Yesterday I opened a storage box and found this terracotta olla adorned with a bead-and-broken-china necklace I’d made for it about 7 years ago. Stowed away at some point, probably during our move, it was forgotten. I decided it would look good sitting amid the winter-browned inland sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium), so I positioned a remnant cedar post for a pedestal and set the olla on top. It looks so pretty, with its colorful necklace adding sparkle to the winter garden, that I thought you might like to learn how to dress up your own pot.

First, credit where due. I keep an idea file of tear-outs from magazines, and in March 2005 I added an article from Better Homes & Gardens about water-wise gardening. It featured the San Diego garden of author Debra Lee Baldwin, and one of the photos showed an earthenware pot with a bead-and-china necklace she’d made for it. A helpful sidebar explained her method.

Over the years, I’ve saved a few broken dishes and bowls in case the mosaic-making bug ever bit me. One of these bowls, accidentally broken, made up the pile. I collected the pieces and broke the larger shards into 1-inch bits by wrapping them in newspaper and tapping them with a hammer.

I ignored Debra’s instructions to sand the broken edges; I just wasn’t that concerned about getting cut by a pot that was going to sit out in the garden. The rest of her instructions I followed to the letter. 1. I found a pot with an indented “neck” for the necklace to go around. 2. I wrapped copper wire around each piece of the broken bowl, leaving a couple inches of extra wire hanging in order to attach it to the necklace. 3. I measured the diameter of the pot’s circumference (the “neck” portion) and cut a length of thin copper wire that was 3 inches longer. 4. Using blue and red beads, I strung the copper wire, attaching a piece of the bowl every inch or so. 5. When complete, I wrapped the necklace around the neck of the pot and twisted the ends of the copper wire together to secure it. Then I tucked the twisted wire under the beaded necklace to hide it.

And that’s it. You could use other decorative objects to make a pot necklace, like weatherproof charms or milagros, seashells, or, for a large pot, copper plant tags with your wishes written on them. Showcase a small collection this way, or just see what you have lying around the house that you could use to adorn your own pot.

An interesting sidenote: I had no idea who Debra was in 2005, when I read the article about her garden in BH&G. I’ve since read and reviewed her books Succulent Container Gardens and Designing with Succulents. I also follow her at Gardening Gone Wild, where she’s a regular contributor. In a May 2010 post at Gardening Gone Wild, she wrote about that BH&G photo shoot and mentioned the pot necklace, which of course reminded me of the article I’d saved that inspired my own pot-necklace project all those years ago. Small (gardening) world, eh?

All material © 2006-2013 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

“A collection of plants, however choice and brilliantly well-tended, doesn’t become a real garden until it takes on the character and personality of the gardener behind it. The best gardens—those we fall into for hours, appearing new with every visit—are ones in which the owners are telling us something.” So writes Lorene Edwards Forkner in her new book Handmade Garden Projects: Step-by-Step Instructions for Creative Garden Features, Containers, Lighting & More. It’s my favorite quote in her engaging, personality-infused book about turning garage junk into playful decor, whimsical focal points, and even functional seating for the garden.

During the 2011 Garden Bloggers Fling in Seattle, we attendees were treated to a tour of Lorene’s garden and saw firsthand many of the projects featured in her book, including this adorable miniature parterre garden in a Radio Flyer wagon…

…unique gabion-style seating, which also serves as a low retaining wall…

…and an easy, gabion-style table made of scrap wire fencing, river rocks, and a piece of tempered glass.

Lorene is not afraid to repurpose anything. She rolled a retro travel trailer into her garden as a folly. Despite its non-mobility, it provides her with the perfect garden get-away.

She papered the interior of her “cocktail cabana” with maps, playing up the travel theme.

Her simpler projects are equally inspiring. I love this charming tiered planter Lorene created by stacking a pot within a pot, color coordinating the plants, and mulching them with shards of broken pots.

Lorene, who blogs at Planted at Home, was one of the planners of last year’s Seattle Fling and bravely invited 70+ bloggers into her small urban garden. That’s her up on the deck. I didn’t really get to know her because she was so busy that weekend, but I can tell you that her garden definitely tells a story and has personality.

If you need a little inspiration for infusing your personality into your own garden, be sure to check out her book. But don’t just copy her ideas. Tweak them and shake them up and create something entirely “you.”

For more: See my post about visiting Lorene’s garden at the Fling for more images of her garden.

Disclosure: This book was sent to me for review by Timber Press. My review, like everything in Digging, is my own honest opinion.

All material © 2006-2012 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

Are you looking for a fun garden project this fall? A way to add clean-lined flair to your garden? I have just the book recommendation for you. Concrete Garden Projects: Easy & Inexpensive Containers, Furniture, Water Features & More by Camilla Arvidsson and Malin Nilsson is a recipe book for concrete concoctions that harden into pretty accessories with a minimalist, Scandinavian look.

Here’s one of their projects I’d like to try: making my own concrete pots. The Swedish authors show off spring bulbs in theirs, but I’d have a collection of agaves in mine. Their instructions sound simple: oil the inside of a plastic pot and the outside of a smaller pot that will fit inside; mix the concrete and pour it in the larger container, shaking it to remove air bubbles; press the smaller pot into the concrete-filled pot and let it set; a day or two later, remove the moulds and smooth any sharp edges. Obviously, making a bunch of pots or other projects at one time would be more efficient. I’m imagining a concrete-pouring party with friends!

The authors have plenty of other ideas for the garden, like tiles with leaf impressions…

…a homemade bench and bowl-shaped water feature, plus much more: house numbers, weatherproof tic-tac-toe boards, stepping stones, garden stools, bird baths, angel heads, candle holders, and even a BBQ work station.

Hypertufa is given a passing mention, but concrete is the star of this simple but inspiring book of ideas. Whether your style is contemporary or cottage, they have a project for everyone. Like stock tanks and culvert pipe remnants, concrete is a humble construction material that fits into the garden beautifully.

Disclosure: This book was sent to me for review by Timber Press. My review, like everything in Digging, is my own honest opinion. Photos courtesy of Timber Press.

All material © 2006-2011 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.