Congratulations, Timothy. We’ll see you very soon for the final.

Here are the Week 3  Entries.  Please scroll to the bottom to vote for your favorite.

Remember, final deadline to enter the contest is next Thursday May 17th (sorry, not the original stated May 24th…my mistake…the contest is only 4 weeks. I’ve amended the deadlines so check out the contest rules again if you’re not sure.)

1. Loretta

2. Jean

3. Aimee

4. Thomas

5. Julie

6. Eleanor

There were many vendors at the Grow! A Garden Festival Event including us. Our booth was busy and we made many new friends.

As well as bringing our Circle Pots and new Orbit Planters, ur City Planters made their debut into the world with great success.

These amazing stepping stones and patterns were custom made by Leanne Emerson. She was delightful and I seemed to have many ideas. I loved these.

These new planters by Titia Estes were really exciting. We will hopefully be selling them soon at Potted.

And there were good old friends there like Bauer Pottery…

…and the ever charming Conor Fitzpatrick of Mini Farmbox fame.

And of course there were the plants.

These carnivorous plants from Mesa Exotics really caught my eye.

These Obsidian Wind Chimes were also something you don’t see every day. Handmade by husband and wife Deborah and Richard Bloom, each one was unique and divine.

Besides the vendors, there were also lectures and societies like the Backyard Beekeepers of Los Angeles who are trying to raise awareness of the plight of our local bee population.

The Los Angeles Arboretum operates year round and provides a beautiful refuge for those of us who worship our gardens. Let’s keep supporting these events. Maybe we’ll get back an actual garden show…

A clever, clean mini-planter box for a windowsill

These candles by mine design smell AMAZING

Colorful picnic basket for that picnic you have planned (right?)

Tea glasses and an endearing thermos

Colorful Watering cans with modern candles (did I mention they smell amazing?)

Vibrant Tubtrugs are flexible and incredibly useful. Premium quality pruners by Secateur. Chic gardening gloves and comfy, high quality serrated trowel and scooper

Beautiful glass hummingbird feeder, sophisticated bird feeder, and an adorable, vibrant birdhouse kit

Congratulations, Cindy. We look forward to seeing you in the final May 25th.

Here are the Entries for Week 2. Scroll to the bottom to vote for your favorite and remember you can only vote once per day. Voting ends at 6pm on Thursday as well as for submitting an entry for Week 3.

1. Rachael

2. Hannah

3. Timothy

4. Susie

5. Candy

6. Kate

We came in from the Garden Bridge level so it was kind of cool to have our first view of the show to be from so far above (and neat to see our good friend Dustin Gimbel’s beautiful garden from such a high angle)

Here’s Dustin’s garden at ground level. He teamed up with landscape contractor, Laura Dalton and they are trying a new collaboration called Agave Coast. And from the looks of this garden, I think they’re off to a beautiful friendship. I love the use of the rocks to create the illusion of water and the actual water just pouring through the pot is a great magical effect. Tranquil and beautiful (and so convenient that the Apple store was right next door!)

And of course it looked even more beautiful with the Fermob Surprising Loungers we lent him along with a Julius Pot in Martini Olive.

The show is an actual competition and this unusual garden designed by Sarah Robinson was the Winner (Dustin took third). The wooden walkway was especially interesting and it was a clever use of a very small space.

The second place garden done by The Garden Gallery was also quite nice.

I especially loved this stone water table.

Besides the Show Gardens, there were lots of plants vendors. The Pelegorium Society, The Begonia Society, The Epiphyllum Society. And then you could go shopping in Crate & Barrel. It’s crazy.

And of course there were the cool rare plants that I drooled over.

But my only purchase was this very cool Cryptanthus that I wanted to put into a Campo de Fiori bowl I have on my front porch that is a place where only Bromeliads seem to thrive.

I also loved this booth from Tina’s Garden that had lots of little Fairy Garden materials and some really beautiful fairy gardens.

And these ladies made some great hyper tufa pots.

What a fun way they’ve put it together.

All in all I really liked the Southern California Spring Garden Show and will definitely check it out again next year. Wonder how it will compare to the Arboretum Show next weekend? (by the way we’ll have a booth there…you should go!)

