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ddsmsm

Looking for flower pot tower directions

ddsmsm
19 years ago

I saw a cute idea made from clay flower pots and a metal rod at our local home improvement store last year. They don't have it on display this year and I'd like to make one for our yard. Does anyone know how to make this?


It had a large flower pot filled with dirt as the base with a metal rod vertically in the middle. Then, it looked like they placed a flower pot on the bar through the bottom hole and then tilted the flower pot so that the inside of the rim was resting on the bar. They kept on doing this to the top of the bar using larger pots on the bottom and getting smaller as they went up. Then they filled everything with flowers.

I don't know how they anchored the bar in the pot, how tall it was, pot sizes to use, and if they really did use the center bottom hole to thread the pot.

Any help would be appreciated.

Comments (28)

  • Vickie56
    19 years ago

    I saw the same thing you're talking about at a craft show. They wanted $20 for the instructions. I passed on that. The rod was rebar and it had about 4-5 legs welded onto the bottom to give support. Then the pots were threaded onto the pole. I didn't look close enough to see if he used the original drainage hole. Hopefully someone will be able to fill in the blanks for us.

  • cheyjohn_z5
    19 years ago

    This sounds like a great idea. No one else has responded yet, but I hope someone will. Can't we figure this out though? I have never seen what you are referring to, but from what you wrote I have an idea, I think. I am confused about the legs on the rebar though.

    What I am thinking is that the rebar is pounded into the ground for stability? I have used this idea at times in my garden. The pots leaning in different directions would be easy enough. I have pots here and I think I am going to give this a try. I wonder if there is a way to set this up so that when you watered the top pot, it would run down through the others. You could hang something from a tree that would drip into the top pot. My mom and dad have a cabin but don't get there everyday in the summer to water their plants so have to be careful what they plant. This might be something that would help them too.

    Ok, now I am excited, and it's supposed to be 70 today!

    Chey

  • ddsmsm
    Original Author
    19 years ago

    The one I saw did not have legs showing at all. The bottom was a flower pot about 20" in diameter. I don't know how the rebar stood in the pot unless it went into the ground through the bottom drainage hole. The pots were larger at the bottom and got smaller as it got taller. Each were angled so that the top inner rim rested on the rebar.

  • Vickie56
    18 years ago

    The *legs* on the rebar would not show. They will be buried inside the bottom pot. They were welded onto the rebar to give it support, to keep it from leaning from the weight of all the pots. This guy used a metal bucket for the bottom pot, then used clay pots to finish the tower. His rebar did not go through the drainage hole of the bottom pot. The legs were what kept the rebar vertical. His plant tower did not have plants in any of the pots, so we got to check it out pretty good. Hope this makes the leg thing more clear. This may or may not be done without legs, I don't know. I guess if you wanted the tower out in the yard, you could pound the rebar into the ground. I want mine up on the deck, so I'm thinking I'd need the legs. My husband can weld, so I think I have a weekend project in the making.

  • victorias_garden
    18 years ago

    I made one of these last summer, and it's still standing - waiting to be planted with annuals this year. I took some rebar and just pounded it into the ground with a mallet. Taking 5 or 6 pots (varying sizes) I started with the largest pot and threaded it on the rebar through its drainage hole 'til it rested on the ground. Then I filled it with potting mix. Took the next smaller pot, threaded it on the rebar through its drainage hole, and with the pot bottom resting on the rim of the larger pot, tilted the second pot until the top edge of the pot rested on the rebar. Then fill it with potting mix...and so on...and so on, tilting each pot alternately on the rebar (half the pots tilted to one side and the other half of the pots tilting to the other side). This was a VERY easy project and from start to finish - even planting the flowers in the pots - took maybe 30 minuts, if that much.

    Don't need "legs" - the stack of pots will NOT fall over because the pots are staggered and the weight is distributed. Just make sure that you drive the rebar into the ground far enough to support the weight - I'm not very strong, but with a mallet I was able to make light work of this (wait until after a rain to drive the rebar if your soil is very heavy). Also, and this is obvious, buy a stick of rebar with a diameter that will thread through the drainage holes in the pots. Hope this helps.

  • Lillie1441
    18 years ago

    Could you possibly post a picture? I'm not getting exactly what you are talking about but it sounds interesting.
    Thanks............Lillie

  • ddsmsm
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Victorias Garden,

    Approximately, what was the length of rebar that you used or about what height did you make the tower?

  • Vickie56
    18 years ago

    Well, I made mine last weekend. My rod was about 4 1/2 ft. I didn't use legs either. My tower sits on my porch. My rod is just packed into the bottom pot. Like Victorias Garden said, I did it by myself,it took about 30 min, was very easy, and is now very pretty all filled with flowers. My tower has 5 pots. Have fun making yours.

  • ddsmsm
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Thanks for the reply. I hope to try it this weekend.

  • cheyjohn_z5
    18 years ago

    Ok I just tried this with a small piece of rebar scrap to see how it worked out. I didn't have any dirt and I think that may have been part of my problem. My pots won't rest on the pot below when tilted, so I am guessing they are a bit different than VG7's pots. I am also thinking that the pots rest on the dirt of the pot below? I gave up and figured I would wait til I got some potting soil. I am also trying to think of what flowers to put in so that they grow like they are spilling out of some of the pots.....

    BTW, this thread has really fascinated me ever since I read it. Once I nail this I plan on making it again as a gift for my mom and dad. Thanks so much for all the info shared here.

