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Modern gardeners will also find other plants and effects which will
fit well in the planter. The succulent family-the best known is the "hen-
and-chickens"-and the many kinds of stonecrop or Sedums make good
planter crops, most fascinating effects being obtainable with the varying
colors and textures, the various heights, and the unusual blossoms which
appear on them at times. Combining them with stones of various sizes or
nestling them among granite or marble chips, using water-washed
pebbles of large sizes and interesting colors are other ways to make
show-pieces of your planters. Some people, taking their cue from the
Japanese stone gardens, use stones with only two or three plants and
then perhaps a piece of driftwood of unusual shape and interesting
texture and color to get a very restrained but most artistic effect. A
spotlight can be placed to light the planter at night, giving it a function
to perform around the clock. Perhaps you will find even more unusual
and original ways to fill your planter, ways which will make it a real
conversation piece. You might want to make it into a miniature garden,
using dwarf evergreens, tiny plants, and little deciduous shrubs. The
dwarf roses which grow only a foot or so high would be good subjects,
and rocks, tiny waterfalls, and picturesque trees in the Japanese fashion
would be good additions.
Don't forget that the parapet or seat wall is also a good place to display pots of plants. Houseplants summering on the terrace can rest on
the wall for a few days, and potted plants prepared especially for use
around the garden can be placed along the planter wall where they
will lend their beauty when it is needed, and be transported to other
parts of the garden when they are needed there.
. . . a few practical considerations
You should be sure to make the footings and foundation for your
planter deep enough and strong enough to carry the wall load, so that
the planter will not sag or buckle or, if it is being placed against a building, pull away from it. If the inside of the planter is plastered with
fine cement mortar it will better resist moisture damage through seepage. Or it may be tarred to prevent damage from moisture. Be sure to
wait until the tar is well dried before filling the planter with soil.
When
the planter is joined to the front of an existing building, a membrane
of waterproof material (consult your building materials dealer for what
to use) should be placed in front of the existing wall to prevent moisture
from soaking or seeping from the planter into the building against which
it is placed.
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