Good luck, everyone!

1. Todd

2. Kara

3. Kara 2 (not the same person)

4. Justin

5. Bo

6. Cindy

The walkway coming up to the front door was beautifully landscaped by Go Green Gardeners.

I love how they’ve planted into stripes.

Here’s the Andalusian Courtyard. The designers at Form LA created two separate outdoor rooms where there previously were none. I loved the table that was made from some sort of plaster that was gorgeous.

And here they’ve used one of our Bauer Canoes on some teak furniture from Cisco Home. Lovely.

This was really amazing. Since they couldn’t actually have a fire going in the outdoor fireplace, Form LA decided to create the illusion using a ‘Sticks on Fire’ Euphorbia and a whole bunch of Tillandsias raining down on fishing line.

Pots were also beautifully used throughout the whole house. I liked very much how they kept all three of these blue pots in the same set. It was very striking.

And this Agave and Sedum in a bowl made me very happy.

This was really lovely.

I don’t think this one was done by Form LA, but I still loved it.

Besides all the beautiful planters, we also really liked the hanging lights. There were quite a few by the pool that were beautiful.

Especially this star.

And of course…there had to be succulents on the wall. But it looked beautiful.

So do yourself a favor and go see the Pasadena Showcase House going on now through May 13th.

Here’s basically how the contest will work…
Each Friday starting April 27th, that week’s entries will be compiled into a posting where people can vote for their favorite entry. Popular vote wins the round. Each weekly round winner will be eligible for the final round which determines the Grand Prize $500 gift certificate to Potted. There will be 4 rounds and the final round with the winner being announced on June 1st.

So please send us your whimsical photos…

Your sophisticated photos…

Or your downright silly ones.

Here are all the rules and deadlines:

1. Take a photo of your most creative container planting. You must have created the planting yourself and have the rights to submit any pictures. ONLY ONE SUBMISSION PER PERSON FOR THE ENTIRE CONTEST. No purchase is necessary to enter or win. This contest is void where prohibited or restricted by law. By entering you agree to all rules and decisions of the contest as decided by Potted and agree to have your photo and name used in any promotions for this or future contests without claims to royalties or remunerations for such use.

2. Email your photo to info@pottedstore.com. A medium resolution is preferred. No thumbnail photos. Potted reserves the right to choose not to run a photo in the contest for any reason and will not run more than 20 photos each week (which means entering in an earlier week is better since the amount of entries increases every week).

FIRST WEEK PHOTO DEADLINE IS APRIL 26TH AT 6PM PST
SECOND WEEK PHOTO DEADLINE IS MAY 3RD AT 6PM PST
THIRD WEEK PHOTO DEADLINE IS MAY 17TH AT 6PM PST
FOURTH WEEK PHOTO DEADLINE IS MAY 24TH AT 6PM PST
(Note: May 24th is the last day to submit a photo to the contest)

3. Send your friends to our blog to vote. ONLY ONE VOTE PER DAY PER IP ADDRESS CAN BE CAST. Anyone caught cheating or trying to rig votes will be disqualified. Voting begins at 8am PST each Friday morning and ENDS AT 6PM PST THE FOLLOWING THURSDAY. Voting for the Final will begin May 25th and end at 6pm PST on May 31st with the winner being announced on June 1st.

4. You don’t need to live in the Los Angeles area to participate. We ship throughout the Continental United States and anyone who lives there is eligible to enter and win.

SO GET PLANTING!!! Remember Week One Deadline is April 26th. It could be you who walks away with the $500 Shopping Spree at Potted.

Usually when people think of container gardening for edibles, they think of raised beds like the Mini Farm Boxes we sell online. And while I love my raised bed, I like using colorful pots like these to add visual interest in my garden as well as growing items that might not play nice in the the larger bed (like mint, anyone? I have three difference pots with three different kinds of mint). Actually big bowls like this are perfect for lettuce too as you can easily move it to keep these delicate leafy greens from getting too much sun. These two bowls actually got featured in a segment on NBC News featuring Sunset Magazine’s New Western Gardening Book so they look extra special.

