Creating a welcoming sight.

21 comments

During the ‘summer’ when we were out and about, I spotted a trough dripping with flowers on the outside of a five-barred gate. A bell rang in my head – I just had to make one for our gate! I went out and bought the trough but it really wasn’t the right time to plant it up. So it’s been languishing in the shed – until today!
Helpful husband had made brackets to go over the gate and screw on and it just hangs on these.

The first job was to decide what to plant for the winter. No problem! Retail therapy at the Garden Centre – I had decided on a base of crocuses and dwarf Narcissi. That was easy! I chose Crocus ‘Ruby Giant’ and Narcissi ‘Hawera’.

I found small Skimmias – I had measured the space and thought that three would do just fine.

That provided the height to the trough. I needed something to trail, and Ivy seemed the obvious answer. I found two types – one was more expensive, because it was already trailing, so I splashed out on that and two much cheaper small ones.

The last important purchase was a pack of four pink Polyanthus for colour. They will complement the flowers of the Skimmias when they open.

Having planted the bulbs, I placed the pots in position to check that the balance was right.

This is the finished trough.

I had to choose a medium-size trough to make sure that it wouldn’t make the gate sag – I didn’t want any trouble from my husband complaining! He is very long-suffering… A larger one would have been lovely, but hey, I did it! And I like it! The only thing I don’t really like is the coir lining. I shall try to find an alternative when I re-plant the trough.

So here’s what you see from the lane as you pass our house. I think it’s a welcoming sight. I had fun creating it, too!

14 Oct, 2008
5 likes

Comments

Sandra

its lovely and the coir will soon blend with the ivy. i used black sheeps wool last year.

14 Oct, 2008

Chrispook

Great idea Spritz. We've got an ugly cast iron gate and railings. I'm thinking about your idea, but I can hear a few groans from the direction of my husband. I think yours will look fab next year. I will investigate what's available here. The planters may have to e the plastic kind.

15 Oct, 2008

Blodyn

It looks great Spritzhenry.
I'm thinking of buying a gate now so that I've got somewhere to hang one. lol
I hope you'll put more photos of it when the bulbs are in flower.

15 Oct, 2008

Amy

It looks lovely Spritz , It has given me ideas for my gate , we have a 5 bar gate entrance as well except that it is an old metal farm gate and wouldn,t look as nice as your wooden one !

15 Oct, 2008

Grenville

I'm a happy boy Spritz- Its colour themed!
Very nice colour combination and a lovely idea.

15 Oct, 2008

Andrea

This looks good, and very welcoming. I had a similar idea for planters this year in summer, there is a picture of one in my photos on page two. The planters were designed to hang on the larchlap fence at the side of the house, and my husband insisted they would bring the fence down, it only weighed about 2lb............men, what are they like!!

15 Oct, 2008

Spritzhenry

Thanks, Andrea - I just had a look at yours. Pretty. Have you re-planted them for the winter? What did you line them with please?

15 Oct, 2008

Andrea

They are wire flat-backed holders that have 2 hooks to catch over the fence panel, and I just popped a black plastic plant pot in each, so they didn`t need lining.
I spotted them at a local flower show and am really glad I bought them.
I planted them up with begonis, fuschia, spider plants and baccopa (I think, thats what it was - its the taller plant with little white flowers ). and some ivy.
Actually they are still going strong, the spider plants are sprouting new plants, so I think I will pot these up and keep in the greenhouse for next year.

15 Oct, 2008

Andrewr

Spritz - if you have a tree (or access to one) with peeling bark, how about using some of the bits that have peeled off to mask the coir liner?

15 Oct, 2008

Spritzhenry

Well - the only tree that sheds its bark is the Eucalyptus and the bark is the same colour as the coir! Maybe moss will be available in the spring next year?

15 Oct, 2008

Bonkersbon

Here they use chicken wire to prevent moss falling between the rails.Several years ago we had really bad floods in Malton a few miles away. The levels rose so high that ducks nested in these byres ( based on cattle feeding stalls ) . As levels dropped little ducklings trapped half way up house walls and people went round with buckets to collect them and return to river.

15 Oct, 2008

Spritzhenry

Ooooh! There are ducks in the farm next door - I shall have to watch out, won't I! You know that the lane floods, don't you!

15 Oct, 2008

Bonkersbon

Judging by the speed at which water flows by in some of your pics those ducks would have to time their jumps pretty well Spritz!

15 Oct, 2008

Grenville

Ive seen dark green coir rectangular and circular liners for sale in garden centres that are not so intrusive as the brown ones for hanging baskets and troughs.If you used bark it would probably fall out easily, as the gaps between the bars in your planter are quite widely spaced apart.

15 Oct, 2008

Spritzhenry

Thanks Grenville - I shall keep my eyes peeled for them.

15 Oct, 2008

Spritzhenry

BB - they fly, don't they? The ones next door do, anyway, and we often see Mallards flying over the garden!.

15 Oct, 2008

Bonkersbon

Aye they do of course but not to their nests.They dont fly direct to them as walk or swim . Hilda Ogdens never flew though.

15 Oct, 2008

Grenville

Bonkers ,
Do you remember- one of Hilda Ogden's ducks was always making a nose dive for the ground!