I live in a Condo where they encourage owners to personalize the
outside with container gardens. They even let you plant your own stuff
in your bedding areas.

I have several containers with flowers. Two of them are heavy ceramic
16-17" sized containers with tall sunflowers in them. They were
growing beautifully, with dozens and dozens of buds. I also had an
over-the-railing window box on my deck filled with Music Box
sunflowers (2 feet tall) that had just come into full bloom.

I planted EVERYTHING directly from seed on May 15, and nursed them
with daily watering, regular fertilizing, insecticide, and fungicide
treatments. I spend probably three hours a day watering and caring for
them.

Since yesterday morning at 8:00 am until today right now, I have been
frantically running around like a madman trying to stop the wind from
destroying these flowers. It's just non stop, gail force sustained
gusting. It seems it isn't touching any of the neighbor's stuff, then
again, they don't have tall sunflowers. There isn't even any kind of
weather advisory right now or anything (I am west Michigan), and the
forecast says nothing about high winds. Yet outside my window, there
are huge winds ripping into my containers.

One ceramic container of sunflowers got blown over and smashed into a
million pieces. I went to Lowe's and got a larger 20" foam container,
weighted it down with two heavy concrete foundation wall blocks, then
transplanted them into the new pot. The wind blew it over again. I
then had to try and get creative in figuring out how to weight it
down. I got four foundation blocks, put two ratcheting tie down straps
underneath them, put the pot on top of them, put the sunflowers back
up again (not easy, as soon as I set them in the pot the non stop wind
would send them instantly sideways, holding them in position was like
playing tug of war), put three more foundation blocks on top of the
pot, then tied the whole thing together with the ratcheting tie downs
(the straps used to tie motorcycles and atv's down to pickups). The
whole thing now looks like the flower container version of
Frankenstein's monster. It's a husk of what it once was.

As to the deck railing planter of music box sunflowers, I looked
outside the window today, and they were gone! The wind had actually
picked them up and carried them down about 24 feet away from my deck.
The railing planter smashed into a million pieces. I propped up the
root bound dirt and went to Frank's and could only find another
container in a different color than all the others I have. Took what I
could get. Set the flowers down in the new planter, put it back out on
the deck (not easy, my deck doesn't have stairs, had to carry it up a
hill and through the house), tied it down with bungee cords to the
rail, with the cords going over the top to hold the flowers in.

It got picked up and carried off again. This time the bungee cord kept
hold and it ended up dangling from the edge of the deck. Had to get a
ladder to pick it back up, couldn't hold on to it though as I cut the
bungee cord, and it fell. Picked it back up again and put it in the
container, which didn't shatter this time, then put it back out and
tied it down this time with the ratcheting tie down. Only had two, so
used one on this container, and one on the other container of music
box sunflowers that hadn't got blown off yet.

A third container of sunflowers also got blown over. The heavy ceramic
container that it's in didn't get broken, so I picked it back up. I
fastened it with bungee cords to the only thing that I could find that
was close to it, a shepherd's hook. It's double ended with one side
having a hanging pot and the other side nudged in between some bricks
on the house to hold it straight.

It got blown over again. The bungee cord was simply stretched from the
shepherd's hook over to the container. Put it back, fastened it again
with more bungee cords. The bricks that were holding the hook strait
chipped, now the shepherd's hook lost its support. Forced it back in
between the bricks further down so that it's slightly crooked now. It
also has a tendency to pop out easy now, so it's very likely this
container will get blown over a third time, taking the shepherd's hook
with it.

After this, one of the sunflowers in this container got snapped in
half by the non stop gusting wind.

Keep in mind, these are very heavy ceramic containers filled with 6-7
foot tall plants. When I say I picked it back up, it wasn't easy. I am
alone, no wife and neighbors don't help, just stand there gawking.

