Planter Decorative Table

I made vegtal decorative table using a big terra cotta pot, on wheels to move it easily, even if it would be occasional.

I put rubber tips between the rim and the glass to avoid scratches and to improve the grip on the pot.

• Big terra cotta pot - height about 65cm - diameter on the rim about 50cm
• Wood tray on wheels - the diameter of the tray should match with the bottom of the pot and be able to support the weight of the full pot
• Round glass plate - diameter 80cm - thickness 10mm
• Transparent rubber tab (the ones used to absorb cupboard doors) - diameter 22mm - thickness 3mm - 18 tips
• Rocks - enough to fill half of the pot and create relief
• Geotextile fabric or jute or thight grid

• Plants (selection described in the next step)

• Soil compliant with chosen vegetals

• Decorations - set of miniature garden furnitures

*** Some tools ***

• Non-permanent felt to write on the glass and erase it
• Pencil
• Meter

To chose plants, I took 2 criteria into account : hardiness and size

• Plants must be resiliant to summer and winter climate - from -10°C to 35°C
• Final size should not exceed about 30cm, in order to keep seeing properly inside

Finally, I picked up vegetals from my garden and cuttings :

• Violet : odorus violet flowers in March
• Harebell : small blue flowers in June
• Fern : will be probably over than 30cm...
• Helxine : ground cover with very little leaves
• Daisy : white flowers in April
• Lamium maculatum : small light green leaves
• Moss

Soil = 3/4 soil from my garden + 1/4 from compost

• Set the pot on the tray; center it to avoid tipping over
• Put the rocks onto the pot; arrange rock's disposition to create relief. I use among others old concrete blocks and smaller stones. Rocks should fill about half of the height.
  • Make sure the top of the relief is below the rim of the pot

• Cover the rocks with geotextile, with a hole to pass the relief along

• Fill about 1/3 of the remaining height with soil mixture
• Arrange the plants; there must be enough place above it to grow up above the glass plate
• Add soil to steady the plantations
• Add moss - I filled in the gap on the top the concrete block and put moss on it to make the relief more attractif
• Sprinkle in fine rain
• Settle the miniature furnitures

To manipulate the plate, it is less dangerous to be helped.

• Measure the diameter of the middle of the rim (diameter of the circle following the tips) - 49cm
• On the glass plate with the erasable felt, trace 6 marks distributed on a center circle of 49cm of diameter
• Put the tips next each mark and erase it
• Put the plate on the rim of the pot and mark each tip position with pencil
• Remove the plate
• Stick 2 tips on both sides of each mark, let the place for a little more than one tip bewteen them
• Reinstall the glass plate

• Keep wet, using spray
• Check condensation, if there is too much, remove the plate during a couple of hours, such as for a terrarium
• In summer, if the table stay in the sun, place a mat to proctect plant from sun as it can is done with shade sail in greenhouse when there is to much sun outside
• Replace unsuitable plants (too big, dead, ...)
• Add 1 or 2 handfuls of compost once a year