Driftwood

I was having such a great time in Santa Barbara. I had my two granddaughters who were 16 and 17 at that time. They just thought grandma and lost it entirely. We were driving around in a rental car in many high end neighborhoods, and then I would veer to a stop. Oh No Grandma, not another tree! But soon they got with the game and picked out some beauties. The photo is Hannah, Sarah and their California cousin Jade . This tree is at the courthouse. Sarah is on the left, Hannah is in the middle and Jade is on the right. You should have seen the looks on their faces when I started see animals in the clouds. But that did not take long for them enjoy that also.

Love the Santa Barbara tree. The twisting and turning is great as is the bark shedding.

Your granddaughters are so lovely. The tree is great, too.

I love trees too, Sharon, and take lots of pictures of them.

Your granddaughters are beauties. Jade looks the least of the three like a California girl, LOL.

Yes, the two granddaughters are very tall and flat chested. That comes from my daughter but they have their father's brain so that is even better. Both straight A students. Hannah, in the middle and the tallest, is 18 an a freshman at BYU. She is very homesick but will make it. She has always lived in Las Vegas and Provo, Utah is very cold this time of year so she is freezing. Her roommate is from Boston and is teaching her how to dress in layers. We do not dress in layers in Las Vegas. It seems just like yesterday Hannah was born.

Pollyk, do not mean to hijack Pirl's thread but show us some tree trunks.

Sharon, I will pull some out, and post. Chests are highly overrated, believe you me. I would much prefer to be flat chested, especially when it comes to gardening.

Well, living in Las Vegas is like WOW. We do not down on the strip but we do see these young ladies around our part of town shopping. Their implants just keep getting bigger and bigger. And you are right. Both granddaughters are straight A students and that will get them farther in live. Another Santa Barbara, CA trunk.

My latest hobby is watching a movie w/ DD and keeping score as to who is natueral and who is fake.
Poor women cant gat away fron it.
Polly your right about gardening. I'm investing in a sports bra for next year.

Wow! Here it finally is, and wouldn't you know I have it sideways. This is the piece with the woodpecker holes. There's another on the back side but I couldn't get a picture showing both. Now I'm going to try to get the stumps up too! I don't have any intention of trying to grow something in it, but I was thinking of around and even up it although I don't want anything so thick it would hide it altogether. Or maybe I should try to put it down as though it had fallen...any opinions?

Willow

This message was edited Nov 18, 2009 2:14 PM

Here is the upright stump. I think it will be fairly easy to fill the center and plant, but I'm not well versed in what to fill with and what will grow well in this situation. This is a shady but fairly breezy spot. I'd love any ideas.

Willow

OK, last log. This one sits near the upright one. I had thought of filling the center with some planting mix of somesort and then planting something fairly hardy into each end to spill out onto the ground. Probably some type of ground cover. I'd love any creative ideas.

Willow

Ohhhhhhhhh
What beautiful containers

Here is a picture of the two logs as they are lying right now. I need to work with the wood where it is as I am still on crutches until next year and can't move big things around too well. DH could do it but seems to disappear quickly when I start getting that "new project" look in my eye, and he honestly has had to take on alot more now while I can't. This edges our driveway on the barn side, and has a fire ring where we burn things but also have our hot dog roasts and family bonfires, so I would like to get it looking nicer. I would like to put, probably vinca minor, here as there are two old elm trees on either side and that's about all that grows well under them. I could easily put an assortment of pots with flowers into the vinca around the logs though and add some color. You can kind of see the enormous pile of ice storm wood we still have to use in our bonfires. Hopefully the ice will stay away this winter and we can start catching up.

Willow

Thanks ge...how would you use them. I'm really open to ideas, and with the whole winter to plan can play with different thoughts.

Willow

Those are great. The one looks like if you leveled it by digging it into the ground, you could make it a chair. I love the one laying on it's side. I see moss, Australian violets, something that would climb, creep into the many crevices but not completely fill the center. I bet all the experts on here have great ideas..

What terrific pieces! The woodpecker one will be used as a bird house, right? That would be stunning with or without a clematis or two climbing up there.