The winds are still out there gusting, I wonder which of my hard work
will get destroyed next. I wonder if the stuff I did will hold. I
wonder if the stems will snap. Anyways, the stuff that I set back up
got pretty wrecked. I had smaller flowers like pansies and violas and
other stuff planted around the outer rims that was just starting to
bloom, of course that's all smashed and lost now.

I guess I just need someplace to vent. Thanks for reading if you've
read all this.

I should ask, I can't be the only one who has ever fought an epic
battle like this. I may not grow plants any more, I am on the verge of
a nervous breakdown after these two days. How do you cope? Is there
anything you can do to fasten down containers with tall plants? Anyone
have any techniques to share?

Right now, I'm thinking if I do plant containers next year, I will
bolt down the window boxes. Will make emptying them in the fall
harder. If I do tall plants like sunflowers in large ceramic
containers again, I'm thinking of using the technique of fastening the
container down to four foundation blocks underneath it using the
ratchet tie down. I could get a black one maybe, that might not look
too bad.

Anyway thanks for reading if you made it through all this.

That exhausted me just reading about it. I dont think i would try to
fix something while the wind was still blowing. I hope someone can
give you real answers. I feel your pain losing everything you grew
from seed.
Good luck.





On Sat, 26 Jul 2003 22:50:16 -0400, Pelvis Popcan
wrote:

I live in a Condo where they encourage owners to personalize the
outside with container gardens. They even let you plant your own stuff
in your bedding areas.

I have several containers with flowers. Two of them are heavy ceramic
16-17" sized containers with tall sunflowers in them. They were
growing beautifully, with dozens and dozens of buds. I also had an
over-the-railing window box on my deck filled with Music Box
sunflowers (2 feet tall) that had just come into full bloom.

I planted EVERYTHING directly from seed on May 15, and nursed them
with daily watering, regular fertilizing, insecticide, and fungicide
treatments. I spend probably three hours a day watering and caring for
them.

Since yesterday morning at 8:00 am until today right now, I have been
frantically running around like a madman trying to stop the wind from
destroying these flowers. It's just non stop, gail force sustained
gusting. It seems it isn't touching any of the neighbor's stuff, then
again, they don't have tall sunflowers. There isn't even any kind of
weather advisory right now or anything (I am west Michigan), and the
forecast says nothing about high winds. Yet outside my window, there
are huge winds ripping into my containers.

One ceramic container of sunflowers got blown over and smashed into a
million pieces. I went to Lowe's and got a larger 20" foam container,
weighted it down with two heavy concrete foundation wall blocks, then
transplanted them into the new pot. The wind blew it over again. I
then had to try and get creative in figuring out how to weight it
down. I got four foundation blocks, put two ratcheting tie down straps
underneath them, put the pot on top of them, put the sunflowers back
up again (not easy, as soon as I set them in the pot the non stop wind
would send them instantly sideways, holding them in position was like
playing tug of war), put three more foundation blocks on top of the
pot, then tied the whole thing together with the ratcheting tie downs
(the straps used to tie motorcycles and atv's down to pickups). The
whole thing now looks like the flower container version of
Frankenstein's monster. It's a husk of what it once was.

As to the deck railing planter of music box sunflowers, I looked
outside the window today, and they were gone! The wind had actually
picked them up and carried them down about 24 feet away from my deck.
The railing planter smashed into a million pieces. I propped up the
root bound dirt and went to Frank's and could only find another
container in a different color than all the others I have. Took what I
could get. Set the flowers down in the new planter, put it back out on
the deck (not easy, my deck doesn't have stairs, had to carry it up a
hill and through the house), tied it down with bungee cords to the
rail, with the cords going over the top to hold the flowers in.

It got picked up and carried off again. This time the bungee cord kept
hold and it ended up dangling from the edge of the deck. Had to get a
ladder to pick it back up, couldn't hold on to it though as I cut the
bungee cord, and it fell. Picked it back up again and put it in the
container, which didn't shatter this time, then put it back out and
tied it down this time with the ratcheting tie down. Only had two, so
used one on this container, and one on the other container of music
box sunflowers that hadn't got blown off yet.

