Topsy Turvy Planter Tutorial

Items you will need-

1- 1/2" piece of rebar (mine came in a 10ft piece we cut 2.5 feet off)
1- 10" clay pot 
3- 8" clay pots
2- 3 or 4" clay pots 
2- Bottles of an outdoor worthy spray paint (you might need more if using bigger or more pots)
1- Large bag of potting soil
20ish- Of your favorite flowers (I got a few pony packs with the 6 in them and then a couple singles)
1- Larger flower for the top pot (if you want)

I started by taking my Valspar out door spray paint and pots to an area away from the kids, house and cars to paint each of them inside and out.

                                                        This particular Valspar brand of outdoor pain was very easy to work with and the spray nozzle and cap were very nice.

I really like the yellow!

We cut roughly 2.5ft off of our 10ft piece of 1/2" rebar with the sawsall, then took that rebar to the place where I wanted the planter and started working/pounding it into the ground. We could twist it a little bit of the way and then we got out my step ladder and rubber hammer to pound it in the rest of the way. I held on to the rebar its self to steady it while Ron pounded and it went in a lot smoother than when I wasnt holding it. I suggest you wear gloves when holding it. We pounded so that about 3 feet was in the ground.

After the rebar was pounded into the ground it might still feel a little wobbly to you but that is ok. As you add the pots and soil it will start to feel sturdier.

 Next I started feeding the pots on to the rebar through the hole in the bottom. I filled the bottom pot with soil and then fed one of the 3" pots on to the rebar but gave it a tilt and then filled it with soil as well.

Keep doing this with each of the pots until the top of your rebar is buried in the last pot, my last pot is a 3" pot because I wanted to put one big flower in it instead of many little ones but it doesn't have to be. As you go up the rebar tip each pot the opposite way of the one below it to get the topsy turvy look.

Then continue to fill each pot with soil and you should feel the structure starting to stabilize and be less wobbly.

The next thing to do is to start adding your plants. I got a few different kinds. Some of mine will be trailing and will spill out the sides of the pots as they grow and some will not. I picked some pansies, verbena, petunia's and for the top a Gerber daisy. Many of these are available in what they call pony packs which is a pack that has 6 plants of the same flower in the package. More bang for your buck with those! I also got some on sale at Lowe's for $1.25 a pack.
       
I am really happy with how it turned out and encourge you to make one of your own! It was very easy to make!