The pot was made by Julia Byfield, a friend who crossed her Rainbow Bridge  a few years ago.  She used concrete, Rit dye and vermiculite.  It looks as if it were sculpted from volcanic rock.  I love it! Every year I plant it for Julia and celebrate her every time I see it.  As I was working I was thinking about what I could plant in it this year that would add color and be easy care in summer sun.

I think she would like this year's drought proof solution. Needs no water but adds lots of color and sculptural beauty. It is planted with "Red Coral!"   

It looks like Red Coral but it began life as a branch off one of one of my pasture Mulberry trees! 

A few days ago I was cutting up a big branch to put it in the trash barrel admiring how beautiful the shapes of the branch tips were. I was also thinking about the famous glass artist Chihuly who has a glass sculpture exhibit at the Phoenix Botanical Garden. Then I remembered I had found a can of glossy red spray paint in the barn.  I spray painted the branch ends, wired them together and placed them in the pot.  I still need to anchor them in some mortar or plaster, paint that, then put them back in the pot and cover the base with shells. 

Now I have a no cost, no care "flower" pot to add color for the patio entry door area! This is much better than live flowers I may forget to water and would feel terrible about neglecting. This will survive the summer season with style and no care! If it fades a can of spray paint will fix that!    I am starting to look at dead tree branches and tree pruning in a whole new way. I also found bright yellow and lovely light teal spray paint! Hmmmm?

Questions?