A third container of sunflowers also got blown over. The heavy ceramic
container that it's in didn't get broken, so I picked it back up. I
fastened it with bungee cords to the only thing that I could find that
was close to it, a shepherd's hook. It's double ended with one side
having a hanging pot and the other side nudged in between some bricks
on the house to hold it straight.

It got blown over again. The bungee cord was simply stretched from the
shepherd's hook over to the container. Put it back, fastened it again
with more bungee cords. The bricks that were holding the hook strait
chipped, now the shepherd's hook lost its support. Forced it back in
between the bricks further down so that it's slightly crooked now. It
also has a tendency to pop out easy now, so it's very likely this
container will get blown over a third time, taking the shepherd's hook
with it.

After this, one of the sunflowers in this container got snapped in
half by the non stop gusting wind.

Keep in mind, these are very heavy ceramic containers filled with 6-7
foot tall plants. When I say I picked it back up, it wasn't easy. I am
alone, no wife and neighbors don't help, just stand there gawking.

The winds are still out there gusting, I wonder which of my hard work
will get destroyed next. I wonder if the stuff I did will hold. I
wonder if the stems will snap. Anyways, the stuff that I set back up
got pretty wrecked. I had smaller flowers like pansies and violas and
other stuff planted around the outer rims that was just starting to
bloom, of course that's all smashed and lost now.

I guess I just need someplace to vent. Thanks for reading if you've
read all this.

I should ask, I can't be the only one who has ever fought an epic
battle like this. I may not grow plants any more, I am on the verge of
a nervous breakdown after these two days. How do you cope? Is there
anything you can do to fasten down containers with tall plants? Anyone
have any techniques to share?

Right now, I'm thinking if I do plant containers next year, I will
bolt down the window boxes. Will make emptying them in the fall
harder. If I do tall plants like sunflowers in large ceramic
containers again, I'm thinking of using the technique of fastening the
container down to four foundation blocks underneath it using the
ratchet tie down. I could get a black one maybe, that might not look
too bad.

Anyway thanks for reading if you made it through all this.

I really feel bad for you. But I'm puzzled over something - if it was so bad
out, why fight the battle - just take them inside. That's what I'd do.

JWB

"Pelvis Popcan" wrote in message
...
I live in a Condo where they encourage owners to personalize the
outside with container gardens. They even let you plant your own stuff
in your bedding areas.

I have several containers with flowers. Two of them are heavy ceramic
16-17" sized containers with tall sunflowers in them. They were
growing beautifully, with dozens and dozens of buds. I also had an
over-the-railing window box on my deck filled with Music Box
sunflowers (2 feet tall) that had just come into full bloom.

I planted EVERYTHING directly from seed on May 15, and nursed them
with daily watering, regular fertilizing, insecticide, and fungicide
treatments. I spend probably three hours a day watering and caring for
them.

Since yesterday morning at 8:00 am until today right now, I have been
frantically running around like a madman trying to stop the wind from
destroying these flowers. It's just non stop, gail force sustained
gusting. It seems it isn't touching any of the neighbor's stuff, then
again, they don't have tall sunflowers. There isn't even any kind of
weather advisory right now or anything (I am west Michigan), and the
forecast says nothing about high winds. Yet outside my window, there
are huge winds ripping into my containers.

One ceramic container of sunflowers got blown over and smashed into a
million pieces. I went to Lowe's and got a larger 20" foam container,
weighted it down with two heavy concrete foundation wall blocks, then
transplanted them into the new pot. The wind blew it over again. I
then had to try and get creative in figuring out how to weight it
down. I got four foundation blocks, put two ratcheting tie down straps
underneath them, put the pot on top of them, put the sunflowers back
up again (not easy, as soon as I set them in the pot the non stop wind
would send them instantly sideways, holding them in position was like
playing tug of war), put three more foundation blocks on top of the
pot, then tied the whole thing together with the ratcheting tie downs
(the straps used to tie motorcycles and atv's down to pickups). The
whole thing now looks like the flower container version of
Frankenstein's monster. It's a husk of what it once was.

