We were back downtown for our third installation for the Bedrock Realty Company in Detroit.  Today’s venue-the Chase Tower.  The loggia in front of the building has lots of great seating in bright colors, and enormous low white polystyrene planters loaded with King Kong Coleus.   Bedrock Designer Kelly Deines from Rossetti Architects had the idea that these containers needed  an imaginative element that would turn up the heat a little.  Animate the space.  As in, what about a moss dog sculpture for each pot?

Even though I couldn’t quite picture it, I was intrigued.  Once the dogs were delivered to us, Buck devised and built stands for all of them.  They had to be rock solid in the pots.

We carefully dug up all of the existing plants, and laid them on a tarp.  We had enough buckets that we could sort the good dirt from the sandy drainage material.  The thick 2′ diameter steel plate would rest just above the base of the pot.

Once the dog was level, and positioned properly, we refilled the pots.

I did try to pick dogs that had either a lot of attitude, or a sense of movement.

We replanted the coleus, and added a few more here and there..  The Wasabi coleus front and center made the planting a little more like a party.

I was thoroughly smitten with the result.  People walking by were either smiling, or snapping pictures.  The pots had a center of interest which made them suddenly seem more personal, and personable.

They made me smile too.  Great job Kelly Deines.  And thank you Bedrock for making us a part of something this positively fun.

These polystyrene chair planters have new hairdos.  Luckily, there were 5′ diameter drain holes in the bottom, so we could stuff the bases with bricks. This giant loggia was transformed by the addition of the dogs, and the planting of the chairs.  What fun!