A reproduction Victorian birdcage makes a delightful container that looks pretty hanging from a tree, positioned outside the front of the house, or even placed on the garden table.
Anything with drainage holes can be drafted in as an effective planter – and if it doesn’t have holes, then you can always make them! Birdcages are particularly attractive, providing a charming structure for climbing plants to weave through with their tendrils, and introducing an architectural element to any outside space.
You can find reproduction Victorian birdcages like this one in garden centres, flower and gift shops. Trawl second-hand and antique shops and you might even get lucky and find an original! Not all birdcages are suitable as containers, as many old ones have only a tiny opening. Those with hinged tops that can be lifted, such as this one, make for much easier planting and watering. You’ll need to place a container inside the birdcage to hold the compost.
You will need:
- Birdcage
- Shallow terracotta dish to fit
- Terracotta crocks
- Container compost
- Water-retaining gel
- Slow-release fertilizer granules
- Petunia Surfinia Series ‘Yellow’
- 2 Callibrachoa million bells series
Instructions:
- Water the plants and let them drain. If the compost has been allowed to dry out or if the plant is root-bound, then soak it in a bucket of water for at least an hour and allow to drain before planting.
- Place the terracotta dish in the birdcage and place broken crocks over the drainage holes.
- Part fill the pot with compost specifically designed for hanging baskets and containers. This is formulated to include extra fertilizers to give the plants a good, healthy start.
- Add water-retaining gel, following the manufacturer’s instructions. This gel swells when it comes into contact with water and helps to prevent the compost from drying out during hot spells.
- Add slow-release plant feed, following the manufacturer’s instructions. This helps to keep the compost packed with nutrients all summer long for a full, lush show of blooms.
- Place the Petunia Surfinia at one side of the dish, letting it trail over the side. For instant impact, we chose a mature, already flowering petunia, but even if you plant a smaller one, it will soon catch up, producing a froth of blooms all summer long.
- Fill any spaces with the two Callibrachoa million bells, carefully removing the plants from their pots to avoid damaging their roots. Gently tuck them in next to the Petunia Surfinia for a pretty summer combination.
- Fill between the plants and the edge of the dish and also any gaps between the plants with compost, pressing it down firmly with your fingers. Finally, water in the planted arrangement.
Aftercare
Keep the container well watered. Check daily throughout the summer for deadheads and remove, as this will encourage repeat flowering well into early autumn.
