Troughs

[kindredspiritkevin]

Everyone'll probably scream in horror but I wanted to put some troughs on our patio overlooking the pond. I hadn't time to make hypertufa ones so I got a job lot of 25 moulded concrete ones from a factory for a super, super price.

I positioned them, filled them with soil mix and planted them in one day, so bear with me if you think they're gross. I'm only experimenting and gradually over time I'll modify them to make them more suitable.

This one is sempervivums in hardcore.


I put stones on the flat here.




Sedum reflexum in translucent pea gravel !


Delosperma in glass nuggets !


Sempervivums in fault lines.


Sempervivums at the seaside.



They may look odd now but hopefully when the plants fill out, the ideas may work. (I'm expecting howls of horror.)

[Maggi Young]

I think you may have trouble quite soon with the planting, KSK, because you have only filled the troughs to just below the edge of the containers. The soil will undoubtedly sink over the next wee while, leaving the plantings looking rather "sunken". I think it's always a good idea to pile the planting mix quite high in a trough to avoid this problem 

[David Nicholson]

It doesn't really matter what anyone else thinks Kevin if you are pleased with them. Some of them I like, some I don't. Maybe it's just the picture but your soil looks to be very peaty and there may be insufficient drainage. If it is peaty I'd be inclined to whip out your plants, add lots of sand and grit to your soil, and put'em back in again. By the way I liked your Dolphin picture on your Web Site.

[kindredspiritkevin]

I think you may have trouble quite soon with the planting, KSK, because you have only filled the troughs to just below the edge of the containers. The soil will undoubtedly sink over the next wee while, leaving the plantings looking rather "sunken". I think it's always a good idea to pile the planting mix quite high in a trough to avoid this problem 

Thanks for the tip, Maggie. A good point.

[kindredspiritkevin]

It doesn't really matter what anyone else thinks Kevin if you are pleased with them. Some of them I like, some I don't. Maybe it's just the picture but your soil looks to be very peaty and there may be insufficient drainage. If it is peaty I'd be inclined to whip out your plants, add lots of sand and grit to your soil, and put'em back in again. By the way I liked your Dolphin picture on your Web Site.

Thanks, David. I'm not sure I like some of them myself but it's the first time I've done it and I like experimenting and doing things differently.

I used two soil types in different containers. One was brown, slightly alkaline with 50% grit in it. The other was black, acidic with about 25% sand in it. The black soil was fairly sandy to start with. All containers have about two inches of pea gravel in the base.

Glad you liked the dolphin pic.

[kindredspiritkevin]

Changed two of the troughs today towards a more conventional rather than a wacky look. I've a load more to go.



I'm not happy with the stone that is jutting out, so I'll probably change that.


.

[Maggi Young]

You're catching on quickly! 

[David Nicholson]

Stone looks OK to me Kevin, I like 'em. Few more plants would be nice though if you have them.

[mark smyth]

yeah much better looking now.

Some photos of your lake please. What size is it?

[shelagh]

Kevin the Forum is a super Self Help venue, instant reaction and helpful hints, you can't beat it.

[kindredspiritkevin]

Yep, I've more plants David. I thought it would be overkill to put too many in initially. Plants came from Chris Pattison in Gloucestershire.

Thanks Maggi and Shelagh. It's a lovely, friendly, homely forum. Thanks.

Mark. You mean the little pond behind the trough? That one's 90 feet by a max of 30 feet wide.

[karel_t]

Here are a couple of my granite troughs with the tufa rocks. The bigger one is 3 m long.
K.

[Maggi Young]

MAGNIFICENT troughs, Karel!   

[karel_t]

Thanks Maggi. The next one with the crevice limestone rock ... 
K.

[Maggi Young]

The next one with the crevice limestone rock ... 
K.

Oh, I'm enjoying these ..... but I'm really glad I don't have to try and move them