DIY broken pot garden

A broken clay pot is no reason to be sad. It can become a charming tiered mini garden: the shards turn into terraces and steps, with succulents, moss and tiny houses between them. It will brighten a windowsill, balcony or garden path. Here is how to make one.

Fresh flowers for your home or as a gift: potted plants and flower baskets.

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Choosing the pot

• A large terracotta pot with a piece of the side broken off but the base intact is ideal.
• The break shouldn’t reach more than halfway down, or the soil will slide out.
• If little of the rim is left, build the scene with small pots at different levels.
• Glazed pots can be used, but their smooth shards hold soil less well.

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10 steps to a pot garden

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1. Wash the pot and carefully snap off any cracked pieces. Wear gloves — the edges are sharp.
2. Plan the tiers: large shards will form the walls of the terraces and hold the soil.
3. Build the garden where it will stay — the finished pot is heavy.
4. Put a drainage layer in the bottom: clay pebbles, gravel or broken brick.
5. Prepare a light succulent mix or soil mixed 1:1 with sand.
6. Add soil gradually, inserting shard dividers to form levels.
7. Plant into moist soil, starting with the lowest tier and keeping the root balls intact.
8. Firm the soil around the plants so there are no gaps.
9. Cover bare soil with moss, fine gravel or coloured sand to slow evaporation.
10. Add décor: miniature houses, steps, figurines and bridges.

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What to plant

Shallow-rooted, drought-tolerant plants suit these gardens best: houseleeks, sedums, echeverias, crassulas, thyme, pearlwort and saxifrage. Read about easy stonecrops in sedum: planting and care. For an indoor version, haworthias and baby’s tears also work well.

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Care

• Light — sunny or bright: succulents stretch in shade.
• Watering — sparingly and carefully, with a narrow-spouted can, only when the soil is dry.
• Winter — terracotta can crack in frost, so bring the garden into a cool, bright room (houseleeks and sedums can stay outside if the pot is kept dry).

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For more ideas see DIY flower pot decorating and DIY garden decorating ideas.

FAQ

What soil does a pot garden need?

Light and free-draining: cactus and succulent compost or soil mixed with sand.

Can I use a plastic pot?

Clay is better: the shards are sturdier, look attractive and let the soil breathe.

How often should I water it?

About every 7–10 days in summer and every 2–3 weeks in winter, depending on how fast the soil dries.

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Author: Maria Svitlovir

Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.

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