Tuesday, May 29, 2012

THE POTTING TABLE



It is nice to have a little spot in the shade to plant, pot and play! My potting bench is a place of constant creation, commotion and lots of good old dirty work...

The little potting bench on my back porch is just the place to spend time gardening on a hot afternoon!



The heat today chased me out of the garden and onto the back porch where I am digging in the dirt on a smaller scale! The white geraniums I used to decorate the house this holiday weekend came outside to be potted!

After potting the geraniums, this area was quite dirty... so I just hosed everything down. I love having a place that I can just wash away the mess!



My potting bench was made for my back porch. A very simple design, it is more functional than decorative.

Things come and go on the potting bench all season long!  

I potted the white geraniums in a wire egg basket along with some purple lobelia.






A chicken feeder overflowing with frilly white plants and a few little terracotta pots fill the narrow top shelf of the potting bench .

A couple of hooks hold garden items I am using.

The best part about this potting bench is that it has running water. I love the simple spigot and the vintage enamel bowl that is used for a basin.  Because the basin has no drain, I also use it to mix potting soil with compost or to carry veggies from the garden to the bench. 

If I fill the basin with water to wash veggies etc. I just pick the basin full of water up and pour it over my potted plants on the porch!



The potting bench has a nice tall bottom shelf.



I keep an old milk box filled with garden gloves, trowels, weeders etc. on the shelf.   This treasure was an auction find!

 I remember my grandmother had a milk box very much like this when I was just a wee little girl! I think it somehow ties me to her! I love the faintly familiar sound of the lid banging shut!



A catch-all basket and a rusty galvanized planter filled with summer annuals also find a home on the bottom shelf!




This is one of my favorite "places" at StoneGable. I can putter and be creative and get my hands dirty!




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I am participating in:
The Great Outdoor Linky Party at Thistlewood Farm
Favorites On The First at The Polohouse


64 comments:

  1. Wonderful area to get dirty! Love it! I just finished up some gardening myself!

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  2. I wish I had seen this years ago, I would have had Joe make me a potting bench! JUST LIKE THIS ONE:):) I just LOVE the spigot on it! GREAT idea. And the milk box brought back memories of my Grandmother's house too. That is where we grew up. Let's get together soon!!!!!!!!!!!!! XO, Pinky

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  3. What a lovely potting bench you have!

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  4. Oh, your images and potting bench look straight out of a magazine! Don't you love gardening, it's so Zen and calming. Nothing like a good putter to calm me down!

    Jessica
    stayathomeista.com

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  5. I love your potting bench!! It's perfect and so functional. Love the spigot and removable basin. I don't see very many white geraniums, they are so pretty. :) Is that a painted Longaberder basket by chance? I have a ton of them and have painted a couple but plan to paint more.

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    1. Hi Gina! Yes it is a Longaberger. I am doing a post on how to "wash" them. Look for it next week.
      Yvonne

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  6. I really love this, Yvonne, and it's similar to what I'd like to do here. Currently, it's just a "potting hot mess". Sigh.

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  7. What a wonderful spot you have to be creative! I love the hook on the side for the egg basket full of flowers! It is my dream to someday have a spot like this. You gave me lots of fun ideas! Thanks for sharing, Yvonne.

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  8. Bonjour Yvonne,
    Looks like the perfect space to be creative to me, and in the shade!
    Enjoy mon amie!
    Mimi

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  9. You are an amazing artist - you even made a potting bench look amazing.

    I wish I had your talents!

    I LOVE the idea of having your water and that little basin on it - neat idea!

    Maybe I will move mine to one of the spigots on either side of the house - I currently have it in back to work dual function: holds small plants and my little hand tools, and pots - and then I clear it and clean it and use it as a storage area when entertaining for drinks or tea or extra glasses, etc.

    I love your idea of the spigot though, truly genius.

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  10. Yvonne, what a great spot for a potting bench. I love all the vintage items you are using on it and for the plants.

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  11. Oh it's so adorable, I love it, Sally xxx

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  12. Your potting bench is beautiful!! And how lucky are you that is has running water?! :)

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  13. What a great area to pot plants in and I love your little faucet with the enamelware bowl.

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  14. Yvonne~ I'm GREEN with envy! What a wonderful, functional spot to work & play! LOVE the spigot~ brilliant!

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  15. I love how it looks and now I want to build one. I have an old sink and fauset, just need the lumber... I hope you dont mind if I copy this design...

