Hi, I’m Dr. Karyn! Read my introduction to be taught extra about me and my 5 humorous canines, Poppy, Bailey, Kodah, Ned, and Fred.
Kodah is a extremely messy drinker. When he quenches his thirst, we really feel like we must always begin constructing an ark. A short time again we invested in a few ‘spillproof’ water bowls, they usually labored…for just a few weeks. Somehow, Kodah labored out easy methods to push the floating degree down, permitting him to make simply as a lot of a large number as he used to. Which bought me considering that he have to be doing it on function! Then I noticed one thing on-line that I simply needed to attempt for myself. It wasn’t going to cease the spills, but it surely was going to place them to good use!
Water Bowl Planter!
A water bowl planter was proper up my alley, and if I’m going to make it, I’m going to share the method with you.
The beauty of this little mission is that you could be have already got many of the stuff you want at dwelling, and you can also make it to no matter specs you need.
Here’s what you’ll want:
- Water bowl (ceramic or stainless-steel)
- Dish, bowl, tray, or saucer to relaxation the bowl in
- Plant pot giant sufficient to permit loads of planting house across the bowl
- Compost/potting combine
- Decorative stones/pebbles
- Hardy, non-toxic plants
Plant selection
Succulents and cacti are normally non-toxic to canines, however it’s essential to make certain they don’t have any sharp factors or spines, and it is best to double check individual plant species to be sure. I’m utilizing Sempervivum and Delosperma species, each of that are non-toxic to canines.
Ideally, you need a dish, bowl, or tray that’s simply giant sufficient to only suit your water bowl in. I used to be utilizing a backyard sieve that was fairly a bit bigger than my bowl, however I had somewhat trick up my sleeve to adapt this, which I’ll discuss later. I needed to make use of the sieve because it allowed for extra drainage, so I wouldn’t find yourself with a swamp beneath the water bowl.
The Process
I began with a layer of pebbles on the underside of the pot to assist with drainage. I then crammed the pot with my compost combine, patting it all the way down to get the appropriate top. You need the highest of the water bowl to be degree with, or barely decrease than, the sting of the pot. I positioned the sieve and bowl into the pot – I positioned mine off heart to permit for some bigger vegetation – including a small quantity of potting combine contained in the sieve, and a layer that reaches the highest of the sieve across the outdoors. The water bowl will get fairly messy, however we’ll clear it on the finish.
Now it’s time to position our vegetation and ornamental pebbles. Succulents are inclined to develop and unfold fairly rapidly, so go away loads of house.
If you will have a well-matched bowl and ‘underneath bowl’, it is best to be capable to raise your water bowl out fairly simply to scrub it, with little or no rock fall.
Because I’ve a big hole, I’m utilizing somewhat secret weapon within the type of clumping clay cat litter. This was a little bit of an improvisation, I’ll admit! But it labored rather well to bind my pebbles collectively, with out risking toxicity to my vegetation or my pet! I washed, watered, and moist down the pebbles, vegetation, and litter, and allowed this to all accept about an hour.
I used to be then in a position to rigorously raise my water bowl with out the soil, vegetation, and pebbles collapsing into the house left behind.
The Result
With a clear bowl and a few recent water, my ‘self-watering’ planter seems unbelievable, and retains Kodah’s watery mess contained. I adore it!
And I even created one for the cats utilizing a few outdated canine bowls, some succulents, and a catnip plant!
But Beware!
If your canine likes to chew stones or eat vegetation, this isn’t going to be a superb possibility for you. Even when you’re utilizing dog-safe plant varieties, there are only a few vegetation that gained’t give your canine an upset abdomen in the event that they eat a whole lot of them.
Happy Planting!
