Seems that many folks these days desire gardens that have low maintenance requirements. The joy for some is not the act of gardening but the possession of a garden. It should be, some may recon, installed in a timely manner and take care of itself for years to come, much like decorating a room in one's home. Even a home requires a bit of cleaning on a fairly regular basis I've been told. (We live in rooms coated with a mixture of dust bunnies, dog hair, and cobwebs as I've totally embraced the low-maintenance zeitgeist indoors.) However, for me, the joy of my garden comes from the process of gardening - hauling heavy pots around and dropping them on one's toe, snapping plants off while dragging the hose, swearing at passersby throwing their beverage cans, bottles, and all manner of refuse into the plants, becoming infuriated by the brilliant aural tapestry of urban living. Oh yes, it's the process, not the product that makes my heart skip a beat. (Should have that arrhythmia checked out.) However, there are times when I think it would be nice to simplify things a bit.
The cacti/succulent fad shows no sign of waning as people discover the joys of these plants that require very little attention to thrive. On a recent visit to Valley Nursery in Poulsbo, these extremely low-maintenance plants caught my eye.
Concrete, it's the new plastic...
So there you have it, the lowest maintenance garden ever.
I'm imagining that they're dishwasher safe to boot.
Haha you too, huh! I am also a zealous embracer of the low-maintenance indoor zeitgeist! Love those concrete barrel cacti! Those would work well in my shady paradise. I will be sure to suggest them to those aiming for the no-maintenance illusion. Seriously, in the past I have (both seriously and in jest) suggested synthetic lawns to people who want the impossible. I can only imagine how oddly green they would look in our über-dry summers...
ReplyDeleteHere the clouds of dog hair--cumulus, mostly--are a feature, not a bug.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the morning smile!
These are cute and in the "no maintenance" category!
ReplyDeleteI think it might be fun to paint one of these concrete cactus and then "plant" it among the real ones to see if anyone notices. I've embraced low maintenance house care too. My house does get one thorough cleaning about once a year, but the rest of the time it's the bare minimum.
ReplyDeleteToo bad they're not life-sized.
ReplyDeleteProducts like these always make me wonder what the workers at the manufacturing plant think about the final customer. Do they infer from the product that we cannot buy/grow cactus? That we know some practical application? That our homes and gardens are full of statuary versions of all living inhabitants? Or maybe this is a modern update on having a terracotta army?
ReplyDeleteWill there soon be landscapers offering installation of entirely care-free gardens with borders of concrete cactus to surround fake lawns? Sadly, it seems entirely plausible. You'll probably see it here first. Angelenos are known as trend-setters after all.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm...that is too funny! At first, I was trying to figure out where you were going with this. Love the images with the text. My desire for heavy lifting varies with the seasons. I'm all in from spring through mid-summer. And then in late summer, I just want to enjoy what's left of the warm weather through the fall. Massive Oak leaves, however, guarantee that gardening work is never done...until winter sets in, when garden dreaming begins. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI'd still have to paint them green! ;)
ReplyDeleteWell, those would work on my kitchen window sill where everything else dies. :-)
ReplyDeleteEmbroidered lumbar chair pillow from years past spoke for me: "You may touch the dust but please don't write in it."
ReplyDeleteAlso, did you know that long haired cats produce hair tumbleweeds?
I love this post. The very words'low maintenance gardening' bring on a rant in me. Gardening for people who don't want to garden. And low maintenance plants are the most boring plants on the planet. Concrete cacti? Whatever next.
ReplyDeleteDo you really swear at passersby? What fun.
I seldom actually see the litterbugs and my swearing is usually inside my head. Just today there was a glass table top left in the parking strip. Hmmm.
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