And don’t be afraid to pair edibles with flowers, which work especially well to attract bees for pollination. And use my trick…I always photograph whatever seeds I’ve put into a container so I remember later. We sell Baker Creek Seeds which if you ever get a chance to go to Petaluma, California has the most amazing literal Seed Bank I’ve ever seen. Check out my blog post from last year if you’re curious.

But of course, what we really love at Potted is succulents and cactus. This little Lava Stone Pot is crammed full of echeverias and sits prettily against a stucco wall.

And here is a Geo Planter from designer Kelly Lamb that we are now carrying in the store and online. This beautiful pot also comes in a hanging version and we are really excited to be featuring them at Potted.

This Julius Planter is an elegant abode for the sculptural Squid Agave.

And this bowl has made me happy for years. When the Aeoniums get too tall and the bowl becomes ungainly, I just break them off and put them back in so the bowl keeps its shape.

The soft pink of this Afterglow pops against the black pot it lives in.

Color can be used either with the plants or with the pots, as with this grouping that uses all blue pots and even goes so far as to put in the blue bottles.

And the yellows flowers from these Echeverias match beautifully with this yellow pot.

Here’s a grouping of yellow and chartreuse pots. Keeping containers in one or two colors gives you a strong sense of design.

This pot by Champa Ceramics is planted with a Leucadendron and a Ruffled Echeveria. By choosing plants that grow up instead of cascading down, you don’t cover the beautiful design on this gorgeous pot.

Here we planted an Orinoco Bowl with succulents and pieces of slate so you could use it as a table too.

And last but not least, here is an old fountain basin I’ve planted with dwarf Mondo Grass that can be used as a seat. I got the idea from our good friend designer Dustin Gimbel who made his lawn chair out of St. Augustine Grass and I thought it was such a cool idea I had to try to make one of my own (plus he gave me a bunch of dwarf Mondo Grass too!)

If you want some more info about container gardening, you might want to check out these sites or blogs:

Urban Sustainable Living

Container Gardening Videos from Life on The Balcony

A Potted Herb Garden

Happy Spring!

This installation was entitled “Gardenmob” done by Saunders Designs. What I loved was their use of old corrugated steel with perforated copper pipe in front as a rain fountain. It was really lovely.

The contrast of the old metal with the wood of the tree is beautiful. I was quite taken with this.

The next garden I liked was called “Urban Habitat” done by the San Francisco Academy of Art and it had the most amazing Ceanothus trees as I’m mainly used to seeing California Lilac as a bush. They were really great.

The installation was also filled with graffiti and black light which looked pretty interesting in the very low light of the exhibition hall (I had no idea they kept those places so dark).

Probably the most interesting display, to me anyway, was called “Savanna!” done by Rock & Rose Landscapes and Greenlee & Associates.

I really enjoyed how John Greenlee took the ideas from his book American Meadow Garden and transformed them into this jungle he had going here.

It was really great, complete with ceramic snakes, though not that easy to photograph.

This was a very clean, modern garden call “Serenity Lounge” by Envision Landscape. I loved the smooth stucco walls that looked like polished concrete and the built-in IPE benches that also created the planter edges.

But my favorite element (and one of my favorite things in the show) was the fire pit made of two single bands of Corten Steel. So simple and so gorgeous.

This was a pretty cool installation by Outdoor Environments and while large, wasn’t too over the top (as some of the others were). I was especially enamored by the Pitcher Plants.

And really, who doesn’t need their very own pendulum?

This garden by T.H. Norton used pervious pavers, a really cool fence design using aluminum tracks and an amazing glass sculpture from artist David Ruth.

Besides all the big installation gardens there were also smaller installations scattered throughout the exhibition hall. This was one of my favorites with its great use of reclaimed wood (I really like the way they’ve done the pattern) on all the raised beds.

And this is one kick-ass chicken coop.

This installation done by West Valley College was really creative. They used drywall braces to build this fence.

And then cut it up into pieces to make this dripping fountain. What a great idea.