As to the deck railing planter of music box sunflowers, I looked
outside the window today, and they were gone! The wind had actually
picked them up and carried them down about 24 feet away from my deck.
The railing planter smashed into a million pieces. I propped up the
root bound dirt and went to Frank's and could only find another
container in a different color than all the others I have. Took what I
could get. Set the flowers down in the new planter, put it back out on
the deck (not easy, my deck doesn't have stairs, had to carry it up a
hill and through the house), tied it down with bungee cords to the
rail, with the cords going over the top to hold the flowers in.

It got picked up and carried off again. This time the bungee cord kept
hold and it ended up dangling from the edge of the deck. Had to get a
ladder to pick it back up, couldn't hold on to it though as I cut the
bungee cord, and it fell. Picked it back up again and put it in the
container, which didn't shatter this time, then put it back out and
tied it down this time with the ratcheting tie down. Only had two, so
used one on this container, and one on the other container of music
box sunflowers that hadn't got blown off yet.

A third container of sunflowers also got blown over. The heavy ceramic
container that it's in didn't get broken, so I picked it back up. I
fastened it with bungee cords to the only thing that I could find that
was close to it, a shepherd's hook. It's double ended with one side
having a hanging pot and the other side nudged in between some bricks
on the house to hold it straight.

It got blown over again. The bungee cord was simply stretched from the
shepherd's hook over to the container. Put it back, fastened it again
with more bungee cords. The bricks that were holding the hook strait
chipped, now the shepherd's hook lost its support. Forced it back in
between the bricks further down so that it's slightly crooked now. It
also has a tendency to pop out easy now, so it's very likely this
container will get blown over a third time, taking the shepherd's hook
with it.

After this, one of the sunflowers in this container got snapped in
half by the non stop gusting wind.

Keep in mind, these are very heavy ceramic containers filled with 6-7
foot tall plants. When I say I picked it back up, it wasn't easy. I am
alone, no wife and neighbors don't help, just stand there gawking.

The winds are still out there gusting, I wonder which of my hard work
will get destroyed next. I wonder if the stuff I did will hold. I
wonder if the stems will snap. Anyways, the stuff that I set back up
got pretty wrecked. I had smaller flowers like pansies and violas and
other stuff planted around the outer rims that was just starting to
bloom, of course that's all smashed and lost now.

I guess I just need someplace to vent. Thanks for reading if you've
read all this.

I should ask, I can't be the only one who has ever fought an epic
battle like this. I may not grow plants any more, I am on the verge of
a nervous breakdown after these two days. How do you cope? Is there
anything you can do to fasten down containers with tall plants? Anyone
have any techniques to share?

Right now, I'm thinking if I do plant containers next year, I will
bolt down the window boxes. Will make emptying them in the fall
harder. If I do tall plants like sunflowers in large ceramic
containers again, I'm thinking of using the technique of fastening the
container down to four foundation blocks underneath it using the
ratchet tie down. I could get a black one maybe, that might not look
too bad.

Anyway thanks for reading if you made it through all this.

Hey Pelvis, Jeeze I'm sorry all your hard work was ruined. Don't give up
though. I agee that the conatiners should have been taken inside. Is there
anywhere else to put your plants? Maybe next year plant lower growing things
and definitely secure the planters.
--
Jayel.
"Pelvis Popcan" wrote in message
...
I live in a Condo where they encourage owners to personalize the
outside with container gardens. They even let you plant your own stuff
in your bedding areas.

I have several containers with flowers. Two of them are heavy ceramic
16-17" sized containers with tall sunflowers in them. They were
growing beautifully, with dozens and dozens of buds. I also had an
over-the-railing window box on my deck filled with Music Box
sunflowers (2 feet tall) that had just come into full bloom.

