Spring Garden Transformations

This giant allium is one of the first bulbs to bloom in the spring,
tempting me to visit the nursery and come home laden with annuals.
But I know it's too early, the ground too cold,
and so I look for some fun garden projects while I wait.

For now, three DIY garden transformation projects await!

This metal salesman's sample of a headboard was painted silver when I bought it at a yard sale. 

It's a scaled-down bed measuring about three feet high by one foot deep.

These small salesman's samples were made to scale and appearance

so customers could envision what they would look like in their home . . .

and they were probably a lot easier for the salesman to carry. 

 Here's the "before" picture.

Last year, I painted it white and displayed it on the front porch.

I thought about putting it in this year's yard sale; I didn't really have room for it on the porch.

Then I realized it would look nice in the garden but the white was just too glaring. 

So I spray painted it Stone Gray by Rustoleum. The softer aged look looks perfect in the garden.

The base has a one-foot open area (for a teeny tiny mattress?). 

I positioned the headboard so the bleeding hearts would grow up through that open space.

I'm so glad I didn't put it in the upcoming yard sale pile. It's a keeper.

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Another garden accessory I've been transforming is this cast iron lion fountain. 

It was painted a bright creamy yellow color which I thought looked too new.

So I painted it the same Stone Gray paint.

Then I mixed the gray paint with a little black 

and dabbed it on with a terrycloth rag to give it a weathered look. 

  

I also used an artist's brush with the black paint to highlight a few areas

like the edges of the fountain and the raised areas on the lion's head. 

It's now about the same color as the stone of the house so it feels like it's always been there. 

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The last project I've been working on is transforming this little bricked space by our storage shed.

I dug out about a foot of the dirt surrounding the ash tree 

and replaced the space with old bricks found in the alley.
I like using old bricks because 1) it keeps them out of a landfill and
2) the aged appearance complements an old house. 

We made a brick border by cutting bricks in two and laying them lengthwise along the edge.
We used a brick chisel and a shop hammer to make the cuts.
Sweeping dirt over the bricks filled in the spaces between the bricks.

I also moved some rocks from the garden to make a border around the tree.
This gives us a little more room to access the shed and it looks nicer too.
Hopefully, the vinca transplants will fill in the space.
So far, so good.

Apparently, it 's dog-tested and dog-approved.

So, what's on your garden to-do list this spring while you're waiting for the ground to warm up?

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