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  16. I love your potting bench Yvonne! It's very functional yet pretty at the same time, the enamel basin is my fav! Warm but with a very nice breeze today, spent sometime on the swing after work myself, very nice-enjoy:@)

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  17. What a great idea! I love it...old sink, containers and all!!

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  18. What a delightful and peaceful place to putter away the day and converse with God-for that is what I do when planting my plants.

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  19. Love the bench. I think I will put that on my list for next year.....
    FYI - the rug on my porch came from Lowes. There are two sizes available. I used two of the small size because that was bigger than just buying the bigger one.
    Karen

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  20. I just love your potting bench! Perhaps if I got one for myself I could manage to keep my plants alive ...

    ... and the running water is brilliant. And love the memory of your grandmother.

    :)

    Linda

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    1. ... so happy you shared with us at our Great Outdoors link party!

      :)

      Linda

      Oh, and I'm pinning!

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  21. Yvonne this is wonderful...I love the watering can and the sink. You have such a special touch and seem to turn the most normal things into stunning accessories. Pinning this one for sure!

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  22. Yvonne, Your potting bench is adorable. I'm in the process of getting Hubby to make one for me that will go under the deck. Love the little basin, and that you have water available. I really like the way you decorated it with baskets and galvanized containers.
    Babs

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  23. Your potting bench is adorable! I love everything about it, and what I can see of your porch! My potting bench is just in the planning stages, and I now have a little more inspiration!

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  24. Your potting area is phenomenal, Yvonne! I posted mine today and now I feel like I should bury my head under my wing....lol....yours is SOOOOO gorgeous! Love it- it is as beautiful as everything else you do- xo Diana

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  25. Okay, I'm impressed. All I can say is....I have the same watering can. LOL. Your blooms are gorgeous, and I adore the hanging egg basket. Currently all my plants are being pelted by a huge hail storm. Tomorrow morning it will look like they've been napalmed...and we'll start over again...again. Thanks for inviting us for a peak. Cherry Kay

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  26. Lovely potting bench! I planted today too, and washed pollen off everything.
    Love your geraniums and lobelia, so pretty!

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  27. Your potting bench is perfect. I love that you have a water spigot! I got a bench last year and love it. I am hoping to get home in time to plant some new items for my deck garden! Love the geraniums! Hugs, Linda

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  28. Yvonne, I love your potting bench and all the vintage items you have on it...It looks beautiful!! Hope you have a wonderful day, Gail

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  29. This is great! My husband made me one last year and then sold it! (I guess he can always make another.) Thanks for stopping by my blog.

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  30. Love this, Yvonne. I'm going to show it to my husband.

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  31. I love it, Yvonne! I think its simplicity is what makes it look so pretty. You've got a lot of functional things going on in this small space. I would have loved something like this on my patio in the old house, especially since I was tending more toward container gardening in recent years. Love how you hung that egg basket with the flowers off the side. I want something simple like this for our sunroom {except without the back}.

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  32. Aren't memories great. My grandmother died when I was just a baby so of course no memories of her. But I did have an aunt that was my mothers older sister. She fit the bill.

    My aunt Frances and her husband, uncle Leslie. Very southern. Mmmmmm warm biscuits and honey. But my memory is the smell of cut grass from the tractor mower in the garage. Everytime I smell that smell it puts me back there.

    She also had a milk box and I remember that sitting on her porch as if it were yesterday.

    Wow, I could keep going. Thank you so much for sharing your potting bench. Love it. <3

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  33. What a beautiful and useful place to "create"....I am sure every time you approach the bench, it makes you smile...not only because it is pretty, but just having the anticipation of knowing that you will be creating something beautiful....I love the wire egg basket you used as a hanging planter....I can't wait to get started on my potting bench area!....I had one in my other homes and never got around to establishing one here...you gave me inspiration to get it done!!

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  34. This is very cool. Love the water faucet. Love it!

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  35. I love your potting bench and I would have to say it's just as beautiful as it is functional! I have a little shed I will be transforming in to a potting area very soon! I can't wait to get started. Thanks for the inspiration.

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  36. Love your potting table. Everything looks so pretty. Hugs and blessings, Cindy

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  37. First off, I love, love that stone on your house, it is gorgeous!! And I love the idea of a hose in the back of your bench to make a sink. We were just talking about putting a sink on our back porch and that would certainly be a much easier solution than having a drain. The plants would love the extra water too.

