This is an easy guide to planting a big pot on the sidewalk in front of your home. It's designed for people who know next to nothing about gardening.
Adding flowers and plants to your sidewalk is an item on Neighbors Project's Neighbors Checklist, and is a guiding principle of Neighborly Home Design. I don't know about you, but whenever I walk down blocks with great sidewalk flowers, I can't help but think, "I wish my block looked like that." But I've been too lazy to actually do something about it until circumstances forced the issue: some friends needed to get rid of their big pot because they're moving. Now that I'm done, I have to say that this project was really fun. I wish I had done it sooner. And yes, I did actually meet some of my neighbors in the time I was out doing this project.
To do this Instructable you'll need:
-1.5 bags of potting soil (aka, big bags of dirt)
-Pot (big and heavy)
-Plants
-Watering can
-Water
-Sidewalk
Adding flowers and plants to your sidewalk is an item on Neighbors Project's Neighbors Checklist, and is a guiding principle of Neighborly Home Design. I don't know about you, but whenever I walk down blocks with great sidewalk flowers, I can't help but think, "I wish my block looked like that." But I've been too lazy to actually do something about it until circumstances forced the issue: some friends needed to get rid of their big pot because they're moving. Now that I'm done, I have to say that this project was really fun. I wish I had done it sooner. And yes, I did actually meet some of my neighbors in the time I was out doing this project.
To do this Instructable you'll need:
-1.5 bags of potting soil (aka, big bags of dirt)
-Pot (big and heavy)
-Plants
-Watering can
-Water
-Sidewalk
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Signing UpStep 1: Get your plants, pot and dirt
I got my large barrel, one largeish plant and one (big) bag of dirt from friends who are moving out of town. Since it was a gift of sorts, I didn't have much choice about what to get. But I wouldn't have taken the barrel if I didn't like it; it's a great outdoor pot for plants. And pots are an easy option for gardening your sidewalk; you don't have to build anything or dig into existing dirt areas. However, if you live in a city with grass strips between the sidewalk and street, then you might find it easier to garden that grass area. Some of my old neighbors in Chicago planted gorgeous sunflowers in the grass strip in front of our home.
I had to unpack the dirt and plant from the pot with a mini shovel and put it into some extra strong garbage bags. If you also need to transport unpackaged dirt, I strongly suggest that you spread out the dirt across a bunch of bags, and double bag any bags that are especially heavy. Dirt is very heavy, and bags break easily.
Since the friends from whom I got the pot, etc. lived about a mile from my home, I used my granny cart to roll over the dirt and pot in two separate trips. It's a large sturdy cart and I had absolutely no problems getting the materials home. I highly recommend the humble granny cart for moving heavy objects, particularly if you live somewhere with limited parking and don't want to pay for a cab, or just want to enjoy the gorgeous day.
The donated items didn't really fill up the pot, so I ended up making a separate trip to get a bag of potting soil, three small plants and a watering can from a local plant store. If you've walked around your neighborhood any, you'll probably already know where to find your local nursery. I ended up visiting two plant stores because the first place I went didn't have many outdoor plants. They recommended a nearby store, so I walked over.
If you don't know anything about plants, like me, then be sure to ask the advice of the people at the store. Don't forget to tell the person at the store how much shade and sun the plant is likely to get; you don't have to know the exact hours, just a rough guess of whether the area gets morning light or afternoon light or no light at all. The store employee should know the climate and plants well enough to recommend something that will work for you. If you don't trust the person at the store, be sure to read the labels in the plants, which usually have some info about whether the plant will thrive on your sidewalk. And no, I have no idea what the plants I bought are called; I just chose things that seemed pretty and easy to maintain. Hopefully they'll thrive.
By the way, it's really fun to walk around with a cart full of lovely flowers; people constantly smile at you and peek into your cart.
Finally, be sure to dress properly. Wear clothes that you're willing to get dirty, and take off your rings or other jewelry. After all, you'll be playing in the dirt!
I had to unpack the dirt and plant from the pot with a mini shovel and put it into some extra strong garbage bags. If you also need to transport unpackaged dirt, I strongly suggest that you spread out the dirt across a bunch of bags, and double bag any bags that are especially heavy. Dirt is very heavy, and bags break easily.
Since the friends from whom I got the pot, etc. lived about a mile from my home, I used my granny cart to roll over the dirt and pot in two separate trips. It's a large sturdy cart and I had absolutely no problems getting the materials home. I highly recommend the humble granny cart for moving heavy objects, particularly if you live somewhere with limited parking and don't want to pay for a cab, or just want to enjoy the gorgeous day.
The donated items didn't really fill up the pot, so I ended up making a separate trip to get a bag of potting soil, three small plants and a watering can from a local plant store. If you've walked around your neighborhood any, you'll probably already know where to find your local nursery. I ended up visiting two plant stores because the first place I went didn't have many outdoor plants. They recommended a nearby store, so I walked over.
If you don't know anything about plants, like me, then be sure to ask the advice of the people at the store. Don't forget to tell the person at the store how much shade and sun the plant is likely to get; you don't have to know the exact hours, just a rough guess of whether the area gets morning light or afternoon light or no light at all. The store employee should know the climate and plants well enough to recommend something that will work for you. If you don't trust the person at the store, be sure to read the labels in the plants, which usually have some info about whether the plant will thrive on your sidewalk. And no, I have no idea what the plants I bought are called; I just chose things that seemed pretty and easy to maintain. Hopefully they'll thrive.
By the way, it's really fun to walk around with a cart full of lovely flowers; people constantly smile at you and peek into your cart.
Finally, be sure to dress properly. Wear clothes that you're willing to get dirty, and take off your rings or other jewelry. After all, you'll be playing in the dirt!
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My neighbor has an old rickety wine barrel... hmmm
Thanks for the idea!