Attractive Container Gardens

I had a lot of projects this weekend. One was to paint my newly acquired baker's rack (at a yard sale for $8) with outdoor paint. The reason is I want to creative an attractive herb and vegetable garden. I like to have fresh herbs and vegetables, but I really don't feel like dealing with the yard work that would be involved (I prefer to just deal with flowers and bushes in beds). So, I have made it a goal to set up an herb and vegetable container garden. But, ever wanting to have an attractive home, I wanted an attractive spot for these plantings. So, I found a baker's rack (similar to the one pictured) at a yard sale for $8 (the guy was asking $10, so I asked if he would take a lower price. Just an example that it never hurts to ask for lower!). But, two of the shelves were wood and over all it wasn't ready to be put outside and exposed to the elements. So, I bought a can of Rustoleum black textured spray paint (to give the appearance of black wrought iron) and a pint of black outdoor paint for the shelves. I sanded down the shelves to give them a little texture and provide a surface for the paint to stick to. I then painted the baker's rack (note: it took the entire can I bought and half of a can that I had had from a previous project) and painted the shelves. It took two coats for the shelves.

So, now I have an attractive place on my deck for my future container plantings. I just have to go buy some attractive pots and plants! You can also use the various hooks on the rack for tools and necessities for the yard. This is a simple project for little buck but big attractive bang, especially if you would like to grow your own plants and are tired of paying outrageous prices for herbs and vegetables. This is an easy way to keep your outdoors attractive but practical!