I planted EVERYTHING directly from seed on May 15, and nursed them
with daily watering, regular fertilizing, insecticide, and fungicide
treatments. I spend probably three hours a day watering and caring for
them.

Since yesterday morning at 8:00 am until today right now, I have been
frantically running around like a madman trying to stop the wind from
destroying these flowers. It's just non stop, gail force sustained
gusting. It seems it isn't touching any of the neighbor's stuff, then
again, they don't have tall sunflowers. There isn't even any kind of
weather advisory right now or anything (I am west Michigan), and the
forecast says nothing about high winds. Yet outside my window, there
are huge winds ripping into my containers.

One ceramic container of sunflowers got blown over and smashed into a
million pieces. I went to Lowe's and got a larger 20" foam container,
weighted it down with two heavy concrete foundation wall blocks, then
transplanted them into the new pot. The wind blew it over again. I
then had to try and get creative in figuring out how to weight it
down. I got four foundation blocks, put two ratcheting tie down straps
underneath them, put the pot on top of them, put the sunflowers back
up again (not easy, as soon as I set them in the pot the non stop wind
would send them instantly sideways, holding them in position was like
playing tug of war), put three more foundation blocks on top of the
pot, then tied the whole thing together with the ratcheting tie downs
(the straps used to tie motorcycles and atv's down to pickups). The
whole thing now looks like the flower container version of
Frankenstein's monster. It's a husk of what it once was.

As to the deck railing planter of music box sunflowers, I looked
outside the window today, and they were gone! The wind had actually
picked them up and carried them down about 24 feet away from my deck.
The railing planter smashed into a million pieces. I propped up the
root bound dirt and went to Frank's and could only find another
container in a different color than all the others I have. Took what I
could get. Set the flowers down in the new planter, put it back out on
the deck (not easy, my deck doesn't have stairs, had to carry it up a
hill and through the house), tied it down with bungee cords to the
rail, with the cords going over the top to hold the flowers in.

It got picked up and carried off again. This time the bungee cord kept
hold and it ended up dangling from the edge of the deck. Had to get a
ladder to pick it back up, couldn't hold on to it though as I cut the
bungee cord, and it fell. Picked it back up again and put it in the
container, which didn't shatter this time, then put it back out and
tied it down this time with the ratcheting tie down. Only had two, so
used one on this container, and one on the other container of music
box sunflowers that hadn't got blown off yet.

A third container of sunflowers also got blown over. The heavy ceramic
container that it's in didn't get broken, so I picked it back up. I
fastened it with bungee cords to the only thing that I could find that
was close to it, a shepherd's hook. It's double ended with one side
having a hanging pot and the other side nudged in between some bricks
on the house to hold it straight.

It got blown over again. The bungee cord was simply stretched from the
shepherd's hook over to the container. Put it back, fastened it again
with more bungee cords. The bricks that were holding the hook strait
chipped, now the shepherd's hook lost its support. Forced it back in
between the bricks further down so that it's slightly crooked now. It
also has a tendency to pop out easy now, so it's very likely this
container will get blown over a third time, taking the shepherd's hook
with it.

After this, one of the sunflowers in this container got snapped in
half by the non stop gusting wind.

Keep in mind, these are very heavy ceramic containers filled with 6-7
foot tall plants. When I say I picked it back up, it wasn't easy. I am
alone, no wife and neighbors don't help, just stand there gawking.

The winds are still out there gusting, I wonder which of my hard work
will get destroyed next. I wonder if the stuff I did will hold. I
wonder if the stems will snap. Anyways, the stuff that I set back up
got pretty wrecked. I had smaller flowers like pansies and violas and
other stuff planted around the outer rims that was just starting to
bloom, of course that's all smashed and lost now.

I guess I just need someplace to vent. Thanks for reading if you've
read all this.

