I have a very large, old sweetgum tree in my yard and its roots have formed an amazing and intricate pattern above the ground. They are huge and twisting, winding over and around one another. Where some may have seen a nuisance, I saw the perfect planters.
After cleaning the weeds, grass and other debris from around the roots, I broke up the existing dirt and added some enriched soil in the deeper crevices. I fill these natural 'planters' with annuals. This was my third year to try it, and it is one of my favorite beds.
The down-side to this bed is that it does require more watering than the others, but the tree hasn't shown any adverse affects at all. I am going to try and take a shot of the roots this winter while they are bare, so you can see how truly awesome they are.
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