And this lesson in Hydroponics from Wemco Landscapes was also really cool. They had this whole elaborate waterfall that was irrigating these edibles growing in a hydroponic media of expanded clay. Probably the most expensive lettuce you will ever buy but totally awesome.

And finally from the large installations, I really liked this fountain/table from McKenna Landscape. I have this theory that most outdoor furniture is looked at more than it’s actually used anyway so why not have a fountain that’s also a table…especially if you drink enough wine.

And then there was just fun stuff I saw. I’ve always loved those elaborate patios done with river rock…well this seems a whole lot easier and less expensive and really really pretty. This is my second favorite thing from the show.

These were glass spires you can put into your garden done by an artist named Barbara Sanderson. I think we have to carry them in the store.

Jeff Owen was another artist I liked (though I’m always a sucker for anything done in iron). It’s hard to find good garden art and his work was unique and fairly priced. The piece on the right he call “Angeles” because he says it reminds him of downtown Los Angeles. I can see it.

And what garden show couldn’t have a succulent wall? And though they are becoming somewhat standard fare, this was a particulary nice one and seemed a fit way to end this very lengthy blog post. There were many installations I left out and in the interest of being unsnarky, I’ll just leave it at that.

The San Francisco Garden Show…I came, I went, I’ll go again.

Right across from LaMill on Silver Lake Blvd., is a brand new fashion boutique…Bee Free. Hip, modern and eclectic, we felt honored to be asked by owner Angie Freeman to “revamp” her front and create a little seating area in the back so her customers could hang out. Here’s what we did:

Originally someone had tried to put in lavender in a container that didn’t drain (you can see how happy they are) and didn’t get enough light. The gravel was a mean looking gray, all sharp and unfriendly and there was nothing either design looking or inviting about the entire area. Our challenge was to change all that simply and quickly as there was a huge Yelp event happening in one week.

And isn’t this a lot nicer? We covered the old gravel with warmer Del Rio Gravel (purchased at Mortarless Building Supply) then used these lovely Sedona planters (available at Potted in the brick & mortar store but unfortunately not online) as our accent pots. Their chocolate color really complimented the walls of the building. We then planted the large Sedona with an Electric Pink Cordyline to further pick up the pink accents of the gravel.

The concrete planter the poor lavender were dying in was actually really nice but since it had once been a fountain, we needed to create drainage or nothing was going to live. This proved easier said than done. But after pulling out our jack hammer drill (yes, there is such a thing), we finally were able to create drainage. We then filled the container with a variety of succulents we knew would be happy with the morning-only light of this East-facing building and voila, we were finished.

The back of the store has a little patio outside that needed to be sectioned off from the parking lot and made to feel homey and inviting.

To screen the parking lot, we suggested rectangular fiber clay planters (available in our brick & mortar store) filled with Dodonaea Shrubs (because we love their color, the speed which they grow and we’re sick of bamboo). Then an outdoor rug and Fermob Bistro Set in Angie’s signature yellow and grey pulled the whole space together. And for a splash of whimsy (because that’s the kind of place Bee Free is), Angie chose a couple of the Grass Pillows.

So if you’re looking for some fabulous and, believe it or not, affordable retail therapy, Bee Free is a real find. We wish Angie all the best.

Platinum LEED Modular Home from Living Homes

I wanted to share a few pictures of our Potted installation as well as some fun shots of places I visited in town.




Our Circle Pot was a big hit. I have to say, it looked really fresh in the kid’s bedroom.

I want to just say how impressed I was with the C6 Living Home. Please take the time to follow the link, so much information to impart, they have it all on their site.
I went up to Palm Springs as a spectator the last weekend of the show (Feb 26TH/27TH). Following are some places I went
with my friend Roni, an interior designer based in Ausin, Texas. Palm Springs is my new favorite place. Can’t get enough of it. From a design perspective it is just so much fun. There is everything from high design to total vintage kitch. I love both dearly. And if you follow the links to some of these places, you’ll see that blending high design with kitch is an art.

The Parker Hotel, one of the many conversation areas on the grounds. The beautiful, well thought out landscape design is by Judy Kameon of Elysian Landscapes. The interior design is by Johnathan Adler. This is a must see. Roni and I sat on patio of Norma Cafe drinking our micheladas, chatting and feeling fabulous. Next stop, The Ace Hotel

The Lobby of The Ace.
Next Stop, Desert Kitch circa 1960 something.


