What's Up? Wednesday

I’m having one of those weeks where I’m just about half a beat off. I really can’t explain it. I’ll blame it on hormones. They’re always handy.

Anyway, there won’t be a meal plan this week. I’ll tell you what we have had thus far. Monday night we had pancakes with blueberry sauce, bacon and fruit salad. Last night Olivia made sloppy joes, and we ate leftover potato salad and baked beans. Tonight Steve is going out to dinner with business associates, so Olivia and I will have smorgasbord from the refrigerator.

I'll return with a meal plan next Monday.

And I’ll carry over discussion of Chapter 2 of the book Practicing Hospitality until next Tuesday.

But since it’s What’s Up? Wednesday, I’ll tell you what’s up. Yesterday I worked in the yard most of the day. I mowed, weeded and planted. Part of my planting included creating this:


They are called Topsy Pots. I learned of this from a source online a few years ago and erected a set at our previous house. They are a great conversation piece, and over time they become quite lovely.

I thought I would share the process with you in case you’d like to make a set of your own.

First you need:

• One 4-to-6-foot piece of rebar. Mine is 5-feet. I bought a 10-foot piece at the home improvement store and cut it in half with a hacksaw.

• Pots of various sizes. For my 5-foot piece of rebar I used 6 pots. I chose terra cotta, because there is already a drain hole in the bottom. If you are feeling extremely creative, however, you can use any container. It simply needs a hole in the bottom large enough for the rebar to pass through. I’ve seen really cute ones made from watering cans, galvanized buckets, etc.

• Coffee filters. I put these in the bottom of the pots to keep all the dirt from draining out.

• Potting soil

• Plants. You can use plants of your choice, but I suggest you have at least one type that will vine or cascade over the edge of your pot. This adds to the attractiveness of the set. I used asparagus fern. In the past I have also used vinca. Verbena would probably work well, also.

Drive your rebar down into the ground where you want the pots to stand. It simply needs to be non-wiggly.


Next, slide your largest pot down over the rebar onto the ground. Slip a coffee filter down over the rebar and into the bottom of the pot. Lay in some gravel or packing peanuts for drainage.


Fill your pot with soil.

Now, slide your next-to-largest pot down over the rebar and tilt it over to one side, using the soil as a foundation. Insert a coffee filter, drainage material and soil.


Select your next pot and slide it down over the rebar. This time, however, place it on the edge of the pot below and tilt. Insert a coffee filter, drainage material and soil.


Complete the pattern until you have reached the top of your rebar.


Now add plants of your choice and enjoy!


If you try this, please post a pic so we can all see, okay?

Hope you have a great Wednesday!

Daily Bible Reading Plan
I Samuel 19-20; Psalm 103; Mark 12:13-27; II Corinthians 8