusely, bright yellows and pinks, whites...orangey reds.....

Noble Pig, blue is almost always my preference, and i am partial to it too.

Flower, I use a big outdoor propane stove for canning and dyeing my wool...I have not had good luck with freezing my vegetables, but I do freeze fruit.

Nancy, sedums will do well at your place, why, they do well in our gravel driveway....without additional watering too.

Shellmo,thank-you. They do well on porch railings too.

Brenda Kay, thank-you! Your poetry is very good and very expressive...

Thistle Cove, I will update you tomorrow...when I know.

Mary,I have been getting rid of some junk, after all, sometimes junk is just that, junk. I have so many of these waterers that I have been selling them with the plants well established, at the Farmers Saturday Market. Other people appreciate them too!

Miss Sandy, your gardens are beautiful, sedums would do so well on your rockery...but anything you plant there will be perfect for your gardens,can't wait to see how your garden grows!

Jennifer,I went back and read other comments and your replies. Too bad the truth about NAIS is more than most people want to know, it does not SEEM relevant, yet!

Leslie,I have always thought that if I lived in the desert , as you do, I would build a walled garden and fill it with sedums, a fountain, and potted plants. Of course I would have my birds in big cages outside...a walled paradise or oasis in the desert!

Lanny said...

I enjoy all the places you tuck your sedums. They are a delight to your visitors.

Connie said...

Kathy you are indeed very creative with all your different kinds of planters and your sedums. This was fun to see. :)