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Best Laid Plans...
Local wildlife can create havoc on plants. Javelina are the indiscriminate rippers and slashers that pull plants from the ground or pots. Their sharp teeth can sever a stem or trunk with a single bite. Next bothersome is the rabbits. Those nibblers can whittle down small plants in an evening. They girdle small trees by chewing the bark around the trunk.  Then there are the rodents, whether pocket gophers, pack rats or antelope squirrels. They all get hungry and will eat anything they can find that offers them a source of food.

With all these critters roaming my gardens I wanted some potted display plants that would be safe from the wildlife onslaught. My plan was simple. Put the potted plants on a pedestal.  They'd be high enough off the ground so the javelina, rabbits and rodents couldn't get to them and the potted plants could be easily viewed as you walked down the garden path. That was the plan.

Seven 4 - foot redwood 4 by 4s were set along the path using a small amount of concrete in each hole. One foot of post was below ground, three feet above.
Small wooden platforms were constructed that slid over the posts and could be lifted on and off of the column.

I started with four, 4 by 4 redwood posts buried one foot deep and set in concrete along a flagstone path. Eventually I added three more posts for a total of seven. Small 12 - inch long and 10½ - inch wide platforms were made that had a 1 by 2 collar. The platforms then slipped over the top of the post. They could be easily removed. All the exposed wood was then treated with a wood preservative.

Next came the plants. I have several Portularcaria afra that I've grown and trained over the  past few years. Unfortunately they have suffered from rabbit and javelina nibbling as well as wind damage when they blew over. Some of the plants were in large ceramic pots while others were in mica bonsai training containers.

This Portulacaria afra has been through the mill:  wounds from animal bites up the trunk and the scar of a broken branch from a sudden wind storm.
Small screw eyes and wire held the potted plants in place so that wind wouldn't blow them over.
With hopes the plants would be safe from animals, the Portulacaria afra went into position on the posts and platforms.

Some of the plants with larger canopies were top heavy and the garden area was susceptible to gusty winds, especially during thunder storms. I didn't want to have to run out and move the plants every time there was a wind storm so I decided to secure them to the platforms. Using small screw eyes on each side of the platform I used either one or two pieces of wire to secure the plant containers and plants. String could be used but it has a tendency to rot after a few months in the Arizona sun.

Once all the plants were placed, it was a matter of watering, fertilizing and watching them grow. Apparently I wasn't the only one watching the plants. It didn't take long for the first antelope squirrel to arrive on scene. He made his way to a decorative piece of drift wood about three feet from the nearest platform. Within moments he made a leap and found himself in succulent heaven. The driftwood had to be moved.

A three foot gap between log and platform didn't deter a hungry antelope squirrel.
The succulent foliage of the Portulacaria was too good to pass up.
Gambel's quail also liked the succulent foliage of the Portulacaria. As many as four birds would dine on a plant at the same time removing much of the foliage.

By evening a covey of Gambel's quail arrived in the garden to drink from one of the watering dishes I keep to attract wildlife. The succulent leaves of the Portulacaria afra I wanted to display were a moist treat for the birds. As many as four at a time could be found in the branches of the plants where they pecked and chewed the tender leaves. House finches also found the small leaves as a source of nourishment. After a few weeks the plants started to show stress from the constant bird feedings. The Portulacaria had to moved to the greenhouse and caged tables to protect them from the marauding birds.

In a perfect garden the Portulacaria might have ended up looking like this.
I decided to try a few pots of petunias hoping the birds would leave them alone.

The idea of the display posts and platforms along the flagstone path still appeal to this Tucson gardener. I have to try to find the right plants to grow there. I've attempted petunias, portulaca, Adenium obesum, and an assortment of bonsai in training. The plant display can be easily changed from season to season. The secret to success was finding something the birds, and high jumping rodents wouldn't eat. (2007)

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