create a living nest

i thought this project up months ago and am so happy to finally share it!

this 'living nest' idea was spurred by a photo i saw online:

my thought was, why not take the 'living wreath' topiary

and turn it on its side?! would it resemble a nest?

so then i had to experiment a bit to see if that idea would work out in reality. 

continue reading to see how it did!

dwk

i couldn't be happier with the way this project turned out!
it has the simple nature-focused look i am craving
as well as the bonus of being an easy way to have herbs at hand.

TUTORIAL:

Supplies:

● a plant pot - mine is vintage terra cotta, @ 12" diameter and 6" deep

● 2-3 vining/creeping plants - i chose rosemary and lemon thyme, in 4" pots to fit in my planter.
if your planter is smaller, you'll need to get plants in 2" pots.

● garden clippers + green/bendable twigs/branches - 
i cut 5 @ 18" long branches from the Brazillian Mesquite tree and
2 @ 2 foot long branches from the Cape Honeysuckle plants in my yard

● scissors and garden twine (green disappears amongst the plants)

● small pebbles/gravel + potting soil 

PROCESS:

from left:

fill your planter with gravel to @ 1/3 of the pot height.
then add in potting soil to @ 2/3 of the pot height. 

remove plants from their plastic containers and add to the pot - 
look closely at the third image and you'll see that i laid the plants on their sides,
spilling over the outer edge of the pot,
so that the growth would be directed toward the branches that will be added.

not shown:
after the plants are in, add vertical branches to support the 'nest' structure:
i placed the five @18" tree branches vertically in the pot, against the edge,
spaced evenly  - picture them placed at 12, 2, 4, 8, 10 o'clock in the pot  
(the photo i took of that step was too blurry to use!)

from left:
insert one of the longer branches (mine at @ 2' long) into the soil in the pot
and gently bend it around the circumference of the pot - 
weaving it in and out of the upright branches as far as you can go.

cut pieces of the green twine and use them to tie the long branch to each vertical support branch
to hold the long branch in place.

add the second long branch and weave it in a pattern opposite to the first - 
go in the same direction, but put it on the outside of a vertical branch
that the first branch is on the inside of. tie these with twine, as well.

then gently bend each upright branch and tuck it behind the next upright branch
and into the curving branch, tying each as you proceed
to incorporate all of the branches into the 'nest' structure.

NOTE: keep your branch structure loose, not tight against the pot
for a better 'trellis' for the growing plants.

here's what mine looks like from above when completed:

at this stage, the plants are still loose and the branch 'nest' surrounds them.

from left:
begin gently moving the branches of the plants toward the outside of the pot - 
bend them and weave them into the branch 'nest' structure
so that as they grow, they will continue to wrap around it.

find some 'filler' for your nest and add some to the center of the pot.
i used the tiny branchlets that hold leaves on my Brazillian Mesquite tree.
they are all over the grass right now!
their consistency is a lot like pine tree needles,
and they give a nice contrast to the green as they fill in the center of the pot.
moss would also work! here's a larger image of this step:

i also tucked some of this filler around the outer edge of the 'nest',
giving the branch structure a bit more detail on the outer edge:

this step really adds to the rustic natural look!

the living nest is complete at this stage,
but i've added another detail to mine: eggs!
i grabbed some ceramic eggs and gave them a quick paint treatment
to enhance the natural vibes of this project...

from left:
apply two coats of acrylic paint in a terra cotta hue (i mix my own) and let dry.
they're fine that way, OR you can add more detail:

mix a bit of paint with water to create a thinner paint consistency,
then brush it onto the eggs and quickly wipe it off with a soft rag.

i used brown paint to get a rustic aged finish - 
you can use white paint for a lighter aging effect.
the glaze settles in the brushstrokes of the terra cotta paint,
giving a realistic clay finish.

once placed in the living nest, the eggs really stand out.
a nest and eggs are a classic decor element for springtime,
and it's easy to personalize this project to fit YOUR decor:

select a plant pot that matches your color palette
and paint the eggs a complimentary hue to complete the look.

the main areas of my home have a decidedly tropical vibe,
and the real terra cotta pot has a basketweave pattern
that easily fits in with other rattan and wicker accents.

there is another way to get this effect with less effort:
buy a grapevine wreath and place it on top of a plant pot,
then use wood skewers inserted into the soil to hold the wreath in place.
add plants and tuck their branches into the vines.
as the plants grow, continue weaving them into the vines
and eventually you'll have a 'nest' of greens!

a funny thing happened with my living nest...

after it was complete, i left the nest sitting on the table on our back patio
then went into my studio to paint the eggs.
when i walked out with the completed eggs to snap photos,
a PIGEON was sitting IN MY NEST like she was the Queen of Sheba!
(if you've ever seen the woeful excuse for a nest that pigeons build,
you can understand why shooing her off was a hard task - 
she LOVED that soft comfy nest!)
eventually i got her off of it, and was able to get final photos.

the nest is now on the coffee table in our living room
because i don't doubt that crazy pigeon would sit on MY eggs! lol

related content:

salvaged junk potting bench

raid the garden shed for spring porch decor!


shared online:

funky junk interiors | new upcycle ideas #720

thank you for including my project in your feature, Donna!

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