Crafty Swedes

I found this at Ikea yesterday. The rod bolts on to either side of a window (or to a wall), and the hanging plastic containers hang off of the rod. The rod: $2.99, each container: 99 cents.
It's probably meant to be on a solid wall, but since this window is bright but rarely receives any direct sun, I just put it right there. The pots have 4 pre-made drainage holes each, and are of sturdy, colorful plastic (there were also deep green, purple, pink, red). They are slightly translucent, but not enough to inhibit root growth, I think. I have a batch of rooted cuttings to go in these over the next couple of days.

brilliant! You'll just have to be careful when you water.

Neat setup,now will you plant directly in those or just insert a prepotted plant???

I'd love to be able to bring all of my hoyas inside my house and grow them, I really enjoy having live plants in the house but take a good look at the picture below and you'll see exactly why that can never happen!!!


dmichael

I bought a second rod and attached it to an outside wall. The pots lift off easily and can be hung there, watered, and left to dry. I would never attempt to water plants inside without a saucer.

Oh, David, I'll just plant directly in the pot. They look to have just a little more capacity than a 4" round pot. Of course, they can be hung out of cat range (if there is such a thing).

Looks great Mark very nice idea!!
As for the cats, well I taught Fedor & company to stay away from the plants by squirting them with a powerful spray bottle, It took me about a week and a half but they learned. I can not have a lot of plants outside, this house has no shade at all in the back yard, and the porch is very small.
Lourdes =)

Mark,In all my years of having cats there is one thing i've learned, there is no such thing as hanging anything out of cats range!!!! If they want it they WILL find a way to get to it!!


Lourdes,this pretty golden eyed devil isnt scared of water,the vacuum cleaner or anything else that you might send his way. Been there and done that with the water bottle. He thinks it's a toy. Loves water and will even get on the tub rim between the clear shower liner and the outer curtain while i'm taking a shower. Just havent found anything in the 2+ years that i've had him that he is scared of!

Yeah, he looks sweet and innocent but dont be fooled.

dmicahel

Ah, poor Gizmo. He is just being himself, and I am sure that most cat people even find the frustating things cats can do charming on some level.

(ask me about that some morning after I have left the house wearing black and realize I forgot my lint brush!)

Those pots would be cool to fill with those clay aggregate balls for semi-hydro rooting - actually, the cuttings could stay in them after they root.

Oh trust me,I understand completely that I am by no means the head of this household!! He's the boss,i'm the servant and I must work a minimum of 50 hours per week to keep the prince happy!!!!

dmichael

Oh Boy . . . Well look at the bright side David, you’ve done a terrific job and he is very well adjusted and not afraid at all. =)
Lourdes

Too neat, Mark!!!! Really kewl.

I love that Mark. I "asked" my other half if I can get one, and I got a big fat NO :(
That's it...from now on there's no more asking, there's just buying.

Gabi

HA!! Gabi, why on earth would you ever ask? It is always a "big fat no" at my house too! The other thing that I have learned, is to make darn sure that the drill is put away long before Bryan gets home........He has been in the middle of a football game, in the basement, and still come upstairs because he heard "pounding". I can ask him a question a dozen times and not get a response, but the minute he thinks he hears a power tool, major tune-in occurs!

Those are pretty cool Mark. Have you put anything in them yet, or are you getting prepared for the David Liddle order?

S

Very neat planters Mark, and a great way to dress up a window. I just love Ikea too.

Christine

There is one thing that is troubling to me about those cups. At the angle at which they rest in the holder, won't the water collect in the bottom (which isn't really the bottom..but the side because of the angel)?
I would think the drain holes are on the bottom, but there appear to be non at the side where the water would end up (going straight down).
Marcy

Ikea, here I come. Now I can think of at least 20 things I can do with that set up, and purple cups too :) I see what your saying Marcy, the water would settle at the side of the cup. Nothing another little drilled hole couldn't handle.

Typically, those crafty Swedes have it figured out. There are four small drainage holes in the shape of a cross (from the Swedish flag, ha) on the bottom along each edge, so it drains no matter what the angle of the cup.
Nothing in them yet, but soon, and I will post a picture.
When my other half makes any comment about the abundance of plants/planters in the house, I make a pointed comment about one of his hobbies, like the cans of paint brushes and acrylic paints that overflow from the living room. That usually does it.

to each, their vice

Vice is in the eye of the beholder. Plants, drills, and brushes are more of a reality.

This message was edited Aug 13, 2007 1:53 PM

Ha! Mark, I like to think of plants and pots, drills and hammers, paints and brushes as VERY inexpensive therapy. Now, vices tend to bring visions of crack cocaine, excessive gambling.........too many rolling rock beers HA!HA! Just kidding really.

My mom majored in art as I was growing up, and I know what a mess even organized art supplies can create, and if there is an "artist's temper" to go along with the creativity......Always good to have a hobby one is passionate about, how dull life would be otherwise.

S

I agree, Sara - how dull indeed!!

Mark - I really like those pots - please post pictures when you have the cuttings or plants in them - bet they look great!

Karen

I like them more and more as I look at them. Here's a bottom of one of the cups, so you can see the clever drain holes. I misremembered them as being crosses, I guess because of the yellow and blue crosses Ikea has everywhere (from the flag).
If it were warm enough for more hoyas outside here in the summer, I would put some up out there.

I spent ALL DAY cleaning and organizing my drawing table and art supplies. By next week it will be a disaster again. I just cannot create and worry about making a mess at the same time. And of course the drawing table is in the living room, and I work in pastels alot so the dust gets everywhere....between that, the plants, and the books, I am in trouble with the guy I see right now, Mr. Neat and Organized. I have never met a man with such a clean bathroom and refrigerator. It just isn't normal. At first I thought he just cleaned before I came over, then I thought maybe he had another girlfriend who came over and cleaned, but now I realize that it really, truly is him keeping it that way. Spooky.

Mark, these are great. Can you give me their name so I can maybe find them on their website? I searched for plant hanger, etc and couldn't find them.

Stella, sorry, I threw out the packaging, and they don't seem to be on the on-line catalog. Maybe a store-only product?
Here's the planted cups. I only had small cuttings rooted up, but they should fill in nicely in a year or so.

These look perfect for transplanting my rooted hoya cuttings from the co-op into. So sad I couldn't find them. Believe it or not the nearest Ikea is four hours from me. I'll probably talk someone from So Cal into bringing these up when they visit next time.

Stella...IKEA will ship...IF they have the item in their catalogue (which I can't help but think they MUST!!!

Carol

I was in IKEA a few weeks ago but didn't see anything like that... Hmmmm, guess I will have to go back again SOON!