You know how sometimes you come across a product that is so simply ingenious that you say to yourself, "Now why didn't I think of that?" That's exactly what I did the first time I saw the Ups-A-Daisy® plant pot inserts.
I have several large containers that I plant each spring and by the time I fill them with potting mix, they are too heavy to move by myself and I've used way more potting mix than the plants in them really need.
Ups-A-Daisy® container inserts solve both of these problems.
Let's take a container I planted a couple of weeks ago as an example. This one measures 20" across the top and is 20" high. It can take an entire large bag of potting mix to fill this thing.
But by putting the right size Ups-A-Daisy® insert into the pot, I can cut potting mix usage in half. For this pot, I chose the 14" size.
This is for containers that measure 18-20" in diameter. It fits about halfway down into the pot, leaving room for enough planting mix for plants to spread their roots as they grow.
See those holes in the insert? They serve two purposes. The first is for drainage and the two larger ones are for your fingers to hold the insert as you place it into the pot. These are especially important when it comes time to take the insert out of the pot, when you change your container plantings. A flat disc placed into a container is very hard to remove without these, especially after having heavy planting mix and plants sitting on top of it for awhile.
So now, with the Ups-A-Daisy® in place, I planted my container.
I've said before that I'm no garden designer and that includes putting plants together in containers. But I was quite pleased with the combination I came up with for this large planter this year. Following the "thriller, filler, spiller" recipe, I used:
Thriller
- Cleome 'Senorita Rosalita' by Proven Winners®. This Cleome comes in a vibrant shade of lavender and what sets it apart from other Cleomes is that it won't self-seed (the seed is sterile) and it's thornless. I also love the way the color is gradient, going from a light shade to a deep one.
- I added an Elephant's Ear - Colocasia esculenta 'Illustris' - for even more drama. This is by Proven Winners® also.
Filler
- Alternathera 'Red Threads' - This is a favorite of mine in many locations. I love the texture of the foliage as well as the deep purpley-red color, which complements the dark color of the Colocasia.
I would have preferred to plant a larger size of these in my pot, but they'll grow quickly to bridge the space between the tall Cleome and Colocasia.
Spiller
- Supertunia® Petunia 'Pretty Much Picasso™' by Proven Winners® - From the second I saw this online last year, I loved it. When I needed a spiller for my container, I knew the color would go nicely with the Cleome, so I bought three of them. They're a Supertunia®, so these will take off and provide plenty of color cascading down the sides of my container.
All together now...
Ups-A-Daisy® container inserts come in nine different sizes from 10" to 18" in diameter, which will work in pots sized from 12" to 24" in diameter (tapered design). It's a favorite of Joe Gardener/Joe Lamp'l (Growing a Greener World), Shawna Coronado (Gardening Nude), Garden World Report's Shirley Bovshow, and now mine!
You can read more about Ups-A-Daisy container inserts and order them on their website.
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The product or merchandise being reviewed in this blog post was the sole compensation for testing and reviewing the product. All opinions expressed here are mine, with no suggestions whatsoever by the manufacturer or distributor. If I like it, I'll say so. If I don't, I'll say that, too.
"Bejeweled"
9 comments:
I like your choice of plants for this container, Kylee! Thank you for the info about Ups-A-Daisy container inserts. I used to put empty plastic containers (upside doun) inside of my big pots.
Love the Elephant's Ear !
The inserts are a great idea when you don't have time to water or are away from home.
I have 3 large planter boxes at my Mother-inlaws home that need large "ups-a-daisy".... maybe I'll have to create my own.
Your plant choices look great to me Kylee. I too just put empty pots in the bottom of big planters. It works for me.
I've used the upside down empty pots method too. But now I fill my large containers with potting soil and plant perennials so I don't have to buy annuals each year. Though I still have to get some annuals for instant flowers in the spring!
Tatyana ~ I used to do that, too. I've even used a pot saucer, although that doesn't have holes for drainage. But these solve the problem quite nicely and they'll last for a long time!
Patsi ~ I'm not sure how these would help with not having time to water, but they sure cut back on potting mix use!
Lisa ~ Thanks! I hope they'll grow well and fill out nicely. Yes, I've done that, too, and it works, but I do prefer these!
Heather ~ Yes, I've done that, too. These are so handy though! ;-)
I've read about these and have contemplated getting some, but so far, I have perennials in all of my outdoor pots so don't need to move them. They are a great idea, though. I very much like your plant combo.
It's funny, I thought the same thing when I came across these. What a great idea. I was trying to find new products for Garden Shoes Online and when I found these I immediately called the company so we could offer these as one of our products. Now we sell them. My only complaint is that I wish they also made them for even smaller pots. That space in the bottom is great for any plant.
Your Ups-a-Daisy container looks like a better choice than "whatever-I-can-find-under-the-deck". Since I've been blogging those containers are getting scarce. It's hard to believe that blogging gives even more incentive to get out there and get gardening. But it seems to do that!
What I have done is partly fill the pot with packing peanuts topped with a circle of filter fabric. This allows me to leave my concrete planters outside all winter without being covered as well.
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