Making an Incredible Front Yard Display - Using an Upside Down Tree

A few years back my wife decided she wanted to really make an impressive flower "tree" in the front yard. This would entail yet another project for me, so I naturally was not too enthused to get involved in something that I knew was going to essentially be my project. After some groaning and knowing that I needed to just buck up and say "Yes, dear. I would love to." We got underway and she explained her grand vision to me.

Not knowing what this project all entailed, our first step was to trek out into the swamp like Shrek and look for a suitable cedar tree with just the right array of exposed roots. The roots were critical for what the tree's new purpose would eventually be, and that was to be placed upside down in the ground and have flowers hanging from the roots.

We found a small cedar tree that she immediately fell in love with. Luckily it was cedar and rather light for the size of tree that it was AND it wasn't located very deep in the swamp.

We brought the tree home and placed it in its new home, upside down next to our sidewalk leading to our house door. I dug a good size hole about 2 to 3 feet deep, giving about 8 to 9 feet of height yet when it was standing upright.

Over the years we have tried several different flowers. I use three 14" pots at the top that are drilled into the hefty upper roots. In those pots we normally use either Wave Petunias or Proven Winners Vista series Supertunias, but we have used Lofos also, which is a beautiful trailing vine with abundant flowers. I also like to plant a climbing flower such as Morning Glory to climb up the trunk and really fill in all available space with flowers and foliage.

People are amazed at how it turns out every year, and many are even fooled to think that it is a real tree with the flowers on top.

Overall it really did turn out to be a neat project and I'm glad that so many people enjoy it (including myself) every year in our front yard.

Watch our video on how we did it here: