Stacked Tipsy Pots - Herb Garden

Supplies

1. 1 large bottom pot
2. Several pots with holes in bottom
3. Rebar, galvanized steel or copper pole
4. Plants with similar growing requirements
5. Paint or other embellishments (optional)
6. Imagination, good music and a glass of wine :)

Getting Started

Painting a collection of old pots gave them a unified look. Wild colors and patterns can be fun, but for this planter I wanted the herbs and flowering geraniums to be the focus. I gave new life to old pots by brushing on a watered down paint in a deep terracotta, creating a wet clay look.

While the pots dried, I drilled extra drainage holes in the largest pot and dug a shallow bed to sink it into the soil a few inches. This helps anchor the planter, as well as keep spiders and snails from making a home underneath. Next, a tall section of galvanized pipe was hammered down through the center to a depth that made it feel secure. Re-bar is another inexpensive option.

Most crooked pot planters are built by tilting each pot so that it rests on the pot beneath. This really doesn't allow much growing room for the plants, which is why I choose to use the hollow pipe. By inserting slender bolts into holes drilled through the pipe, I was able to raise each pot up off the previous one. This still gives the "tilted" look and room for the herbs to fill and eventually hide the pole.

Finally - Planting

Strawberry plants have a new home in the large bottom pot, with plenty of room for off shoots. Greek oregano and lemon thyme are potted above, and a couple hot pink geraniums are in between for a punch of color. A couple of weeks after planting, I got an added bonus of orange flowered nasturtiums popping up in the strawberry pot ( the surprise result of reusing some old potting mix ).

A Few Tips (pun, yes I know )

The more tilted the pots, the less evenly the plants get watered and the slower you have to water.

Water the top plant first and the drainage will flow down to the plants below.

Plants that spill will give some shade to plants below.

If your planter will be set on a patio or other hard surface, you'll need to anchor the pole inside the bottom container so the whole thing doesn't topple. One way is to dig a well in the ground wider than the top planters, but smaller enough to fit in the bottom planter. Insert the pole and fill with a quick dry concrete. When dry, dig it up, cover with a plastic bag and place in the bottom of the base pot. It will be hidden beneath the potting soil, so it doesn't have to be pretty.

Conclusion

There are lots of styles for tipsy pots, your only limited by your imagination and perhaps the law of gravity. Anyway, that's how I did built mine. Feel free to share your design, tips or comments below.