How to Secure Trough Pots to a Bench
May. 14th, 2025 12:37 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmith posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
gardeningToday's project was filling a set of trough pots and securing them to the benches of the new picnic table. (This is from Tuesday, but it's after midnight so the date reads Wednesday. See some "before" pictures.) There are 6 troughs total, although one already had wild strawberries in it from earlier. Each bench holds 3 troughs. I got these and a bunch of other pots when Big Lots went out of business.
These troughs are self-watering pots and each one has a hole at each corner on the bottom. I used the holes to attach the anchor cords that go under the bench, so the pots can't fall off. Here's what I did ...
* After I bought the troughs, I found some S-hooks with eyes that had little clips attached. I couldn't find any plain eye hooks so I just took off the clips to use for other purposes. A couple of those already went to hold seed packets closed. I got a big hank of blue paracord and a reel of black elastic cord when Joann's went out of business. I also brought out a pair of scissors and a lighter.
* I filled the bottom half of each trough with composted manure and the top half with potting soil. Then I put them on the benches.
* I tied a hook to the end of the paracord using a square knot. (Other types of knot could work, but this is familiar, fast, easy, and secure.) I put the hook into the hole toward the inside edge of the bench, then pulled the paracord under the bench toward the outside, and up.
* I cut the paracord about an inch above the top of the bench. Holding onto the two cut ends, I used the lighter to seal them. A hotknife also works, but I don't have one because they're expensive. Then I dropped the loose end of the anchor cord and put down the hank.
* I measured the black elastic by wrapping it three times around three fingers, with about an inch extra for tying it off. I cut the elastic and sealed the ends.
* I threaded the elastic through the eye of a hook, making a triple loop, then tied it with a square knot.
* Using a square knot, I tied the paracord to the elastic. Then I stretched the elastic enough to fit the hook into the opening of the self-watering hole toward the outside edge of the bench.
* I repeated the same process to make the other 11 anchor cords.
Here are some pictures ...
This is the north side of the new picnic table, looking south, with the new trough pots installed on the bench. The middle one has the wild strawberries from earlier. The outer ones have snow peas and sugar snap peas.
These anchor cords secure the trough pots to the bench so they can't fall off. This end of the paracord ties to a hook that goes into the hole of the self-watering bottom.
This view shows the end with the elastic cord. The elastic attaches to a metal hook that goes into the hole of the self-watering bottom. The stretchy elastic allows the anchor cord to fit snugly.
Looking north, this is the south side of the new picnic table with the trough pots installed. This time the middle trough has baby ball carrots, while the outer ones have more snow peas and sugar snap peas.
These troughs are self-watering pots and each one has a hole at each corner on the bottom. I used the holes to attach the anchor cords that go under the bench, so the pots can't fall off. Here's what I did ...
* After I bought the troughs, I found some S-hooks with eyes that had little clips attached. I couldn't find any plain eye hooks so I just took off the clips to use for other purposes. A couple of those already went to hold seed packets closed. I got a big hank of blue paracord and a reel of black elastic cord when Joann's went out of business. I also brought out a pair of scissors and a lighter.
* I filled the bottom half of each trough with composted manure and the top half with potting soil. Then I put them on the benches.
* I tied a hook to the end of the paracord using a square knot. (Other types of knot could work, but this is familiar, fast, easy, and secure.) I put the hook into the hole toward the inside edge of the bench, then pulled the paracord under the bench toward the outside, and up.
* I cut the paracord about an inch above the top of the bench. Holding onto the two cut ends, I used the lighter to seal them. A hotknife also works, but I don't have one because they're expensive. Then I dropped the loose end of the anchor cord and put down the hank.
* I measured the black elastic by wrapping it three times around three fingers, with about an inch extra for tying it off. I cut the elastic and sealed the ends.
* I threaded the elastic through the eye of a hook, making a triple loop, then tied it with a square knot.
* Using a square knot, I tied the paracord to the elastic. Then I stretched the elastic enough to fit the hook into the opening of the self-watering hole toward the outside edge of the bench.
* I repeated the same process to make the other 11 anchor cords.
Here are some pictures ...
This is the north side of the new picnic table, looking south, with the new trough pots installed on the bench. The middle one has the wild strawberries from earlier. The outer ones have snow peas and sugar snap peas.
These anchor cords secure the trough pots to the bench so they can't fall off. This end of the paracord ties to a hook that goes into the hole of the self-watering bottom.
This view shows the end with the elastic cord. The elastic attaches to a metal hook that goes into the hole of the self-watering bottom. The stretchy elastic allows the anchor cord to fit snugly.
Looking north, this is the south side of the new picnic table with the trough pots installed. This time the middle trough has baby ball carrots, while the outer ones have more snow peas and sugar snap peas.
