DIY

DIY, Live Oregon

DIY Concrete Planter

illustrated by Esther Loopstra AS ANYONE WHO HAS EVER STROLLED through the nursery knows, outdoor pots can add up. Try this straightforward method for making a concrete outdoor planter to spruce up your stoop. 1. Make a mold A concrete mold or formwork is used to hold the concrete in place while the material hardens to the desired shape. For this project, the mold will have two parts: the exterior vessel, which will dictate the planter’s overall shape, and an interior vessel, which will fit inside the first to create the cavity needed for the plant’s root ball and dirt. The mold doesn’t have to be complicated. You can reuse objects, like cardboard boxes, or two different-sized plastic buckets. 2. Add Drainage If you want a drainage hole at the bottom of the planter, glue or tape a 1- to 2-inch piece of plastic tubing to the inside center of…

Home + Design

DIY: How to Plant Your Own Mid-century-Inspired Garden

written by Melissa Dalton To tackle a Mid-century-inspired landscape, try these tips drawn from Leslie Dunlap and Seth Cotlar’s garden project. 1. Consider Sightlines From Inside the House In order to sync the existing architecture with the backyard, assess the views from inside the house looking out, then create attractive vignettes at the end of those sightlines. For instance, Dunlap wanted to keep an existing Smoketree that she could see from the living room, so Canfield surrounded it with low-lying plants that underscore the tree’s height and shape. 2. Think In “Drifts” Repetition is key: Cluster the same plants together in masses to create unity and encourage the eye to move through the garden. “Not just one of this or one of that,” said Canfield, which can create a jumbled effect. 3. Highlight Architectural Plants Architectural plants have a more pronounced silhouette, either via branch or leaf structure. In Dunlap…