Planter Projects Spilled Flower Pot: Gardening Outside the Container
A spilled flower pot is a charming alternative to everyday container gardening projects. Unlike typical potted plants, this creative take on gardening consists of planting outside the container.
get startedHere’s What You’ll Need to Get Started
– A large flower pot
– True Temper Excavator Digging Shovel, found exclusively at Lowe’s
– 1.5 Bags of 64 qt. Potting Soil
– Mulch
– Colorful Flowers
Gather Your Supplies
We chose a weathered barrel planter for our spilled flower pot. This decorative planter is not only lightweight and durable, but its diameter is just wide enough to create the effect we are looking for! We also picked up some potting soil (we ended up using 1.5 bags of 64 qt. mix) and some mulch. We chose black mulch to bring out the vibrant colors in our flower assortment. We also needed a sturdy shovel to dig a hole for our barrel, so we picked up a True Temper Excavator Digging Shovel at Lowe’s as well. This particular shovel from True Temper is designed for increased penetration into the soil than a standard digging shovel.
Map Out Your Garden
When you’re shopping for your supplies, it’s a good idea to map out your spilled flower pot right there in the store. It doesn’t have to be a perfect replication of what you have in mind. The point is to get a good feel of how many flowers you will need.
When choosing flowers, make sure they all have the same water and sunlight requirements. All of the flowers we used for this project are Annuals, require at least six hours of sun, and need to be watered at least twice a week or more often when dry. For the assortment, we chose yellow French Marigolds, orange Zinnias, pink Zinnias, pink Pentas, and pink Vincas.
Place Your Planter
Position your planter on the ground where you want your flowers to spill out. It should be on a smooth, even-leveled spot on a surface that is easy to dig.
Dig a Hole for the Planter
Dig a hole about three inches deep and about the width and length of the planter. This hole will secure the planter in place after you create your spilled flower pot.
Nestle the Planter in the Hole
Pour potting soil so it looks like it is coming out of the planter. You can even sprinkle a little on the inside of the planter to make it look more realistic. We surrounded the planter with a little bit of soil as well to make it look more like a garden bed.
Make the Markers
If you place the flower planter trays directly onto the fresh soil, they will leave little indications behind. You can use these as markers when you’re planting your flowers.
Create the Spill Effect
Plant your flowers coming away from the planter. Be sure not to place any inside the actual planter as these will not get enough sunlight and may die. Continue planting your flowers the length of the soil, keeping in mind the shape you are trying to accomplish.
Sprinkle Mulch
Sprinkle mulch around the spilled flower garden to bring out color and to give it a more finished look.
Now that your spilled flower pot is finished, water according to the specific needs of the plants!
Check out these other container gardening projects!