I see what Sharon means by the chair look to the third piece. I'm sure I've seen chairs planted with sedums/hens and chicks before. I'll look around and try to find some ideas for you.

The log type piece could possibly be used as a bench for some bonfires. Not to burn the piece - just for sitting. Plants coming out the ends would be wonderful.

I saw annuas and sedums in the "chair"
Maybe a impatien too.
OR coleus
I wouldnt hide it in the garden.
The form is so dramatic. Maybe it could be placed at the front along the outside of a curve so it really stands out

This message was edited Nov 18, 2009 5:27 PM

Planting in logs:
http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/factsheets/Gardening-Tips-Books-Techniques-and-Tools/Planting-in-Logs/2401

Here's a typical chair with a planted seat but yours is so much prettier.
http://i.ehow.com/images/GlobalPhoto/Articles/5091719/DSCF0002-main_Full.jpg

A variety of mosses might look very nice for the seat portion.

Here are the instructions if you want them:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://i.ehow.com/images/GlobalPhoto/Articles/5091719/DSCF0002-main_Full.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.ehow.com/how_5091736_grow-garden-natural-retreat-yard.html&usg=__-VPhkoNirZyCR1jT7KvQKeXh1HQ=&h=450&w=600&sz=84&hl=en&start=47&um=1&tbnid=RHwYHE_A2VLL8M:&tbnh=101&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dplanting%2Bchairs%2Bwith%2Bflowers%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D40%26um%3D1

I'll keep looking for the one I saw.

Thanks so much for the ideas and links. I love the Aussie pictures! What really unique pieces of wood. I agree the "chair" could be planted with the same technique as a real one. We have been using the sideways log as a seat which is why it no longer has bark. I really appreciate your thoughts and encouragement.

Willow

Its going to look great.
I might have to follow the branch and leaf pick up guys in town

Uh oh! Jo Ann the stalker strikes again.

Still haven't found what I was looking for regarding the chair piece but I'll keep looking. It would be lovely with a moss seat and back cushion along with arm rests.

Pirl, I loved and voted for that Clematis picture in the photo contest. It is so beautiful.

Willowwind, those are going to be beautiful planters. You folks are giving me some really good ideas.

I have this metal sculpture sitting on a log section in the garden to raise it. It really helps break up this sea of green when nothing is blooming. But, I'm not happy with that much bare log showing. Maybe I could hollow some of it out and plant annuals in it. Does anyone have an idea of how to do that? Maybe it would be easier to use some power tool to cut a section out of it. Right now it's got all kinds of Wood Ears growing on it.

Thanks!

You could chisel out some of the wood but be sure to wear protective eye wear. If it's too tedious you could drill holes and then drill out what you don't want. How tall is the piece?

stormyla I love your metal sculpture. It looks like a combination of cool wind and water lifting through your plants. A chisel is what first came to my mind too. What kind of wood is it? Didn't the indians actually set hot coals on a log they wanted to hollow out for a canoe, and let the fire burn down into the wood so it was easier to hollow out? Seems like I remember some sort of technique like that...or I could have just made it up, nor sure. It would be very pretty to plant things in beside the sculpture.

Willow

I love that sculpture, too. Very different. How about some hens and chicks around it at the base of the sculpture. You wouldn't need to do much to get them to grow there.

Thanks, Everyone. The log is about 18" tall.The sculpture is about 3' tall.

I like that idea of burning into it. I don't know what kind of wood it is. I found it along a street sitting on top of a sewar grate. It was on my way to work. You should have seen me out there in a dress and high heels trying to lift the thing! I couldn't even turn it over to roll it down the street!! Had to call DSO, also on his way to work. He was not very happy, but came back & helped me.

I'm reading a book about a city detective married to an FBI agent. She wants to spend a weekend at a B&B on Long Island. He hates B&B's, but says, OK. He explains that he'd rather face a team of terrorists armed with assault rifles than one PO'd wife!!! Some men are wise

Willowwind, that's exactly what I get from that sculpture too, water and wind, the elements. But the azure blue also reminds me of summer tropical waters.

