A few months ago I fell in love with this planter I found over at Fine Gardening. Like just about everything else that I see and want, I knew I wouldn't be able to stop thinking about the thing until I had something just like it. But also just like everything else that I see and want, it would be way out of my price range for at least another 4 or 5 years. Lucky for me, I have a fast moving brain and knew that I could have something really similar for free just by using something I already had laying around....an old, rusted fire pit.
This plain jane run-of-the-mill fire pit served us well the first year we moved in, and was there for us every step of the way up until we built the real deal the following summer. And then it was quickly retired to the back of the house where it's pretty much sat as an eye-sore ever since.
After a few rounds of scrubbing and suds followed by 3 coats of mega expensive metallic colored spray paint ($9 for a can that sputtered and dripped...) I was happy with my new planter bowl. So happy that I didn't even let it cure for the full 48 hours, but whatever- it's fine as long as you're looking at it from like 8 feet away, which works out since it's placed upon a shady slope...
Once I got the positioning right, it was time to figure out a way to keep it secure and level. Thankfully I had just been working with a roll of metal grid fencing the day before so I was quick to realize that I could just cut a length of that stuff and wind it into a sturdy circle, shoving the wire stems down into the ground for support. Unthankfully, this only worked until I was finished planting which was when the entire thing kind of fell over and made that cartoon-like droopy falling-over noise. It was around that time that I took a deep breath and a walk and probably opened a beverage of some sort. Eventually I circled back and with a mallet and some dowel rods and kind of just worked with what I had in order to get this thing strong enough to hold up to the elements. Of course, this wasn't before having to un-plant and then re-plant the whole thing, but that's beside the point.
When all was said and done, this is what shined in front of me, in all it's splendid glory. Overall I'm pretty happy with it. I had to use plants that I already had on hand, and the most easy-going, transplant-friendly ones I had were a variety of sedum, so that's what I went with. I'm excited to see what it looks like when it flowers and also once I have this area free of vines and other nuisances, but until then I'll just be happy to have a finished project (which is always a big deal for me).
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