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Cool Idea: I.V. Self-Watering Plant Pot

casasugar — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 13:00:47 -0700

I once showed you how to make a self-watering planter from a recycled soda bottle, and while the DIY was pretty easy and inventive, I will admit it wasn't the most handsome pot I've ever seen. I'm not someone who thinks we should need to make sacrifices when it comes to good design, so I kept my eyes peeled and was silently hoping for a sexier alternative. Then came the Vitamin I.V. Self-Watering Planter ($375), an ingenious pot that comes with a refillable I.V. bag that regulates the flow of water to your plant with its drip feed. The lightweight fiberglass pot has a sleek, modern conical shape that's a far cry from the do-it-yourself look of that surgeried soda bottle. Unfortunately, I.V. is quite large (as is its price) at 12.5 x 21.25 inches, and is really meant to hold a tree, so now I'm not-so-silently hoping Vitamin will release a mini version for more petite plants.

Cool Idea: Drawer Planters

casasugar — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 08:30:55 -0700

I talk often about various forms of recycling and upcycling, and I've seen plenty of ingenious ideas for reusing what might seem useless. But sometimes you needn't change a thing about a household item to give it a new purpose. Sometimes all it takes is a little dirt. That's surely the case with these old drawers that were effortlessly transformed into planters with some soil and seeds. If you want to try this on your own, though, I'd recommend drilling holes in the drawer bases for drainage. And to think: I spent all that time building my own garden box! Ohh, hindsight.
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Casa Quickie: White Picket Fence Planter

casasugar — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 11:30:18 -0700

Yet again, Martha Stewart wins me over with an ingenious and simple craft project! By gluing wooden plant markers to a wooden planter box, and painting it white, you can create your very own indoor white picket fenced garden. Here, herbs are grown, but you can certainly choose any plant you like. I like the idea of growing grass, such as wheat grass, to replicate the look of a suburban front yard. Throw down a miniature newspaper and a kid's bicycle to create a Truman Show-esque diorama.
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Casa Quickie: Slug Safe

casasugar — Mon, 12 May 2008 13:00:47 -0700

While flowers gardens may be pretty, and herb gardens yummy, one of the realities of gardening is that bugs are inevitable (and gross). I've shown you before how to make homemade aphid spray, but that's not a solution to all insect problems. One garden annoyance I tend to encounter is slugs. You can keep slugs and snails from intruding on your potted plants by smearing your outdoor planter's outer rim with a bit of Vaseline (petroleum jelly). The household ointment will keep the little guys from slithering by and your plants safe from the slugs! Do you have another effective method for banishing slugs?
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Etsy Find: Turquoise and Grey Felted Wool Bowl

casasugar — Mon, 05 May 2008 14:05:26 -0700

Whether you use it to stash keys or as a clever cozy for a four-inch planter, this Turquoise and Grey Felted Wool Bowl ($34) will add a splash of craft and color to your home. Hand crocheted with wool in charcoal grey with a bright turquoise base and band, this bowl is wet felted, dried around a mold to create its shape, and then steam blocked. Seller Papaververt recommends wrapping the plant's base in a plastic bag before setting it in the felted bowl, to assure that the planter won't leak onto the wool. I can think of a million other uses for this bowl, from holding cotton swabs in the bathroom to a cute catchall for my bobbins in my sewing corner. How would you use it?

How-To: Picking Your Outdoor Planters

casasugar — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 08:30:05 -0700

I recently came across some smart tips for picking a planter for your outdoor plants on Domino, and I thought I'd summarize them for you, since it's Good to Grow month, afterall. You probably never realized what a difference the look of your planter can make on your home. So before you go and pick up a classic terracotta for your sleek, modern home, consider these tips like you would a new sofa for your living room.

SHAPE Choose it like you would anything else in your home. Here's a few ways to think about shapes, as they relate to your home.
» Square/Urn: formal, traditional, Colonials, brick rowhouses, stone manses
» Rounded/Galvanized: casual, country, cottages, wood houses
» Geometric: modern, ranch, Richard Neutra-style houses
» Angular: versatile, brownstones, apt. balconies, farmhouses, bungalows

To hear more tips,

Cool Idea: Living Wall Systems

casasugar — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:30:00 -0700

To kick off Earth Day here on Casa, I thought I'd show you a very cool way to bring a little green into a cramped-for-space home or garden. The ELT Easy Green Living Wall ($39 - $249) is a modular-living wall panel that you can buy pregrown or that you can plant on your own. Made of 100-percent recyclable plastic, it is environmentally friendly, not to mention aesthetically pleasing. A vertical garden of sorts, it's a great option for those lacking green space, but it also has a wonderful, modern visual quality that I've seen nowhere else. Each Living Wall looks unique, as its appearance all depends on which plants are used. There are numerous ways to use Living Walls; you can take a traditional route, using it as decor (like a planter), give it function, using it as a fence, or take a modern approach, livening up an exterior wall, as shown. What do you think? Would you buy one (or several)? I kind of want one . . .