I should ask, I can't be the only one who has ever fought an epic
battle like this. I may not grow plants any more, I am on the verge of
a nervous breakdown after these two days. How do you cope? Is there
anything you can do to fasten down containers with tall plants? Anyone
have any techniques to share?

Right now, I'm thinking if I do plant containers next year, I will
bolt down the window boxes. Will make emptying them in the fall
harder. If I do tall plants like sunflowers in large ceramic
containers again, I'm thinking of using the technique of fastening the
container down to four foundation blocks underneath it using the
ratchet tie down. I could get a black one maybe, that might not look
too bad.

Anyway thanks for reading if you made it through all this.

On Sat, 26 Jul 2003 22:50:16 -0400, Pelvis Popcan
wrote:

Keep in mind, these are very heavy ceramic containers filled with 6-7
foot tall plants. When I say I picked it back up, it wasn't easy. I am
alone, no wife and neighbors don't help, just stand there gawking.


I should ask, I can't be the only one who has ever fought an epic
battle like this. I may not grow plants any more, I am on the verge of
a nervous breakdown after these two days. How do you cope? Is there
anything you can do to fasten down containers with tall plants? Anyone
have any techniques to share?

Yes. Don't grow 6 to 7 foot tall sunflowers. The leaves catch the
wind...that's why deciduous trees can tolerate winter winds...they
lose their leaves in autumn...leaves which would literally rip them up
out of the ground like a parachute.

Sunflowers also have a "support group" in their native
habitat...thousands of other surrounding sunflowers supporting each
other.

Dan

Absolutely no room whatsoever. Garage is full of crap that I need to
get cleared out. And we're talking about moving several hundred pound
sized containers. Don't have anyone around her to help. The things
weigh so much, it's hard to believe they can get blown over. I never
would have imagined anything like this. But I guess it's all about
leverage, sunflower leaves act like sails, throw enough of them up on
strong staked stems high enough, and it takes less power to tip the
container. The foundation blocks coupled to the base of the pot will
widen the base and will hopefully triple to quadruple the weight of
the container.

Downtown they have trees planted in containers. I wonder how those
stay up... probably bolted down.


"J. Lane" wrote:

Hey Pelvis, Jeeze I'm sorry all your hard work was ruined. Don't give up
though. I agee that the conatiners should have been taken inside. Is there
anywhere else to put your plants? Maybe next year plant lower growing things
and definitely secure the planters.

In article says...
Absolutely no room whatsoever. Garage is full of crap that I need to
get cleared out. And we're talking about moving several hundred pound
sized containers. Don't have anyone around her to help. The things
weigh so much, it's hard to believe they can get blown over. I never
would have imagined anything like this. But I guess it's all about
leverage, sunflower leaves act like sails, throw enough of them up on
strong staked stems high enough, and it takes less power to tip the
container. The foundation blocks coupled to the base of the pot will
widen the base and will hopefully triple to quadruple the weight of
the container.

Downtown they have trees planted in containers. I wonder how those
stay up... probably bolted down.


I'm on the other side of the lake in Chicago and we've been experiencing
wind too. I have my pots just sitting on the top of the wall and so far
(knock on wood), no wind has been able to knock them over. Pots with
soil have a pretty low center of gravity. That said, you might want to
see if there is some sort of (I don't know how to describe this) tunnel
effect causing the wind to be directed at your plants. What I mean is
like downtown Chicago, the wind blowing between two skyscrapers or
buildings will be at a much higher velocity than the actual wind because
of the way pressure works in enclosed spaces. Sometimes this can cause
very severe gusts.

Although it could be just the weather. There are some parks in Chicago
where hundred year old trees were just flattened everywhere just due to
the recent wind (I.e. no tornado). Other parts not far away, like where
I live, didn't experience a tenth of that force. It has been a very
strange month weather-wise.

