Update on an old post and a new project - just in time for spring!

Hi there!
To kick off today I thought I'd post some pictures of the vintage boxes I've been working on planted for you to see. The first picture shows a box planted with succulents which are nice because they don't require a lot of depth (or water- perfect for those of us the forget that sort of thing!).  I think it looks great, but I prefer the ones potted with more traditional "southern" plants like fern, mosses and ivy. Being a Southern gal and all thats not too surprising I suppose.   



Project of the Day!

I made this gardening pail and thought I'd share the super simple way to whip one up. I love it because all of  your stuff is in one place and it's cute.  Never underestimate the importance of cuteness.
I've got other "stuff" on the inside right now, however the idea is that the tools all stay secured on the outside and you can put all of your bulbs, lime, fertilizer -whatever - on the inside.



I started off with a plain ol' galvanized bucket that I purchased at the hardware store for about $7.50.

I selected the tools I planned to use and figured out exactly how many spaces I'd need to allow for. For  this one I included a spade, pruning shears, scissors, bulb planter and I feel like I'm forgetting something else, but everyone has different favorite tools so that can be up to you to decide.

Next I chose the rope I was going to use. I used skinny rope so I braided the strands together to increase strength and durability.  If  you use a thick piece you can skip that step. 

Next I used a sharpie pen to mark out the spots I wanted to drill through the bucket.  A tip I would suggest is when drilling use a sharp drill bit so that you don't have to press super hard on the bucket. You don't want to bend it. (then it's not so cute! no one likes a wonky bucket)  The next tip I figured out is to use a bit of masking tape or painters tape (I used the blue kind) and mask off the little areas where you plan to drill and then drill right through the tape.  I found the bit wanted to slip slide around a lot on the metal and the tape helped hold it in place (generally) until I could get a little depressed area started while drilling into the metal.

wear protective goggles!!! 
drilling - metal shards --- need I say more!

Weave your handy dandy rope through the holes and knot on the inside.  Test out each tool in the place you want it to fit to be sure you leave enough slack.  Then you are all ready to load it up and ENJOY! 

I had a stubborn sticker on the front of my bucket and try as I might I couldn't get it all off so I painted a little design over it quick and easy to hide its non-cute residue (then I distressed it of course).   The entire project took about an hour and will keep your potting bench or garage (its a bucket, not a miracle worker!) neat and tidy. Its nice to have everything in one place when you need it and a nice little bucket like this will do the trick.