Polly, I hadn't thought of Hen's and chicks as I wanted to add color. I know they come in purple and red, but I wanted a color that won't be eclipsed by the azure. I've had a penchant to try that Love Lies Bleeding, but I've never seen it in a garden, so I don't know it's growth habit. Something cascading is what I have in mind. There's always Purple and white or fuschia fragrant Petunias.

Stormyla,

I love your sculpture!!!!

I have love lies bleeding. I'd seen it some place here on Dave's and wanted it desperately. I finally found it in 4" pots at a nursery I don't frequent very often. Planted it and was amazed at how fast and tall it grew. It would cover your sculpture in no time if you got the same variety that I have. There may be a more low growing one that I don't know about. Here's mine. This photo is when it was fairly well behaved. It gets about 3 1/2 to 4' tall.

Thanks, Unique Treasures. I was afraid that might be the case. Oh well, I have all winter to decide what to plant there. The important thing is to hone my Indian Canoe Building skills!!

No, you didn't make it up, Willowwind. I remember seeing a write up on it at an Indian Reservation that I visited. Sycamore was their favorite tree in my area. Here's one that would make a fine canoe.

Wow! That's a dandy. You could sure make one whopping big canoe out of that...kind of like the new cruise ship that's in the news! Is your area sunny or shady? I could see daylilies and hosta so thought it might have some shade but wasn't sure. Some of the impatiens have a little more weeping habit, or even a tuberous begonia or lobelia could give you some color if you have shade. Petunias, alyssum and portulaca can all be a bit more weeping and take sun. I'll bet you could even tuck in the love lies bleeding at the side of the stump and have it grow up and around the base of the sculpture. You'll have to show pictures of how the hollowing progresses.

Pirl, I meant to say thank you for getting me in touch with NEIL. He was able to solve my problem and I'm so delighted. Thank you, thank you for your good help.

Willow

Stormyla, that tree is gorgeous, but I would love to get a hold of it with a couple tree climbers and trim off the bottom branch and clean it up. Then it would be magnificent. I bet if typed into Google, how to do whatever you want to do, they always have the answer. Every time I do it, I come off the computer with, "Google is Amazing".

I was thinking earlier also that a chenile plant would give it some bold color that would drape. I was looking for a photo of it and ran across some pretty coleus containers I had a few years ago and thought coleus would be perfect there. You could pinch them to keep them the size you want them and plant the cuttings elsewhere to add some pizzaz in other places also. They wouldn't be so great at this time of year, but in the summer time, with that sculpture there and the kaleidoscope of colors in the coleus it would be beautiful!

That is a magnificent tree!

Janet

This message was edited Nov 20, 2009 7:41 PM

Thank you everyone. SKwinter, that's not my tree! LOL I'll pass your trimming suggestion on to the owner. It is a magnificent specimen.

Willowwind, that part of the bed has the lightest part of the canopy. I get more sun there than anywhere. Dayliles bloom wonderfully in 3/4's of my shady beds, so do many other sun lovers. I think it may be too sunny there for coleus. But it might not be sunny enough for Petunias. The first thought that came to me was Purple Petunias with white LLB and a touch of something coral. Let me get started on the burning and I'll worry about the plants later.

Thank you all for such wonderful suggestions!!!!!

stunner

The more I think about this, the more I think Polly may be right. The purpose of the log is to raise the sculpture so that it can be fully seen when the foliage grows tall. If I make a really showy planting, it might take away from the beauty of the sculpture. I may explore the Hens & Chicks.

Maybe some of those smokey purple ones? PSSSSSSSSSST, we need a co-op for those.

a co-op for smoky purple hens and chicks?
Polly?

A co-op for hens and chicks, succulents and semps. They had one a while ago with Mountaincrest and the flats looked fabulous.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=5011506

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=5011535

Sorry for the shorthand Jo Ann. Mary and I had already talked about this, and I didn't stop to think I would be confusing others. I get confused enough myself without doing that.

Its a goodidea for a co-op though

Pssssssssst Polly, I'm waiting to hear back from her. I wrote again yesterday.

Yay!

I think it would be a great co-op. I would like a ton of them. I may just buy three flats myself, if I have to.

They're a nice ground cover Jo Ann. I have them with my bearded irises. They can take more water than i origionally thought.

I like them in borders