Although it could be just the weather. There are some parks in Chicago
where hundred year old trees were just flattened everywhere just due to
the recent wind (I.e. no tornado). Other parts not far away, like where
I live, didn't experience a tenth of that force. It has been a very
strange month weather-wise.


Yes, just be glad you're talking about sunflowers and not oaks and
poplars; and Michigan and not Memphis, where much of the city is still
without power from Tuesday's storm. It's an El Nino year, there will be
strange weather.

Believe me, you are not alone.

You had three containers with two months of growth get beaten up. I
know how heartbreaking it is. But, think of the people who have trees
that have been in their families for generations that get blown down.
Or think of the farmer who loses an entire crop to an act of nature,
like fire, floods, swarms, or yes, high winds, or tornados! And think
of the people who lose entire homes! There was a windstorm in Michigan
in 1998 that wasn't a tornado or hurricane, just REALLY strong wind
that destroyed houses.

I'm not trying to belittle your post, just hopefully making you feel
not so bad! Think of it this way, they're just plants, if they get
wrecked, just pitch the things rather than literally fighting an epic
several-day-long battle. You can then go to your local Franks, Lowe's,
or other nursery and get some new smaller plants to put in the empty
containers that won't get blown over for the rest of the summer!
They'll complement your hand-sown containers that survived.

Strong winds blowing things over is very likely to happen to any
gardener. Every summer will have a windstorm at some point like you
describe. So, now you've learned to expect it and you can take
precautions.

Bolting down the windowboxes sounds great. Make sure you use enough
bolts, put two on each end and in the middle for your over-the-railing
containers.

The ratcheting tie downs / foundation blocks sounds like a very
creative idea! For existing containers it sounds like it would work
great. Widening the base is definitely the way to combat the leverage
effect. A couple of things to consider though - if the four bricks are
sitting in an X pattern, there should be some pipe or perhaps some
THICK cut plant stakes forming an X in between the bricks. You also
should lay some waterproof lining underneath it to help keep moisture
from the bottom of the pot soaking the straps every time you water.

For a new pot, I'd recommend bolting the bottom of the container down
to the bricks. To make holes, use a hammerdrill and a masonry drill
bit. Drill four holes in the bottom of the container an inch from the
edge forming a X. Set it on the bricks, then mark the bricks. Take the
bricks out, and drill holes in the bricks. Put them back under the
container, line up the holes, and use masonry bolts and washers to
bolt on the bricks.

You'll get better coupling and no unsightly straps coming down from
the sides of the pot. In the fall, just dig out the dirt until the
bolts are exposed, and unbolt. Use new bricks next year.

You should only have to do that for the large containers with tall
plants (sunflowers).

You can also use your masonry drill bit to make a hole in some smaller
bricks, you can then insert tall plant stakes into these and put them
on the bottom of the container before filling with dirt. Just make
sure the center drainage hole is clear after all this!

Don't let those ridiculous posts about bringing 10 foot tall
sunflowers in heavy containers inside get to you!

--------------------

Pelvis Popcan wrote:

I live in a Condo where they encourage owners to personalize the
outside with container gardens. They even let you plant your own stuff
in your bedding areas.

I have several containers with flowers. Two of them are heavy ceramic
16-17" sized containers with tall sunflowers in them. They were
growing beautifully, with dozens and dozens of buds. I also had an
over-the-railing window box on my deck filled with Music Box
sunflowers (2 feet tall) that had just come into full bloom.

I planted EVERYTHING directly from seed on May 15, and nursed them
with daily watering, regular fertilizing, insecticide, and fungicide
treatments. I spend probably three hours a day watering and caring for
them.

Since yesterday morning at 8:00 am until today right now, I have been
frantically running around like a madman trying to stop the wind from
destroying these flowers. It's just non stop, gail force sustained
gusting. It seems it isn't touching any of the neighbor's stuff, then
again, they don't have tall sunflowers. There isn't even any kind of
weather advisory right now or anything (I am west Michigan), and the
forecast says nothing about high winds. Yet outside my window, there
are huge winds ripping into my containers.

