6 minute read
DIY Fat Bottom Pots
HOME and Cabin
DIY Fat Bottom Pots
Interior designer Marie Bishop shares lessons learned in making beautiful concrete planters.
Isn't fall absolutely wonderful here?
The colours, the lingering sunshine, the sweater weather, the harvesting of fruits, berries and veggies. But sadly, it’s also a time to close down the garden, deadhead the plants and make sure the delicate ones are covered. While there are still a few persistent annuals and late blooming perennials displaying their glory, they, too, will soon be gone.
The biggest challenge is moving or emptying the large planters, the ones that are guaranteed to split or crack if we leave them out all winter – unless you have Fat Bottom Pots. These are unique concrete pots with thick walls and fat bottoms that will survive the winter.
Carl White, a retired professional gardener from MUN Botanical Gardens and good friend of ours, started making these pots three years ago. He gave me one as a gift this past summer and I was so impressed, he offered to give me and Mr. B a workshop on creating our own. That was back in July, and we’ve been up to our elbows in concrete ever since.
The beauty of these pots is that you CAN leave them out all winter. So you can pot up as many perennials as you have room for, and next spring you don’t have to wait until the last frost in June to fill your pots. They’re all ready to go without any effort at all. They are especially good for small spaces or areas that have generally poor soil conditions. But they’re also well suited for larger gardens where you want to create a lounging or meditation area but would like to keep the greenery under control. These pots are easy to make, if you don’t mind getting your hands dirty, and offer endless options for size, shape, colour and design.
Keep in mind, the bigger the pot, the more challenging it will be to move. They are heavy, so you may want to start with a manageable size; for instance, an outside diameter of 18"-20" and a height of 12"-14".
Like any do-it-yourself project, getting a visual of the end result is the best place to start. A low, shallow, tray-style pot won’t hold a lot of soil, but makes a beautiful space to display a moss garden or other shallow root plants. You can also build up the soil by adding some interesting rocks. A tall, narrow pot is an ideal vessel for a bonsai or tall, small-leaf plant such as a dwarf Cotoneaster. A wide pot will accommodate a variety of plants, which is always visually interesting. Once you’ve decided what size and shape you’d like, you need to assemble your materials.
What You Need
A cement mixing tub or similar type container
66 lb (30 kg) bag of Ready Mix Concrete
Work gloves
Shovel or scoop
Watering hose or large containers of water
Selection of pots to use as forms
Roll of plastic wrap
Inexpensive cooking oil
Tube of caulking, for designs
Various utensils: spoon, spatula, knife, small wire brush
If you want to add a colour wash - ink is a great medium. The concrete mixing tub is available at local retailers such as Home Depot in different sizes. The largest one costs $15 and will accommodate a full 30-lb bag of concrete. It’s rectangular, not too high and has rounded edges so it’s easy to move the cement around while you’re mixing it. Ready Mix Concrete is available at any building supply store. A 60-lb bag is roughly $8 and, depending on the size of your pots, will yield three or four beautiful Fat Bottom Pots per bag.
Step One
You will need 2 containers per finished pot. One to create the main shape of the pot, the other to create the opening inside the pot. Keep in mind, the inside of the larger container will be what you see on the outside of your created pot. A container with a threedimensional pattern on its surface will give an interesting texture. You can use a tube of caulking to draw images on the inside of the large pot. These images become indented into the outside surface of the finished pot and create an artistic, unique result.
If the larger container is plastic, you won’t have any trouble removing the cement once it dries. If it’s stubborn, apply a little heat with a hair dryer or heat gun. I’d recommend brushing the inside with cooking oil before starting, just to be sure. If the larger container is clay or glass, you will need to line it with plastic wrap. This will ensure your pot comes out easily.
Have your inside container close by as well. This pot should be at least 3" smaller in diameter than the outside one. Use the same precautions as with the larger one; either coat with oil or wrap with plastic wrap.
Do not forget this small but critical step!
Use a cork or piece of dowel or pipe, placed in the bottom of the large pot to produce a drainage hole in your creation. Make sure it’s tall enough so it protrudes through the 2" of concrete you are about to pour on top of it.
Step Two
Next, mix up the concrete. If you want a relatively smooth pot, sift out the larger rock in the concrete mix. We didn’t do that, opting for a more rustic, organic-looking pot. Pour the full bag of concrete mix into the tub and add water. Best to be cautious with the water: you want it wet enough to handle, but not soupy. You can always add more as you go. This is really the most physical part: mix, scrape, stir, fold, repeat. Be sure to get a good moist mixture that will be easy to handle, kind of the consistency of thick, heavy porridge.
Step Three
Once the concrete is ready, scoop enough into the bottom of your chosen container to cover a 1.5"-2" depth. Then place your smaller container on top of that, making sure it is centred and the drainage hole is secured. Gently spoon more of the mix in the space between the large and small container walls until it reaches the top all the way around. Smooth the surface with a spatula. Tap the outside surface of the larger container with a wooden spoon to release any air bubbles in the cement.
Fill the next pot in line, then the next until your mixture is used up.
Let the pots sit overnight. Indoors or outdoors, wherever you are working, is fine. Once they are relatively set/dry, which should only take 12-18 hours, it’s time for the big reveal. Release the pots by gently encouraging them apart. The plastic wrap and/or oil should have helped with this. Once they are out, they are ready to use!
Filling Fat Bottom Pots
Now, to plant up your pot. A small piece of screen over the drainage hole is a good idea; a few small pebbles or rocks in the bottom also helps with drainage. Mix the soil according to your plant’s requirements, then settle your plants into their new home. An interesting rock, piece of wood or miniature figure will add interest and a touch of whimsy.
