Hi Bev, I know you use chicken wire for the front of the frame, but what do you use for the back? I really like the sphagnum moss over the dirt in the frame. It looks very and nice and I'm sure holds the potting mix in well. Beautiful work!

Fronts are always redwood and backs are plywood (thickness: 1/8") that are coated with wood sealant. Drill holes in the back before applying sealant.Use wood screws that have flat tops and a countersink drill bit that enables drilling of hole and small bevel to have screw tops lay flush with backing (not essential but my DH is persnickety with this kind of detailing. Who's going to look at the backing, right? )

Thank you! I also use plywood for the back, but I'm not as fancy with the countersinking. Since I have to make the entire thing myself, I guess I focus more on the "plant" part.

Gee, I just blabbed to my husband that a couple of people were waiting for answer about backing and maybe would like to know thickness so that their husbands could get going in project and now I have to go up to him and quote your post to him to make an exception of you... Whoops, had to check whether it was you for Timber treasures. And yesterday I got you mixed up while tree mailing w/Lynn about a hypertufa that had cool semps planted that was posted by Tabby and not you. You do hypertufa too or what?

Yeah, I do hypertufa too. And I do all the woodwork in my Timber Treasures store. And polymer clay, and love to cook. Not much of a TV watcher so I get a lot of other stuff done.

But I'm still impressed that your husband does such a nice job!

Thanks, Bev.

I'd sure like to try some of these this year!

Anytime, chelle. Feel free to ask any other questions in the future.

I will!

I've learned all kinds of new semp knowledge this week!

Like, it's okay to peel off the dried outer leaves...I never knew that! You'd think it would be a matter of common sense, but it didn't click with me. I just thought, "oh, I guess that's just the way they are".

Now that you mention the leaves, that's the beauty of living pictures. A friend of mine called it Lap Gardening. I call it Coffee Table gardening because you bring the frame inside to tweeze out dead leaves, check and clean for insects, admire, etc. and then you hang them back up outside. There's been many a relaxing time with my frames in front of me and time to do maintenance...

webesemps said:Fronts are always redwood and backs are plywood (thickness: 1/8") that are coated with wood sealant. Drill holes in the back before applying sealant.Use wood screws that have flat tops and a countersink drill bit that enables drilling of hole and small bevel to have screw tops lay flush with backing (not essential but my DH is persnickety with this kind of detailing. Who's going to look at the backing, right? )

Sorry, Need to make a correction: thickeness of plywood backs should be more like 3/16" to 1/4". I'm giving a range in case you can't find the thinner size. I think 1/8" is too thin to last for very long. I had a frame last 3+ years. It is the square greyish frame that is pictured in the article.

Lap Gardening - I like that!