There’s something here for everyone, from desert rats to desert divas. Cheers.

Started in 1992, Scott began as just another antiques dealer in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. But his interest in tiles increased when he stumbled on a large collection of antique tiles.

Realizing there were very few people with any real expertise in the field, he began a love affair with the tiles that continues to this day. He is a dedicated conservationist and stays busy educating the public about the worth, beauty, and historical value of antique tiles. Throughout the years he has been an advisor and contributor to many national and local institutions, including California Heritage Museum and The Tile Heritage Foundation.

A collection of Hillside Pottery.

Another piece of Hillside Pottery that reminds me of the pavers that originally inspired me.

My beloved vintage Bauer Pottery.

Vintage Paver.

Old California statuary.

Vintage Bauer on iron hangers.

Vintage Architectural Pottery…yes, there’s something for everyone.

The tile is amazing. The vintage pottery is amazing. The inlaid tables are amazing. Go there to be inspired. We were.
Wells Tile & Antiques.

It’s a little thrilling and dangerous, this new color pallet Esther Pottery has taken on, just like Point Reyes itself can be. The deep turquoises and murky grays really do capture the quality of water in that part of California. I spent a lot of my youth in those waters so even though I currently reside in Southern California, I have a deep love for that oh so freezing stretch of coast. You may not always be able to swim at Point Reyes, but you will never be disappointed with the scenery. Nor will you be with the newest from Esther Pottery.

We’re lucky that our store is close to Steve Siegrist and Renee Lotenero (who, along with their son Ethan are Esther Studios) so we are usually the first to get to see what they’ve come up with and hopefully have a few pieces to sell. I love that each piece is hand lettered and hand made and therefore not always that easy to come by, but always worth the wait.

Here are a few of mine that I’ve had for a while now. They become an addiction. I can’t wait to get my hands on a Point Reyes.

Here is a Big Sur on my teak coffee table planted with a variegated Euphorbia that clearly likes its home. That’s an Egg Chair in the background.

We don’t currently have any in the store, but I love my Death Valley planter.

This Big Sur planter is actually huge. I like putting glass and crystals into plantings. They reflect the light so nicely.

We have the only selection of Esther Pottery available on line at the present time so click on the drop down menu here to see individual photos of what’s in stock. But hurry, they go fast.

Actually a form of lichen, these cute little moss balls are called Marimo in Japan and are often found in aquarium supply stores which is how we discovered them. We thought, “Forget the fish, we want the pet moss!” They exist in tap water and bright, indirect light. How’s that for an easy care houseplant?

But being Potted, we also had to make them very pretty so we spent a good amount of time experimenting with environments and realized that slag glass was the answer. It’s reflective and colorful and looks absolutely amazing in a window with light coming through. And so Mossquariums were born.

You really can put anything into them…shells, rocks, tiles. We have come up with a starter kit that we sell on line or in our store, but you can personalize yours with anything you’d like.

I’ve had mine in the North facing window of my kitchen for about 7 months and it’s doing fantastic. Makes me smile every time I do the dishes. And if you’re really crazy you can probably even add a fish (though I like the zen glass and moss).

So surprise your Valentine with a Mossquarium today. They’ll “lichen” you for it more than you’ll ever know.

Because I have seen so many amazing places on Apartment Therapy in the past, I really wanted to do a few special things so one thing I decided to do was make a Tillandsia Tree. I’ve been wanting to make one of these for a while and thought I’d share the process.

First off I got a bleached Manzanita branch. We sell them some times at the store, but they can also be purchased downtown at the flower mart at places like Wasabi Green. The Mart is open to the public on Saturday mornings. Any tree branch could work, however. Next you want to take the branch and cement it into a pot. You could also use sand if cement freaks you out. Gather your other items, plants…I used Tillandsia Stricta ‘grey leaf’ because I liked it’s poufy quality and it’s silvery color. Something to cover the top of the cement…I used reindeer moss and something to glue the plants to the branches.

