Vintage Finds for the Garden

“If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.”

—Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden

Patios and small garden spaces can pose a problem or a goldmine for the creative gardener. We have a small brick patio leading to the back door of our home, and I was bored with simply lining it with container plants each Spring. A trip to a local resale/salvage yard proffered some (inexpensive) vintage finds that added varying height, color, and interest to my patio “garden.”

Here’s the mishmash of what I brought home one day for under $35:

My haul included two tables, an old toolbox, and a window.  I liked the colors and the varying heights of the pieces as well as the weathered and chipped paint.  The only work needed was to clean them a bit and decide how to use them.

The table before….

 

…and after

The table looked lonely against the wall, so I added a “window” above it. Using an electric drill and a bit specifically for use on brick or cement, I drilled two holes into the stucco then hammered plastic anchors into the holes.  I screwed two screws about halfway into the anchors and hung the window atop them.

 

Once opened, the toolbox became the perfect home for two flowering plants.

 

 

 

The small green table found a perfect nook between the table and toolbox.

 

 

I tucked some additional containers around the vintage pieces to add color.  Now the brick patio provides a welcoming walk to the back door with some interesting visuals to admire along the way.