flower box advise...

[Salyc]

OK, so rather than doing an update, I am going to look for advise…

I am looking to make a large ground seated flower box. Basically 2 feet wide, by 2 feet tall, by 6 foot long. For this project I am planning on using the 8 foot landscaping timbers and cutting them into 2 and 6 foot segments. Then in order to construct the box I was planning on stacking them in a log cabin formation, alternating the timbers to add stability. Then drilling a ½ inch diameter hold at each corner to run a pipe or rebar into and probably one on the long ends half way down.

I am doing this for a project at home, but if it works as well as my vision I was thinking of a few for camp. Maybe at the top of the steps leading to the S1 cabin( the cabin I sponsor).

My question is do I need to put any sort of sealer or apoxy between the timbers to prevent leakage? If so what would work?
I keep picturing a heavy rain, and all the soil oooooozing out between the layers.
:confused:

[Prairie]

Hey Jai,

Your plan would result in quite a strong structure. You might want to consider using tie nails (of which i have a supply). these can be predrilled as you suggest and used to secure several layers each. They would be alternated in successive layers. That alone goes far toward securing such a structure against "leakage." If you can save a quantity of newspapers, you can unfold sections to make sheets several to ten or so layers thick. These can be laid in the bottom so they run up the sides of the wooden tie structure. Once anchored by the initial blobs of dirt, they are quite stationary. Make sure they don't fall down as you fill the container. The dirt inside will press the paper into the surface of the ties. Leave enough extra at the top for the paper to conform to the shape of the ties and settle without tearing. The paper will last about a year. After that, the soil will have settled so that erosion into the cracks is not a serious concern. Also,
containers tend not to stay put for many years at a time. If used for annuals, they can be moved about and modified each year. If they contain longer-lived perennials, the roots themselves check erosion. It all depends on your purpose. Nothing is permanent.

Blessings,
Prairie

[Salyc]

I LOVE YOUR GARDENING USED FOR NEWS PRINT… It creates such a natural barrier to the weeds and all such lovely things J I have honestly not fully decided what I am going to plant in it, but the structure it’s self will be fairly permanent.

I am hopeing that is works out well and we can use this design at the cabin and maybe even elsewhere…


Kiss Kiss,
Jai
"Life is not tried, it is merely survived, If you're standing outside the fire"

[Rusila the Red]

I just had a mental image of ivy or vines growing down the side in kind of a cascading effect...what a groovy idea! If this works out well, I can think of places other than S1 where flower boxes could go. The don't even need to be limited to the 2' x 6' size - two 4' x 4' could really give a cool "bookend" type of design. The possibilities..... :excited:

You mentioned something about other places this might go - what did you have in mind?

[Salyc]

Well I was going to wait til we built the 1st one to see how it worked, but I was thinking of some of the older signs, and a few locatins that need signs... The reason for trying it with the 2 X 6 boards was to acctually dremel in the names of places( like the drum stix sign) and place them in some of those places.. like maybe pixie stix... or in front of Flora's...I think this could be a creative way of adding signage where it's needed, with out looking like we are going all urban by putting signs every where...

Jai

[Rusila the Red]

I like it! Let's talk about it this weekend....

[Prairie]

Hi Jai, All,
I was reviewing your earlier thread about flower boxes. This idea is great. But you may want to consider the proportion of 2feet by 6 feet. It does have a rather "coffin-like" proportion. Shifting to, say, 3x5 would still be very accessible for planting, weeding, etc. but would not have the "pine box" aura. This also lets you compose a volume of plants, vs. the "line" of plants you would be working with in the longer form. There may be places where the longer proportion makes sense, but it is worth pondering.

Blessings,
Prairie

[Prairie]

Hey Jai, Rhi, All,
I have contact with a mailorder company that sells caladium bulbs in bulk. They have an offer for a random mix of all their colors and habits: 200 bulbs for $100. They fall into red, white and pink colorations with about 5 variations of veined patterns etc. in each color. Then they have the division into the normal "elephant ear" shaped leaves and the "lanceleaf" version. The chances are that with 200 bulbs, you would get a bit of each. These would make lovely additions to flower boxes. They can be stored over the winter. The make "babies" each season they grow well. So, with good care, we could end up with hundreds, perhaps thousands of the bulbs.

Blessings,
Prairie

[Salyc]

Oh I definitely want to vary proportion sizes.. my 2X^ thought was to use 2”x6” lumber so we would be able to use the box as sign markers as well… leaving a nice 8 inch tall space for printing or wood burning or dremeling letters