pretty patio (my sister is a genius?)

peek-a-boo ;)

So far, I have killed every beautiful plant that has ever lived on my deck save one: the hibiscus.  The good news is that now I have a beautifully sunny deck that I hope will be a cozy home for a few beautiful things.

Yesterday I brought home a lovely red carnation with visions of fresh cut flower bouquets straight from the patio.  Knowing that keeping these little darlings well watered is my biggest challenge with a potted plant outside in the North Carolina heat, I had to make this a self-watering container.

I was racking my brain to come up with a small container or bucket to use as a reservoir to make the same setup I have in my veggie buckets.  I couldn't come up with anything on hand when my sis had the brainstorm of the season: Pina Coladas!

if you like pina coladas...

So here's the setup... I drilled a ton of holes throughout the plastic container and buried it in the middle of the planter with the neck sticking out as a watering spout.  I planted the flowers all around the bottle and filled it up.  I expect the spout to be fully camouflaged as the plant fills in.  The first time I filled the container, it mostly spilled right out but I'm hoping it will be a better reservoir over time as the soil fills in the empty spaces, etc.

Here's to keeping the carnations well watered!