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  38. You have wowed me! Love your potting bench and your porch. The stone is gorgeous. You've inspired me for another idea. I have 2 old bakers tables (one I just re-made on my porch and one in the shed) I'm a new follower and will be back for frequent visits. I hope you'll stop in and pay me a visit.

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  39. Love the bench, sink, and spigot. Did your Dear Husband design and build it? If so, please, would you post the specs [specifications] or give us the link to them?
    Looking forward to the "washed" basket post. blessings on your day, Yvonne!

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  40. Your potting bench is perfect, Yvonne! Having a water source is so convenient. I just gave away two milk boxes that were my Mother's to friends...now I wish I had one back as I like you idea for using it for garden storage.

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  41. GREAT potting bench, Yvonne! I have spent the last 3 days working out in the yard and beautifying our porch & deck...I could have used something like this! I still have work to do out there, and now I'm just going to be mad that I DON'T have this! :-)

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  42. I like your potting bench, Yvonne. It's so functional (and a pretty colour). I'm going to have a look around your blog while I'm here!

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  43. What a pretty bench! It would be unpractical for the potting I do but I love it just for the cuteness factor!

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  44. So jealous. Your bench is adorable. And I LOVE the water feature on it. Think the hubs has a new project on his honey-do list. ;)

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  45. I am swooning over your potting bench-it's gorgeous!


    Kim in MD

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  46. Yvonne,
    I adore your potting bench! But, dear friend...that part about getting one's hands dirty...not for me! That's why "Mr. Ed" is the country boy and I'm the city girl! Don't you know God has a keen sense of humor when he joined us together? Enjoy your bench!
    Fondly,
    Pat

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  47. I love your potting bench! I especially appreciate the spigot and basin. I have often wished for a spot outside to rinse veggies from the garden. I'm pinning this so I can show my husband later.

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  48. Yvonne, seeing your lovely potting bench makes me feel ashamed at how cluttered and covered mine is. I've one in the garage, and it seems to be the catch-all for a lot of things other than garden tools, potting soil, etc. You are inspiring me to get it cleaned up and looking like a potting bench again. ;-)

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  49. I would love to have this sweet little spot for potting things, Yvonne! Your dark stained porch floors are so lovely. They gray on the bench is just the perfect shade. What a lovely little spot!

    Thanks so much for sharing.
    xox
    Alison

    P.S. Love it that you are using an old dairy delivery box for your tool and glove storage. Super idea!

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  50. I am in LOVE with this. The hose hooked up to the faucet is awesome, and that enamel bowl sink ... love, love it! So many fun details. Thank you so much for sharing at our party!
    Karah

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  51. Hi, Yvonne!!!
    I loved your bench, SO pretty and SO functional!!! Loved the faucet!!!
    For my "potting bench" I have an Ikea table, lol!!! You made me want a bench!!!

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  52. I can see why this is one of your favorite places. It would be mine, too. I'm drooling over the potting bench and area.

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  53. I made my potting bench out of a pallet design. Absolutely love yours too (-:

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  54. Yes, ditto on all the wonderful comments, Yvonne. I read them all to see if anyone asked about the floor on our porch. Looks like wood, yet can be hosed down. What is it? I'd love to do that in our screened porch. Love how you've decorated it for your photo shoot too. ~Zuni

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  55. Hello, I'm a new user just browing your site. I really like the way you hung a basket off your potting bench. I use mine more as a plant hospital and am thinking it would make a perfert hook for "impatients" in waiting.

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  56. AAAh! I had seen this picture somewhere (probably Pinterest) and loved it. Ever since then I've been looking for the perfect granite bowl. :) I already have the "bench" - it's a baker's rack my hubby and I built several years ago. It's getting repurposed into a potting table. Yours is beautiful. :)
    Kelly

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  57. This is adorable!!I love what you did with the potting table!! I have one and used it in my daughter's tiny bathroom, but YOURS is adorable with all the added cuteness! Thanks for sharing!! So glad to have found your blog!

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  58. I've only just found your blog, & I'm so pleased I've been wanting something like this for a long time. My other half is always complaining that I'm messy when I'm potting up plants, I'll show him what you have & maybe he'll make something like it for me. It's a lovely working area. Thanks for sharing. I found you from Sharons blog My French Country Home. I'm now going to browse some more of your posts. then become a follower.

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  59. Hi, I found your potting bench on Pinterest and am doing a post on Potting Benches and have added it to my post. Please, If you want me to remove it please let me know. I have put a link back to this post.

    kindredly, Lynnie

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