Since this is the time of year when most locales have favorable weather for gardening, I'm re-visiting an old project - the one where Deb turns a folding patio bar into a potting bench! It was a fun project to create for my Mom one Mothers' Day, and I thought it might inspire you to try something similar this spring.
This particular project came about because my Mom was struggling to pot up some plants for her backyard on her glass patio table. Not the optimum surface for messy work. Not five feet away from her, against the house, stood a folding metal outdoor bar - sitting there, unused, except for large parties once or twice a year. Me? I didn't see a bar... I saw a potting bench!
I quickly dragged it over to the edge of the patio, against a shady vine wall,
The metal and mesh bar has two metal 'grid' shelves that lock the folded back/side piece into place securely - no tools required, which I love. When set up for parties, the shelves would be visible only from the back side of the bar. (a similar bar is available at Home Depot - not an ad).
Once assembled, it was the perfect height for Mom to work at when standing! The bar stool is a perfect resting spot for her - or a potted plant.
When it came to finding storage containers and accessories, I just went with the theme and found things that tie into the 'bar' idea...
Assorted galvanized buckets and pails hold potting soil, gravel, and flower vases, while wood wine crates provide more storage for unused pots and hand tools.
Inside the bar, items are stored on the metal grid shelves, mostly on the right side - so that on the left, dirt falls straight through the wire shelves to the ground for easy cleanup.
A small trellis tucked between the bar and the planted wall adds visual interest and a place to hang accessories, like a small lantern and buckets to hold seed packets.
This burlap wine bag with 3 separated compartments inside is perfect for transporting a garden kneeling pad, a spade, and gloves anywhere in the garden.
On top of the bar, items used for beverage service are pressed into action for garden chores:
A silver ice bucket holds watering containers, including a martini shaker for mixing up crystalized Miracle Gro fertilizer; an old soda bottle with a vintage sprinkler spout for watering tiny garden specimens; and empty wine bottles... which are a simple way to water your plants slowly - just fill bottle with water, invert into the soil, and gravity will do the rest as the plant soil dries out!
Not to be forgotten, stemless wine glasses serve double-duty as mini-cloches over small potted plants. If you buy the plastic versions of these, they'll fare well outdoors all year long!
.. and last but not least, used wine corks make excellent pot-fillers - so save them!
And that, my friends, is how to re-purpose something into a garden bar - dirt cheap! (My Dad said that when I was done creating it, and it stuck with me!)
Mom watched me do all of this with great interest for half an hour - whilst drinking wine! - and then when I was done arranging everything, she asked if I was going to create a 'signature cocktail' for the Garden Bar.
Mom watched me do all of this with great interest for half an hour - whilst drinking wine! - and then when I was done arranging everything, she asked if I was going to create a 'signature cocktail' for the Garden Bar.
Actually, I hadn't even thought of that... but it seems like it needs to be made with Godiva liqueur and crushed Oreos so it looks like dirt, or perhaps something citrus-y with basil from the garden. Tommy Bahamas restaurants make a delightful grapefruit basil martini... I think I'll start there!
shared online:
creatively beth | creatively crafty link party #245
funky junk interiors | new upcycle ideas #776
creatively beth | creatively crafty link party #245
funky junk interiors | new upcycle ideas #776
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