New planterscape in the backyard

I don’t know if “planterscape” is a word. But it is now, because that’s what I created in the small rectangle between the kitchen and bedroom sliders. It’s the area on the left in the photo below. The other strip, on the right, is featured in this post.

This rectangular area is 4×6 ft. For many years, it was home to a Japanese maple that came with the house. It did OK for a long time, but last fall I cut it down because it had declined so much that it had more dead branches than anything else.

I’m sure I have a photo of the entire tree somewhere, but this is the best I can do for now — better days in April 2011

This is what the spot looked like just before our siding project kicked off:

And right after:

Originally, I had wanted to create a raised bed much like the rock-lined mounds elsewhere in the backyard or the new cactus bed I showed you in my last post. After doing some brainstorming with my friend Kyle, however, I decided to try his idea and create a clustered assemblage of planters.

The first thing I did was to install a 3 ft. riser extension on the existing sprinkler head. Then I put down a layer of 3/8" rock. I chose the darkest rock my go-to place (Hastie’s in Sacramento) has, a product called Night Shadow:

Then came the fun part, arranging the planters and the plants. With 7 or 8 different planters and plants, there are quite a few possible combinations. With input from Kyle and my wife, this is the final result — at least for now.

Clockwise left to right: Euphorbia ammak variegated (2× on the concrete), Bromelia pinguin ‘Qué será’, Cordyline sellowiana ‘Pink Joy’, Begonia ‘Angel Wings’, Euphorbia lactea variegated, ×Nidusincoraea ‘Selby’ , ×Sincoregelia ‘Burgundy Hill’, Begonia ‘Avalanche’, Aloidendron ‘Hercules’ variegated (in the middle)

Bromelia pinguin ‘Qué será’

Black obsidian from my mother-in-law’s garden

We’ve had these begonias for a long time, and they have survived with little care on our part. They deserve to be highlighted.

For my own future reference, here’s a list of the plants in these containers (clockwise left to right in the photo above):

• Bromelia pinguin ‘Qué será’
• Cordyline sellowiana ‘Pink Joy’
• Begonia ‘Angel Wings’
• Euphorbia lactea variegated
• ×Sincoregelia ‘Burgundy Hill’
• ×Nidusincoraea ‘Selby’
• Begonia ‘Avalanche’

I ran out of soil while planting the variegated ‘Hercules’, that’s why it’s still in its nursery pot

The good thing about using containers is that they can be moved around. For the larger planters, the plants are actually in plastic nursery pots, which can be lifted out without too much effort. Here’s an example:

Variegated Euphorbia lactea, planted in a 5-gallon nursery can cached inside the planter

The black containers are all from Veradek Outdoor, a Canadian company, and are actually made in Canada — a refreshing change. I ordered mine from Costco, which has a limited selection. You can order the full range of products directly from the Veradek website.

I had to smile when I saw the boxes:

“Unbox pillared perfection” and “Unearth your green oasis”

Containers speaking in the first person might not be to everybody’s liking, but I think it’s a friendly touch:

Designed and made in Canada, and from recycled materials to boot: I’m on board with that.

Another nice detail: the stop plugs for the drain holes have smiley faces. I know, it doesn’t take much to thrill me.

Here are our new Veradek containers:

Mason Selena planters on the left, Demi planters on the right. Each set of 2 was $99.

The Demi planters come with stands made of acacia wood

The four on the left are made of a “patented stone-plastic composite.”

The square planter on the right is made of steel. I’ve had it for a number of years and recently spray-painted it flat black to make it look new again. Unfortunately Veradek has stopped making this type of metal planters, but they still sell Corten planters.

Another thoughtful design element: The tall planters come with an insert so you don’t have to fill the entire planter with soil:

In case you were wondering: I have no affiliation with Veradek and don’t get paid to say nice things about their products. I’m simply impressed with how well made they are and how good they look.

By the time you read this post, I might have rearranged my planterscape already — or not. But I can anytime I want to, and that’s the fun part.

Update: I switched things up even before I published this post. The variegated Aloidendron ‘Hercules’, which was going to be in the square metal planter, was moved to another cluster of pots near the new cactus bed. The metal planter now holds the two variegated Euphorbia ammak that had been in terracotta pots.

In addition, Cordyline sellowiana ‘Pink Joy’ was ousted from the tall planter on the left. Its place is now occupied by the Angel Wings begonia that had been in the tall planter on the right. That planter now contains a new Cordyline banksia ‘Electric Flash’ which I bought today at Green Acres in Sacramento. (I’ve wanted an ‘Electric Flash’ for years and finally coughed up the $$.)

New configuration: variegated Euphorbia ammak in the square metal planter...

...Cordyline ‘Electric Flash’ in the tall planter in the back, on the right

That’s what it looks like on August 29, 2025

Below is the other container cluster in the making:

Kalanchoe ‘Fang’ on the left, variegated Aloidendron ‘Hercules’ on the right. More containers will be added.

Also (why not?), a newly planted bowl with a trio of ×Mangave ‘Praying Hands’ I’ve been growing for a few years. They will eventually get too large, but for now they fit perfectly. I’m not 100% sure about this arrangement, but it’s worth trying new things.

© Gerhard Bock, 2025. All rights reserved. To receive all new posts by email, please subscribe here.