Friday, October 2, 2020

PLANTER BOX TRASH TO TREASURE

Regular readers know that I have a favorite place to look for bargains...our downstairs trash area!  Our building has trash chutes on every floor and they feed into a separate room, but for boxes and other things that people can't put in the chute, there is an area (indoor) near the loading dock where people can put the things they don't want.  

I've found several cool items over the last couple of years.  Here is one of the latest!*

*cleaned well after picking up with gloves


Found this last week.  It's a planter box made of, I think, teak or maybe cedar.  The kind of 'outdoor' wood they use on patio furniture.  

It's a great size, about 3 feet long and 6 inches deep.


There are two holes for drainage.  It looks like there was something in there at some point but again, very sturdy, no rotting and in overall great shape. While it would be great at the farm, we're kind of thinking about using it here at the apartment in town for herbs.  Maybe even keeping it inside on a table we have under the window.

Do you think this could be painted (on the outside of course not the inside) or better to use an teak oil or something similar to freshen it up?  Should it be lined?

Decisions decisions. All suggestions welcome!
It will be a good Winter project.  


8 comments:

  1. I would oil it as it will look rustic for plants. If you paint it then you'll have to sand and paint it more often if you ever use it outside. I think an herb garden would be excellent.

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  2. I wouldn't paint it.
    Leave it rustic looking but freshen up the wood.
    You would need some fine-grit sandpaper and lightly sand the box and then you can apply ordinary paste wax. If you don't want to use wax, then you can go with an oil; lemon or tung oil to give it a nice finish.
    This link may help on refinishing dull wood. https://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/make-and-decorate/decorating/how-to-restore-dull-furniture-finishes
    I have planter boxes that hubby had made for me from cedar boards of which I use in the center of my dining room table for decor.
    Inside you could place clean, jars ( not necessary canning jars but wine bottles, using recycling jars to use as flower arranging; holiday decor, etc.)
    If you are going to actually grow herbs in there then I would suggest that you get a long plastic planter saucer / tray to put underneath to catch the excess water.
    https://rootandvessel.com/countryside-flower-box-trays?gclid=CjwKCAjwn9v7BRBqEiwAbq1Ey0uEca3fZkM6oEWG38i6bk-0Je-Rnp4jKPMaCEDKhbLd9yhiSYSugBoC0l0QAvD_BwE

    Decorating them planter boxes makes for pretty holiday decorations by adding candles, greenery, pine cones etc. https://www.pinterest.com/bbbecca/planter-box-ideas/

    They make for wonderful window boxes as well.

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  3. I have a very similar box the alternates living on my piano and dining room table. I filled it with small pots of succulents then stuffed Spanish moss around each pot so they won’t show. I love it

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  4. That is a wonderful find! I would recommend just oiling it to bring out the natural beauty of the wood. It will be perfect for herbs; you could also plant some leaf lettuce and shallots. Nothing better than picking something fresh for dinner.

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  5. That is nice! Whatever kind of oil you put on it, make sure you can still eat the herbs, not toxic oil. I would not paint it.

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  6. Great find! I'd probably just leave it as it, but maybe give it a coating of lemon oil.

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  7. I would do whatever you decide to the bottom of the box first and that will give you an idea of what you might want to do, that is if the bottom is the same wood as the sides.

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  8. I, too, am a finder. I used to embarrass my children quite badly, but if there was something tossed that could be used, I was quick to bring it home and make use of it. People get rid of the most amazing things, simply because they are tired of those things. My children are grown now. They have become finders too. When I went to my son and DIL's to visit with my grand daughter, his wife showed me a very nice desk that my son had gotten for Iris. Sturdy, well built, cleverly designed. And she said, "Someone had set this to the curb, can you believe it?" And I answered in mock surprise, "You must be joking!"

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