Green pot, made in the shade

It is always tough to throw things away when with a bit of imagination, I can see there is life still left, especially in a large container. When this pot’s bottom broke off at work, my boss gave it to me — with a bit of persuasion. I think he knew I would make it work. Plus, he didn’t need to lift it into the dumpster. Win, win.

I took it home and planted the pot partway in the ground. I need to lift it every few years when the Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) roots invade it. I don’t know how long the pot will last. Since 2019, the pottery is still in good shape (except for the bottom). I wouldn’t choose this green color, yet I like it a lot in this setting. The green hue is right at home in the forest shade — it is perfect. 

I filled it with shade-tolerant plants. The central theme for the first year was foliage. Here’s the recipe:

Fatsia ‘Spider’s Web’ (variegated false aralia)
Lonicera ‘Lemon Beauty’ (lemon beauty honeysuckle bush)
Ajuga ‘Burgundy Glow’ (bugle weed)
Dryopteris affinis ‘Crispa Gracillis’ (dwarf scale male fern)
Mukgenia ‘Flame’ (Intergeneric cross between Mukdenia and Bergenia)
Strobilanthes dyerianus (Persian shield)
Persicaria virginiana ‘Compton’s Red’ (jumpweed)

This year, I will dismantle the plantings, take out soil, and remove any wayward fir roots. Plant selection is still in the deciding stage.