    Chey

  • Bec_No_Va
    18 years ago

    Easiest way to do this~ use terracotta pots in 5 diff sizes, use a bottom saucer, get a stake long enough to reach through all the pots, fill first pot with soil, thread on the next pot, fill with soil and do this until last pot is filled. Then plant around edges of all pots and you have a "flower tower" now it won't lean , it'll be a straight tower. Hope this helps!

  • Bec_No_Va
    18 years ago

    Add on to last message, I guess you could "lean" the pots,and they would rest on pot underneath. There are a lot of flowers that will "spill" down, trailing vincas, petunias, lobelia etc. Have fun!!

  • michelle422
    18 years ago

    I found something called an "agro-tower" on line that has some great pictures. I also like the idea of anchoring with PCV pipe so you can thread a watering hose up and let it drip down and over.
    My husband is going to be rolling his eyes again because I think I am going to have to obsess about this project till I get it done. Oh well!!!!

  • cheyjohn_z5
    18 years ago

    Michelle422 I am curious how you get the PVC pipe up through the pots. Or I guess more curious how you get the hose through the PVC. I could be picturing this all wrong, but wouldn't the PVC be in the ground?

    Chey

  • michelle422
    18 years ago

    I asked my hubby and he said he could drill a hole thru the pot and thread one of the small tubes that we use for container watering and a pump.......I think things up and he somehow manages to make it happen. My talent lies in the thinkin' up part! He is one of those handyman types who can build just about anything!

  • jhmatheson
    18 years ago

    You can go to www.FriendshipGarden.com and see how they have done theirs or you can buy them from them. They are really neat. I do not have anything to do with them. I just bought two of them at a garden show.

  • ddsmsm
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Thank You for the link. The tower shown looks like the one I saw. The only thing that is different is the size of the base flowerpot. The one I saw looked larger.
    Thanks again.

  • Jaxxchica
    18 years ago

    Okay I must be having a deet deet moment, cuz whenever I go to that site I get a gourmet food website. Can someone help out.

    Thanks

    Deb

  • FLYONAWALL
    18 years ago

    Jaxxchia, go to the website, click on "Products" where you will find "Gifts" (click on that). It's the only gift they sell. Hope that helps.

  • Jaxxchica
    18 years ago

    Thanks very much. I just didn't click enough :)

  • coppertop367
    18 years ago

    oh that is awesome!!!!! I have got to try that! Thanks for the link too!

  • babblingbetty
    18 years ago

    Can I jump in right here? Thanks so much for the link...a fella's wife that my HD buys hay from has one of these in her garden....I always have admired it..now i can make one for myself! Would this concept work for a water feature?

  • kcsunflower
    18 years ago

    BabblingBetty , I thought the same thing about using water somehow..with a pump...It would have to be simple..cause I would be doing the work... Any ideas out there?? I definately will try the flower pot tower...Seems easy enough and use it as a center to a garden that I want to create in my back yard....Thanks... Everyone!!! Karen

  • gardeningdiva_swokla
    15 years ago

    http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://copelandcandles.com/userimages/tower%2520drawing.jpg&imgrefurl=http://copelandcandles.com/page/1fjhm/COPELAND_PLANT_TOWERS.html&h=443&w=330&sz=21&hl=en&start=38&um=1&tbnid=xuDGX6VpsuQWMM:&tbnh=127&tbnw=95&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtilted%2Bflower%2Bpot%2Btower%2Binstructions%26start%3D21%26ndsp%3D21%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26channel%3Ds%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN

    has a good picture of what the tower looks like. I have one, I used azalea pots on the top, and smaller ones going up also. Its great for hot weather tolerant plants (like petunias, begonias) I have to water it frequent due to the clay not holding in moisture. I love it!

    Here is a link that might be useful: Plant tower example

  • laurastheme
    15 years ago

    The Garden Junk forum has photos.

  • Crafty Gardener
    15 years ago

    Tipsy pots ... I have some directions and a couple of photos on my blog.

    Here is a link that might be useful: The Crafty Side

  • mott_findlay_edu
    15 years ago

    Looking for the same. Found the pictures, should be easy enough to do on our own. Try connecting to the following site: http://www.gardensandcrafts.com/tipsypots.html.

    Enjoy!

  • craftylady-2006
    15 years ago

    I was looking for something else on the GW forums and came across this forum and your post about "tipsy pots." I participate in the GJ forum and there are some very talented folks there who make the tipsy pots.

    You can use a regular size 8 to 12 inch pot as a base but some start with a larger base flower pot/container. Put a length of rebar through the pot hole and well into the ground, The rebar is about 5 or 6 feet tall, however tall you want it to be but not so tall, it's going to topple over. Next, slide the next pot onto the rebar through the pot hole and when you get to the base container, tip it so one edge of the second pot is resting on the edge of the base pot. Continue sliding pots onto the rebar through the hole and alternate the position of the pot from the one below it. Some folks have the pots all the same size, some use gradually smaller pots as they go up the rebar.

    Fill the pots with enough potting soil to fill the bottom and then put your plants in. Fill in with extra soil but not to the very top as you would if the planter were on the ground. Watering them can be tricky because if you water the plants too fast, it's going to wash out the soil before the plants are established and hold the soil in. That's why you don't fill the pot to the top with soil. Watering slowly with a watering can is more appropriate for the tipsy pots. I'm sure you all know that with terra cotta pots, the water has something to seep through but with plastic or ceramic pots, the water is not going to drain out the hole as it would if used normally. That's why using a watering can to wet the soil is most preferred and as with any plants in pots, you have to water them more often. Have fun, I hope my instructions helped.

    Sal