My old potting bench was two saw horses with a piece of plywood thrown over the top and an old sign board hung on one of the saw horses to hold living wreathes. An old metal shelfing piece from the Goodwill held/holds most of my empty pots. Old potting area ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden ) When my hubby got his new grill we did the usual and put it out on the curb. Unlike the last two that simply walked away this one started to go away in pieces. Someone took the hood, then metal pickers scavanged grill, guts and the stove burner and a few other pieces off of the base piece. When I saw what was left I immediately thought potting bench! Of course I rolled it promptly to the back yard. The pickers had striped it down perfectly. I stuck my piece of plywood over where the grill had been and now I am neatly organized with an extra shelf on the bottom and flip-up working areas on top to expand the work surface when needed. Why didn't I see this before??? New potting area ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden ) other side of potting bench (an old metal shelving unit) ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden )
Jewell, That was great. It also gives us the inspiration to do the same if we see one someone else is tossing out. I think most of us can use a potting bench. Mine is pretty utilitarian, too. I picked it up out of someones junk and it was their old cobbed together garage work bench, covered in oil...PERFECT! very water resistant! It just needs to be a little bigger. but it will do for now.
Jewell, there isn't a discarded grill in this part of Texas that is safe, thanks to you! What a great re-use of something that might have landed in a landfill. I need a potting bench. The shelf in the barn is totally inadequate and I need, really need a potting bench. You've given me inspiration as to where I can find one, and how to organize it!
Thanks Netty, StratsMom, Frank, cherylad. I'm happy to see some others help recycle. After it was stripped down I was kicking myself for not seeing the possibilities sooner. Carolyn yours sounds perfect. Just what I need so I can drop a sink into a bench. Marlingarner,hope you find the perfect "bench"
Good thinking! I'm presently trying to get an iron frame to use as a starter greenhouse but my husband just decided he wanted to use it as a potting bench.
Jewell, My neighbor, who has two girls who never went outside to play , had a great sand tub for them in the basement. When they moved they put it out to the road to get rid of and I snagged it right away to use as a soil tub. My DH set it up with two sawhorses to support it and screwed it down and I have a great soil tub....it just needs to be a little bigger...I have a theme going on here it sounds like, everything needs to be a little bigger. :-? Added a picture of my soil bin for you to get an idea of what it was. It must have been a tub for running water as there is a drain that they glued shut. it looks shallow in the picture, but it is about 12" deep. soil bin ( photo / image / picture from carolyn keiper's Garden )
Totally brilliant, Jewell! 8) I must admit, it looks soooo much better & more practical than my shop-bought potting table. Unfortunately my creativity is limited to handling plants, when it comes to DIY I'm all fingers and thumbs )
Cayuga Morning, if I hadn't seen it stripped down I would never have given it a second thought. Thank goodness someone else did the work of taking the unwanted pieces off. Droppy, two gardeners in a family! Hope you find the perfect frame for your starter green house. There is an amazing number of little frame gardens in people's front yards in our neighborhood. With our crazy weather it's the only way to get tomatoes and green peppers most years. DeepWods, and Gardenelf, sometimes I just get lucky. I didn't have to do anything but set the piece of plywood on top. Even the plywood was a leftover piece i didn't have to do anything to. I hope the metal frame on this little bench lasts a good long while. With our damp climate it will be interesting to see, but it didn't cost me a dime so no loss Carolyn, sounds like you got a score. I use a plastic garbage can for potting soiol. It can be a real pain once it is half empty. Yours sounds perfect being big and up table height.
