Container gardens get a bad rap as the less wild, less striking alternative to traditional outdoor planting, but Martha Stewart proves this is a misguided trope. The homes guru took to Instagram to images of the moss, lichen, and ferns she plants in pots at her Maine home, also known as Skylands Terrace. Her verdant pots burst with life to upgrade both the indoor and outdoor of her home.
The woods of Maine have always been my favorite outdoor environment ever since I first visited as a little girl. Vacationland's touring pines, creeping lichens, and scrubby blueberry bushes have a enchanting appeal that feel almost like stepping into a fairy's secret oasis. Even a drive down the state's country roads makes you wish you could live among those plants every day of your life. Stewart's container garden idea captures this magic in an easy-to-care-for, replicable way that can be translated into any environment.
What is so special about Martha's planting that makes it feels like a fairy garden? It starts with her choice of vessel. All the pots in Stewart's Maine home are 'faux bois,' or 'fake wood,' in French. These pots are made of durable concrete but designed to look like a tree with the fabricated grains of natural wood. This choice enhances the feeling that I love about being in Maine: that you've just stepped into an enchanted forest. It makes the whole plant feel natural, even though it's potted rather than planted straight in the ground.
This beautiful green sheet moss is perfect for covering the base of house plants. It can be used in a faux bois planter as the main attraction.
A Japanese maple seedling is perfect for bringing a bit of extra color into a woodland vignette. When it grows larger, it can be transplanted into the outdoors to last for generations.
This false wood planter is made out of concrete to last for years to come in either the indoors or outdoors of your home. I love the intricate knots and design that would fit a variety of different plant types.
Stewart further captures the magic of New England through her choice to follow native planting guidance. The ferns, lichens, and mosses in Stewart's faux bois planters are all found in the environment surrounding her home, enhancing the lack of boundaries between the indoor and outdoor environments. This sense of bringing the outdoors in is instantly calming for the brain and elevating the mood.
If you're ready to replicate Stewart's container gardening trend, you're in luck because she's explained exactly how to do it. In a blog post on planting at Skylands Terrance, she explains: 'Because all my pots are special to me, I do my best to protect them while still using them to display beautiful plants.' She does this with a variety of precautions. She states: 'First, I put in a layer of bubble wrap – this is a great way to reuse and repurpose all that bubble wrap that may have accumulated over the winter months from package deliveries. Filling the bottom of large planters with something other than soil also benefits plantings in several ways – it is more economical, easier to move, and better for drainage and root growth.'
Stewart continues her focus on aiding drainage in step two. She advises: 'To protect the rather porous and fragile pot, I then line it with a garbage bag, so the pot doesn’t soak up too much water. The garbage bag has a large drain hole at the bottom.' She then places the plant into the planter already potted in a plastic pot, tucking the garbage bag neatly inside the pot so that it doesn't show.
The result is a stylish plant that looks beautiful, and will ensure your pot lasts until the next generation. New England style planting is not required, but certainly encouraged.
