It's Spring--Time to Finish the Potting Bench

 

A year ago, or was it two??, my friend Annie sent me a picture of an old  baker's rack she found at a garage sale.  She knew I was looking for something to use as a potting bench and at $15 this was a good buy.  Made of solid wood, it was sturdy, required only a few modifications, and looked like it would make a great addition to my yard.

Now the real question may be, why would someone who has a black thumb even want an area to ply her dark trade?  Can you see the annuals in the black tray?  Yes, dead as a door nail.  I bought them a month ago, it got cold and I just never got them in the ground.  Well, a couple of the yellow marigolds did survive, but, it is only March.  Give me time.

The real reason I wanted a bench, is that it was going to hide all the pool equipment you could see when lounging on the patio.  See, look!  You can't see the pump, filer and all that white PVC pipe!  It is a major success.

It took a long time to come to fruition.  Mainly because I couldn't quite see the finished piece.  I spent hours paging through Pinterest to come up with ideas.  First I wanted the fence pickets, then I decided it would look stupid.  Then, I had to pick a color--should I paint it the house trim colors?  Or do I get a little daring and paint them the bright, neon colors I love.  You can see what won out.  I also used several of my craft show finds on the decorating of the bench.  The pickets are pressure treated lumber, so, when they dry out they will be a bright coral color.

A painted window frame from Great Day in the Country.  I had to white out the back so you couldn't see through.

My lizards...now a bright orange and crawling all over!

From my friend Eve...TURTLES!!  

The metal work is from the metal artists at Tallahassee Market Days

 The articulating "critter" from Paddling Dog Studios--who I was next to at
the Schaumburg Septemberfest the first year.

http://www.haydnlarsonstudios.com/  These "folks" are from my artist friend Haydn Larson.

While I was at it, I put up my owls, birds and birdhouses on the screen hiding the pool equipment from the other direction.  It was fun to group them all together, now I just need to get into that planting bed and really do some weeding, cutting back and remulching!

Peppermint...get ready for mohitos!

Sweet Basil

Tarragon

It was fun putting it all together.  Is it too much?  Well, probably, but I love it all!  Now I can start on the big planter project in the front yard.  It involves relocating whiskey barrels, building a small stone wall and lots and lots of mulch!  Oh, and weeding those dang dollar weeds that just love my sandy soil.