Tutorial: Make a Vintage Typewriter Planter

I have a thing for old typewriters. I also have a thing for succulents such as hens & chicks. Yesterday I put the two together and made a unique planter & conversation piece!

I bought a pair of vintage typewriters heavy enough to anchor a 74' boat for $10 at the flea market last summer. I took the broken one apart for the keys, hammers and other parts, but this Remington has been collecting dust in the basement for months. I pushed the carriage across the top and heard a soft "ding." I imagined a who would have used such a finely engineered piece nearly 90 years ago; how many pages it has typed, how many letters of love it has created.

This terra cotta pot of Sempervivums (chickens & hens) has been growing for 4 years; it's formed into a beautiful cushion of rosettes. I thought I'd just take a few "babies" from the pot to start my repurposed typewriter planter.

I used some sedum also, to trail down the sides.

First I took some flat rocks to fill some of the gaps in the machine, so the soil wouldn't wash out.

Then filled it with soil. I just used soil from my vegetable garden. Succulents aren't very picky, they like sunshine, but otherwise adapt well to even the poorest soil & conditions.

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I pulled off some different sizes of the chickens & hens with the roots still attached

and started planting them in the dirt. Soon they will root in well and take hold, I know it seems now like they might fall out.

I planted three types of sedum to trail down.

I didn't want to fill it in too much, because they will multiply quickly.

 

Give it a good water, then sit it in the sun and forget about it! Chickens & hens do not need a lot of care or fuss.
Cute, huh?

I love how it turned out!