There is an actual special waterproof glue made especially for gluing air plants but in case you can’t find any, hot glue will also work, just don’t let it get too hot. Also another good tip, keep the glue upright when you are working with it to keep it from getting too messy.

Drop a generous dollop of glue on the stem of the plant being careful not to completely smother the roots.

Try to use natural “forks” in the branches to help you support the plants as it takes a while for the glue to dry.

And presto, your very own Tillandsia Tree. I love the Dr Seuss quality, almost like a miniature Dracaena. For care you’re going to want to spray it heavily probably once a week. Normally I would soak any air plant I kept inside every 10-14 days but that won’t be possible done this way. You may want to take it outside once in a while and just hose it off. Tillandsias are very hearty outside.

Would love to see any trees you make.

Little Beastie with Aqua Circle Pot

We love to support local artists at Potted and Jen Kuroki’s cute, modern and slightly quirkyBeasties are just that perfect blend of kitch and design.

Beasties available at Potted

Jen E, born Jen Kuroki, has been a student and educator of ceramics for over 10 years, in LA and abroad. Three of those years she spent living in Yokohama and Tokyo, studying under and working besides two Japanese potters, Kawaide Hisao (Nagoya) and Funakoshi Tamotsu (Nagano). She was trained to throw on a banding wheel and to man an anagama (wood-burning kiln).

Her time in Japan allowed her to develop her whimsical style, incorporating the vernacular of contemporary visual culture with a sense of tradition and history. She is an enthusiast of the Japanese concept of shibui, which refers to a certain aesthetic of simple, subtle and subdued beauty.

Bruiser Beastie from Artist's Collection

In addition to being a potter, Jen E is also an art director and graphic designer. Her influences range well outside the world of ceramics which include Jaime Hayon, Mike Perry, Haruki Murakami, Olle Eksell, Isamu Noguchi, Sonia Delaunay, Cody Hudson, Mika Ninagawa, Lucie Rie. She tries to maintain a rotating reference pool of product designers, traditional craftspeople, textile designers, writers, video artists, architects, as well as other potters and many other art and design producers.

Planter Beastie from Artist's Collection

Jen E strives to make her work accessible. Each piece is handmade, using a variety of clays and glazes. No piece is like another and the imperfections become significant, highlighting the one-of-a-kind uniqueness. Her work is functional and it’s in their utilitarian capacity that art and craft become one.

On my fireplace.

So if you’re looking for a holiday gift that’s unique and locally crafted, please give Jen’s little Beastie’s a try. You won’t be sorry.

A few days ago Greg Tripi our “That’s So Potted…Terrarium” Grand Prize Winner contacted me. He was excited he had won the contest but also felt, especially at this time of year, that perhaps the gift could be used for more than just expanding his already full collection of succulents. And so he decided to generously give his $500 gift certificate to the Sante D’Or Foundation, a no-kill animal rescue, which we will provide as something they can raffle off to raise hopefully more than $500! The shelter saves animals that are in immediate danger of being euthanized and helps to find them permanent, loving homes. So far they have saved over 1400 animals in the Los Feliz/Silver Lake/Atwater area!

My rescue Amos.

So thank you, Greg. You drove all your friends crazy to vote for you and then you gave it all away. We’d be your friend any day.

And by the way, even if don’t have $500 to donate, Santa D’Or is doing a fundraiser on December 15th at The Vista Theatre where they will be showing Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas and all proceeds will benefit Santa D’Or. So go! (all details are on their home page)

Greg T!!!

Congratulations, Greg. It’s was a battle down to the wire between you and Dan but in the end you and your extra-terrestrial brand of coffee took the honors. We look forward to seeing you in the store again and helping you spend your $500.

Thank you, everyone who participated. We wish you all could receive a prize because we really love seeing the entries come in each week. Please stay tuned for the Spring “That’s So Potted” Contest where we will return to our Potted roots and see what crazy concoctions you all come up with then.

Have a Happy Holiday and remember to shop local (or at least localish).

Drumroll please…

1. Dan L.

2. Claire

3. Greg T.

4. Timothy L.

5. Dana A.