How I Plant in Vintage Wash Tubs

I have a little trick that I will share with you about planting in vintage containers.

The truth is this old vintage wash tub is on a very rickety pedestal stand and I don't know how long the base will support the wash tub full of plants. I also like to be able to change out the plants in the tubs as the season progresses. I'm trying a few new plants this year, and don't know how well they will get along with our Texas summers. The trick is finding containers that will fit inside the tub!

Plastic growers pots are flexible enough to work in between larger, more sturdy pots. I bought the pink flowers last year, and can't remember their name. The pot sat underneath a tree since last summer and started blooming this spring. You can place liners underneath the pots to protect your container.

Plant an assortment of flowers in the container and then ADD MULCH! Mulch gives the finishing touches and hides the pots. If one plants dies, pull out the pot and replace with something different.  

So now you know one of my tricks to planting flowers in rusty, junky containers. We use this technique at the flower shop when we create European Dish Gardens, except we use Spanish Moss to conceal our mechanics.

The same technique was used in this wash tub as well.

Click here to see more from my Junk Yard makeover project.

Customized Chair Cushions

Finding cushions for the chairs in the gazebo was the most trouble and costliest part of the entire makeover process. I finally settled on these green and tan chair cushions that were $16.00 each.

The dogs and cats think these chairs belong to them. As I was doing my Junk Yard photo shoot, I realized Annie had snuck in the chair. I'll admit she was pretty cute sleeping there, but the cushions from last year did not hold up well with the dogs using the chairs for beds. As soon as I put the cushions on the chairs, our dog Bo, took a seat, so I knew I had to come up with a plan to protect our seats.

I had also wanted the chairs to have a vintage, rustic feel about them and that was something the big chain stores do not offer.

So I decided to cut a strip of burlap and tie around each chair. The first night I had the cushions, Farmall Man tied an orange hay string around the cushion to hold the seat up and prevent animals from sleeping in the chairs.

The burlap was tied with just enough slack that the chair seat can be tucked in the burlap. I like the look of the burlap wrap, the animal problem is solved and no more hay string!

Of course now the dogs are mad at me now, but I think my cushions will last us several seasons.

To see more of my Junk Yard Pictures, click here!

Bluebonnet Trails

I had the day off today, so we took out on a road trip to see the Bluebonnets. The Ennis Bluebonnet Trails are one of favorite places to go to see the state flower of Texas. It's also a place we can travel to in a couple of hours and make it back home by night fall. The Bluebonnets are trending earlier this year, so we wanted to take advantage of the day to see the wildflowers.

I spied a few albino Bluebonnets along the way as well! I took lots of pictures and will be sharing them soon. As I type this, I'm on my iPod and we are headed east towards home.

If you follow me on twitter, you will have seen a few more pictures that I shared from our journey today. Trixie came with us and she has enjoyed the trip. Of course stopping at the DQ for ice cream and rolling the window down to let her get some fresh air makes her a happy dog!