One ceramic container of sunflowers got blown over and smashed into a
million pieces. I went to Lowe's and got a larger 20" foam container,
weighted it down with two heavy concrete foundation wall blocks, then
transplanted them into the new pot. The wind blew it over again. I
then had to try and get creative in figuring out how to weight it
down. I got four foundation blocks, put two ratcheting tie down straps
underneath them, put the pot on top of them, put the sunflowers back
up again (not easy, as soon as I set them in the pot the non stop wind
would send them instantly sideways, holding them in position was like
playing tug of war), put three more foundation blocks on top of the
pot, then tied the whole thing together with the ratcheting tie downs
(the straps used to tie motorcycles and atv's down to pickups). The
whole thing now looks like the flower container version of
Frankenstein's monster. It's a husk of what it once was.

As to the deck railing planter of music box sunflowers, I looked
outside the window today, and they were gone! The wind had actually
picked them up and carried them down about 24 feet away from my deck.
The railing planter smashed into a million pieces. I propped up the
root bound dirt and went to Frank's and could only find another
container in a different color than all the others I have. Took what I
could get. Set the flowers down in the new planter, put it back out on
the deck (not easy, my deck doesn't have stairs, had to carry it up a
hill and through the house), tied it down with bungee cords to the
rail, with the cords going over the top to hold the flowers in.

It got picked up and carried off again. This time the bungee cord kept
hold and it ended up dangling from the edge of the deck. Had to get a
ladder to pick it back up, couldn't hold on to it though as I cut the
bungee cord, and it fell. Picked it back up again and put it in the
container, which didn't shatter this time, then put it back out and
tied it down this time with the ratcheting tie down. Only had two, so
used one on this container, and one on the other container of music
box sunflowers that hadn't got blown off yet.

A third container of sunflowers also got blown over. The heavy ceramic
container that it's in didn't get broken, so I picked it back up. I
fastened it with bungee cords to the only thing that I could find that
was close to it, a shepherd's hook. It's double ended with one side
having a hanging pot and the other side nudged in between some bricks
on the house to hold it straight.

It got blown over again. The bungee cord was simply stretched from the
shepherd's hook over to the container. Put it back, fastened it again
with more bungee cords. The bricks that were holding the hook strait
chipped, now the shepherd's hook lost its support. Forced it back in
between the bricks further down so that it's slightly crooked now. It
also has a tendency to pop out easy now, so it's very likely this
container will get blown over a third time, taking the shepherd's hook
with it.

After this, one of the sunflowers in this container got snapped in
half by the non stop gusting wind.

Keep in mind, these are very heavy ceramic containers filled with 6-7
foot tall plants. When I say I picked it back up, it wasn't easy. I am
alone, no wife and neighbors don't help, just stand there gawking.

The winds are still out there gusting, I wonder which of my hard work
will get destroyed next. I wonder if the stuff I did will hold. I
wonder if the stems will snap. Anyways, the stuff that I set back up
got pretty wrecked. I had smaller flowers like pansies and violas and
other stuff planted around the outer rims that was just starting to
bloom, of course that's all smashed and lost now.

I guess I just need someplace to vent. Thanks for reading if you've
read all this.

I should ask, I can't be the only one who has ever fought an epic
battle like this. I may not grow plants any more, I am on the verge of
a nervous breakdown after these two days. How do you cope? Is there
anything you can do to fasten down containers with tall plants? Anyone
have any techniques to share?

Right now, I'm thinking if I do plant containers next year, I will
bolt down the window boxes. Will make emptying them in the fall
harder. If I do tall plants like sunflowers in large ceramic
containers again, I'm thinking of using the technique of fastening the
container down to four foundation blocks underneath it using the
ratchet tie down. I could get a black one maybe, that might not look
too bad.

Anyway thanks for reading if you made it through all this.