Garden Stand Makeover

 Today I have a makeover to share with you. A couple of summers ago, my dad's company held a charity garage sale. Someone there was selling this plant stand and my dad saw potential and picked it up for me. When he brought it over I honestly thought, "That looks like a rusted piece of junk, thanks for thinking of me." But my dad was right. He is good at seeing the potential in things, and I am getting better at seeing it. Here's the original, slightly disassembled (I almost forget to take a before picture).

I first sanded down the rusted and chipping parts. 

I took it all apart and spray painted it with black Rustoleum. It took a couple of coats.

Then I bought some coconut grass plant liners for the baskets. I was going for the look below, but cheap me couldn't bring herself to pay $6 x 4 for liners in a plant stand that didn't even cost that much. I instead bought two window box size liners for $7 a piece, and cut them each into two pieces rounding the corners and cutting a slit on one side from the outer edge to the middle so they could be wrapped into a round shape. Once I got these home and was cutting I had some doubts that it would work, but it totally did. 

Here's the final result, all planted up. I think it looks great; modern and clean.  

All hanging baskets should have pretty plants spilling over the side.

I decided to do two baskets of flowers and two baskets with a viney veggie. One has a cucumber and the other an acorn squash. At least they will spill over the side right? I didn't really plan this, it was more of an out-of-sunny-space-and-pots decision. I can always transfer them to bigger pots and replace them with flowers if it starts to not work out. I'm kind of anxious to see if it will. Maybe next year all edible hanging baskets? Could be fun. It looks a little sparse now, but in a few weeks the baskets should look lush and full.

Today let me encourage you to see potential.  Give something, someone, someplace a second chance. Sometimes all we need is someone to believe that with a change we can be better, and to help make us so. 

Thanks for reading.

-Haley