Vertical Pot Holder Creates a Flower Garden with Annual Plants

Like The EarthBox® garden system and Topsy Turvy® tomato planter, the Flip Flop Flower Pot® is a tool to give container gardeners the ability to grow plants vertically. Gardeners with less ground space like to make a vertical garden to allow room for more plants.

In this flower garden, Calibrachoa, Bidens and Swedish ivy were planted in pots that were stacked, and then leaned, one against the other by threading a hollow rod through each pot. The large base pot is the foundation of the garden.

Flip Flop Flower Pot Container Garden

Gardeners can create a container garden with a Flip Flop Flower Pot®. The long rod is inserted through the holes of four pots and into two stabilizer bars set inside the larger base pot. Four small pots are each 8″ diameter and the base container is 20″ diameter in this example. All containers must have drainage holes in the bottom and the base pot tapered sides. Holes in the pole allow thorough watering from the top that trickles to the bottom; however gardeners can also water pots individually, as needed.

Although many container systems have been developed geared towards vegetable gardeners, this system allows gardeners to grow many types of plants in any style of container garden. Gardeners should choose the location for their vertical garden before selecting specific plants and planting the Flip Flop Flower Pot®.

Tips Planting Flip Flop Flower Pot

Successful potting of plants in a container garden always takes planning. Here are tips for planting the Flip Flop Flower Pot®:

• Use a large enough container to stabilize and hold the weight of subsequent pots, soil and plants.
• Visualize the space where the next pot will rest before planting.
• Fill the large pot with soil, almost to the top, but before adding plants.
• Plant the large and first small pot taking into account where the small pot will lay.

Gardeners planning ahead growing a garden in a vertical pot holder will have the most success. Know the locations plants will receive the most light and the least amount of sun exposure.

Bidens Ferulifolia Goldilocks Rocks

Chosen for the top of the vertical container garden Bidens benefits from the full sun exposure, Bidens ferulifolia Goldilocks Rocks™ is no exception. Bidens grows as an annual plant in most gardens valued for its heat and drought tolerance. The plant has bright yellow daisy-like flowers.

Available to home gardeners in 2011, Bidens ferulifolia Goldilocks Rocks™ grows up to 14″ tall with a mounding habit. The flowers do not require deadheading, as the blooms will cleanly fall off the plant.

Calibrachoa Ready to Wear Paris in Part Sun

Calibrachoa ‘Ready to Wear Paris’ is a combination of colors; blue jean that looks very purple, bouquet red and bouquet yellow, each with a yellow center. Grown together in one planting, it makes a rich display in the garden.

Calibrachoa is an annual trailing plant, only hardy in zones 9 – 11. Gardeners grow Calibrachoa where petunia plants thrive with less vigor, in part sun to part shade gardens. Calibrachoa flowers are smaller but make up for it in the prolific flowers grown along the stems. Calibrachoa ‘Ready to Wear Paris’ trailed upward as well as off the edge of the pot in this planting.

Vertical Pot Holder with Trailing Houseplants

A vertical pot holder will take less space indoors, too. Trailing plants in a hanging basket is another version of a vertical garden. A houseplant commonly known as Swedish ivy was grown along with the annual flowering plants in the flower garden.

Variegated Swedish ivy will tolerate a minimum of morning sun to bring out its green and cream coloring; the plant favors a dark shady corner at midday and in hot afternoon sun.

Vertical Gardens in Small Spaces

Gardeners, with small amounts of space to grow plants, find vertical garden strategies useful. Vertical gardens are used to take advantage of space above planters such as in a terrace garden or with a system like a vertical pot holder.