There are always plants that seem to thrive for us, often when they will not thrive for others, and sometimes there are plants that friends and neighbours can grow but we cannot. One plant, a begonia, that has exceeded expectations was bought originally as a small plant in a small pot and I put it in a
trough under my kitchen window last year. It is trailing Begonia 'Illumination'. In winter, when the top growth of the plant had died right back, I removed the tuber and overwintered it indoors. It had grown to about 3in across! This year I wanted the begonia to stand alone in the middle of my marble garden table, as a centrepiece. I was not thinking about how much it can trail and the flowers started to rest on the table. I needed something to elevate it. The only thing I had at hand is another pot like the one in which I already had it. I turned the second pot upside down and used it as a base. I've looked in the garden centre for something better, something of natural stone, maybe, but the only things I can find are those huge and very heavy stone columns that are way too big. If only they made little ones. Anyway, this is the result of the double-decker pots. I think it looks kind of ok.
I've had to put a saucer at the base of the top pot to stop the water running through (both pots have holes in the base) and making a dirty pool on the table. Marble is not a particularly tough kind of natural rock and every late autumn I clean it and protect it with
special treatments for marble.
I think the colour of the terracotta is quite complimented by the peachy-pink of the begonia.
