I got all my new additions I purchased from Lynn planted this past weekend. Now I just have to deal with the darn birds who keep pulling out some of the smaller ones. They also keep eating some of the leaves, not all of it just a bite here and there! Luckily they haven't carried anything off and I've been able to replant ones they've yanked out. I hate to say it but I might be hunting birds on my porch in the near future!

Chad: Bird Netting.

Yep, bird netting. I have to cover even mature plants sometimes. Every year during nesting season the birds constantly snip and mutilate my seedlings and thyme plants if I don't cover them.

My semps in pots being on the porch attracts birds probably from the air but also attracts critters from the ground. In the big pots, there's always critters digging deep holes into the cactus mix where I'm sure there are no worms. I use bird netting to discourage them. And the birds must land near the pots to peck at the semps and sedum that have bead-like leaves.

I'm going to have to do something. I appreciate the suggestions.

Also earth worms push them up and can move them short distances. I've watched them to it.
Goldfinch4 (Chris) pins them down with wire, kind of like hairpins. .

I'm trying to stay positive after we got a large amount of rain along with lots of hail here in Oklahoma this evening! The next few days I'm hoping for my semps to survive and not turn into mush and rot, lol....

Good luck, Chad. Rain is bad enough, but if there's hail it can really be bad.

Chad, if the area is not too large you can put up some kind of shelter to keep the hail and rain off of them.

I love the washbin idea, would this work for semps http://www.tractorsupply.com/t...

ediblelandscapingsc said:I love the washbin idea, would this work for semps http://www.tractorsupply.com/t...

I would think so. I've found that drainage is a big issue here in Oklahoma when we get excess rain. If you use something like that, I would make sure it has plenty of holes in the bottom so water doesn't end up flooding over the top. I had a planter on my back porch that has some hostas in it and it doesn't have any holes it it. I meant to put some in it but forgot. I realized it when we got hail and lots of rain this past week. I went into my back yard and there was that pot with water completely up to the top of the pot. My washbins have worked great because I punched quite a few holes in the bottom. I haven't had any rot from rain which makes me feel really good.

Thanks Chad, I may pick one up and make my wife a fairy garden or something with it.

@ediblelandscapingsc, I would also say you can get really creative in what you use. I'm always looking out for something to plant in. I like to find something I can reuse or repurpose. I always says it's because I'm cheap, lol....

Cheap is good.
Free is even better.

You got that right @valleylynn!

It really is fun when you find something to re-purpose as a plant container.
Love the wash tub idea, and Greg does great things with stock watering troughs.

@valleylynn, I've wanted to get some of those watering troughs but I know once I put them somewhere, that's where they have to stay because of their heavy weight. I like the washbins because I can move them around a lot easier.

I think Greg used the shallow sheep watering troughs.
@gg5

Yeah, I've seen some of the photos he's shared. They look great!