Saturday, May 16, 2015

A Garden Planter



 I got up at 7:30 this morning, sent a quick email, and immediately headed outside before I had even had a cup of coffee or tea.  I wanted to get a start on the weeds in the back flowerbed which have been catcalling to me for the last couple of weeks.  Five hours and five large bags later that bed is cleared.  So now after a nice hot shower (bliss!) and some lunch I am ready to share some photos of a garden project my husband put together last year.  I promised to share these with my friend Connie last fall so Connie this is for you.

Let me set this up by saying that we were at a local fair with my mother a couple of years ago when she spied some garden planters made from wooden ladders which she fell in love with.  She really wanted one but had decided it wasn't something she could get at that time.  So, when our children returned this old wooden ladder they didn't need anymore my husband decided to make it into a planter to give her for Mothers Day.  He took some scrap lumber he had in the garage and built a planter box which he attached to each step.  Then, he used some cabinet door handles he had kept from when we replaced our kitchen to make handles on the front of each box to look like drawers. My mom loved it.  She had it stored for the winter and now we have placed it in her back yard all newly planted for the summer.  It looks cute.  Knowing Connie, she would probably paint it some lovely bright color but my mom likes a more rustic look so we left it as is.  Although,  I think I will put some kind of a sealer on it in the fall. 









It's going to really look spectacular once the flowers begin to cascade over the sides.  So what do you think?  Should we leave it rustic, stain or seal it, or paint it?


8 comments:

  1. I Love It !!! You knew I would. As for painting it . . . it is perfect as is and would look cute painted, too. I agree that you should put some kind of sealer on it. You want it to last as long as it can. Give your husband a huge hug from me. I am sure that he melting your Momma's heart with this thoughtful and very charming gift.

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    1. Yes, I knew you would love it. My mom was so thrilled and it's perfect in her garden.

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  2. That is so clever! I really love it! Such a great idea to add the drawer pulls too. I agree with Connie that some sealer would be a good idea, just for the sake of making it last as long as possible.

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    1. Thanks Sara. I think Don enjoyed making it. You know how he loves a project.

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  3. Your Mum must be very pleased with the ladder and planters and it looks lovely in an already beautiful garden. The rustic look is trendy. You see those ladders for sale now in vintage shops over here and I expect it's the same for you. Clever husband - it's the sort of project my husband enjoys working on.

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  4. Hi Linda, Aren't we blessed to have husbands who enjoy working with their hands? I really do love the garden in the spring. Everything is always so lush and green this time of year and the spring flowers so beautiful. When the summer comes the flowers in Mom's planter will bring some new color into the yard when the spring flowers have faded.

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  5. Gloria, why not cover with a seal to protect the rustic appearance? It looks great in its present rustic condition. Love it. And the photos of your trip are fun and beautiful. I've tried the Turkish Delite and didn't care for it much either. But they certainly are pretty, aren't they? As for the carousel horse, a cousin on mom's side collected, restored and sold those for years, finally shutting down her business 15 years ago. While visiting with her in 1999, she gifted us with one of those beautiful horses. A few years later a family member who collects authentic carousel horses offered to purchase ours for her collection but we gifted her with it instead. She still has that beautiful piece in her home, so we are able to enjoy it with her today. Thanks again for blessing as a member of your Musings By the Lake, cousin Liz

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  6. Thanks Cousin, good advise that I think I will be following in the fall when we put it away to preserve from the winter rains.

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