DIY: Hanging Grow Bags for Your Plants

casasugar — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 08:30:02 -0700

Instead of dropping dollars on planters, you can make hanging grow bags for your plants, which are portable and simple. If you're growing stylish, colorful flowers, there's no need to get fancy with glazed pots or antique planters. You most likely own most of the supplies needed for this project as well; who can argue with that?

Supplies:

Heavy-duty garbage bag
1 8" X 24" scrap of wood
Staple gun with staples
6- 8 seedlings
Lightweight potting soil mixture
Knife

To hear the steps,

DIY: Self-Watering Recycled Vase

casasugar — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 08:30:22 -0700

This DIY will show you how to make a planter from nearly all recycled (and free) products which will pretty much water itself. Without giving them much attention, you can grow your own herbs, flowers, or other plants. You can continue to re-use the planter, or simply recycle it when you're finished. If you don't like the look of the plastic bottle on your windowsill, you can always cover a recycled tin with some decorative paper, and slip in the planter for a look that's more your style.

Supplies:

1 plastic soda bottle (2 or 3 liter)
Newspaper, aluminum foil, or a bit of a black plastic bag
Twine
A drill or hot wire (to make a hole in the bottle cap)
Certified organic potting mix
A sharp knife (to cut the bottle)
Seeds

To learn the steps,

How Would You . . .

casasugar — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 08:39:00 -0700

Blame it on my affection for Shakespeare plays and Greek myths, but I'm a sucker for satyrs. This Bronze Italian Planter ($5,800) features three cloven-hoofed satyrs supporting the intricately detailed bowl. I think it would look super amazing in a formal garden, but the question is, what would you fill it with?

For this latest How Would You, I'd like you to think about how you would fill this bronze planter. Would you fill it with purple violas? Pink asters? Maybe some long, trailing plants? Or maybe you will fill it with something absolutely unexpected. Leave a comment below and let me know how you'd plant this bronze beauty.

Steal of the Day: Teak Planters

casasugar — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:00:31 -0700

Aside from the occasional crack, I certainly have no complaints about classic, terracotta planters; they'll never go out of style. But, who says you shouldn't mix it up a bit? The Smith & Hawken Teak Planters ($13.99- $18.99) will add a new visual element to your indoor herb garden, without overwhelming your wallet. I love the beautiful woodgrain of teak, and also the fact that these planters' watertight aluminum liners will trap water to prevent staining your floors and tabletops. I say this steal is good to grow in!

In the Garden: A Highrise Planter

casasugar — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:00:05 -0700

I'm tickled by this Cement Cube Planter by PULL+PUSH ($80). It looks like a miniature highrise building with its concrete walls, colored windows, and wood-like engraved textures. In fact, you can think of the plants that go into this planter as a green roof. Designed by Nobuhiro Sato, I think it would look cool on a modern-themed patio, maybe with some galvanized steel pots in the mix.

Nice and New: Galvanized Steel For the Garden

casasugar — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 06:45:38 -0800

As part of its new Spring line of products, Ikea is offering some great-looking (and perfectly priced) galvanized products for the garden. I love the look of galvanized steel — it adds an instant sleekness and modernity to a patio garden, something that sometimes is hard to achieve with ceramic. Even better, galvanized steel is rust resistant, so it won't get funky after Spring showers. With prices starting at a mere 99 cents, it's hard to go wrong with these products. I'm especially fond of the cute galvanized Varen plant tags, which you can write on with pencil to identify your flowers, herbs, and veggies. Check out their full line of new garden products for more Spring gardening ideas.

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DIY: Suitcase Planter

casasugar — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 08:15:07 -0800

Sarah from Modern Roost shared this Suitcase Planter that her brother made, and I think it's perfect for Renewal month. It's also fit for that green-thumb dude in your life. What an inventive way to give new purpose to the dusty, old suitcase sitting in your attic!

To get the supply list and learn the steps,

Love It or Hate It? Interior Weeds Planter

casasugar — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 13:54:20 -0700

This tabletop planter, created by Dutch designer by Arwin Caljouw, is designed to echo the look of weeds growing through the cracks in a sidewalk. I think it's incredibly clever and also very chic. What do you think?via Labour of Heart

Love It or Hate It? Interior Weeds Planter

Love It

Hate It

Undecided