In The Potting Shed

I'm getting a little impatient to get back out in the potting shed but the weather here in Pa. isn't helping. There's been the occasional warm day but it's mostly been in the 40's & 50's lately. We even had snow last weekend!

Every summer I try to come up with new ideas to add to the potting shed. Since I'm waiting for warmer temps to arrive I thought I'd share a few things that I've added to my garden shed since last posting about it.

I've had this old Hoosier for awhile now. I'd used it in my house as  a place to display my Jadeite, green depression glass, enamelware, etc... I have a lot of collections of vintage items & I change them out several times a year.

I found a new cabinet at an auction that I replaced it with so last Summer my old hoosier found a new home in my potting shed. It now holds supplies and gardening collectibles.

I displayed several of my old galvanized watering cans on top of the Hoosier.

A vintage hairpin flower frog, garden tools & old seed ad are displayed on the Hoosier.

This old floral painting was a sweet flea market find. I'm looking forward to the flea markets opening up again for the season.Who knows what treasures I'll find this summer to add to the potting shed!

Vintage Container Plantings

When choosing containers for my flowers I like to include a few repurposed vintage pieces along with my terra cotta pots & urns. I've decorated my potting shed with vintage finds so this is a way of extending the same feeling out into the garden. They add color & spots of interest to the porch & gardens.

I've always had a love of old things...I like being surrounded by pieces that have a sense of history about them. Searching flea markets, auctions & antique shops for these pieces is a favorite pastime of ours. So much fun!

             Enamelware roaster overflowing with purple posies.

Blue Lobelia planted in my old hanging scale

I'm always on the lookout for old enamelware to use in and around my potting shed.

I found this small Wheeling washtub  at a barn sale. It was home to my Boston Fern last summer.

I love the color of this old oil can!

Several chicks planted in an old graniteware ladle

Sweet Violas in an old wooden berry bucket

Chicks & hens in an old metal toy wheel barrow

Grandpap's old coal bucket planted with purple Pansies

Bronze Mums in a minnow bucket

Even old flour sifters can be used as a planter

Viola placed in an enamelware cup

My old scale makes a great way to display my Ivy that's planted in an enamelware pan

Three little pots of Violas in an old cheese box ~ Love the graphics on the box!

An old wash board tucked into a little wash tub of Lobelia

An old enamelware bedpan planted with Ivy hanging on the potting shed ~ every garden can use some humor in it!

My old blue bucket planted with blue Lobelia

Another enamelware pan with Marigolds

Oil strainer with Violas

Ivy planted in an old egg basket lined with a feed sack

It's fun trying to find vintage pieces to repurpose as planters for your flowers.

Sweet Violas

I always look forward to the sweet little Violas making their appearance in the spring. These cool loving flowers make colorful additions to both gardens and containers.

When planting my flowers I use a variety of containers. I have a lot of concrete & cast iron urns that I use. I have a weakness for urns ~ can't seem to pass them up at auctions! I use a lot of terra cotta pots because I love the natural earthy look of them. I also like to include a few vintage pieces every year that I've repurposed as planters. Here are a few that I've used this Spring as planters for my Violas...

 

 

 

A blue and white enamelware pan planted with Violas sits in the potting shed window.  This old pan is a favorite of mine and I use it in a lot of displays in my potting shed

 

 

 

 

Violas in my old wooden berry bucket

 

  

 

 

I love the old hardware on the berry bucket! 

 

 

 

 

I found this old oil can a couple years ago at a flea....loved the color of it! 

 

 

 

 

 

An old cheese box holds 3 small pots of Violas 

 

 

 

 

 I placed several coffee filters in the bottom of this old oil strainer to keep soil from coming out and planted Violas in it. 

 

 

A Viola tucked into an old enamelware cup.

 

 

 

 

An old metal dust pan propped against a tree holds a few Violas. 

 

 

 

 

Later....when the Violas finally start getting a little leggy I remove them from the containers, cut them back and then add them to other mixed plantings. This extends their life and I get to enjoy a second bloom out of them!

 

 

 

 

Decorating for Christmas Using Vintage Pieces ~

 

 

Oh my, where has December gone? I meant to do a Christmas post but  things got really busy around here and as they say "Life happens!". Even though it's a little late, I thought I'd at least share a few pictures of how I used some vintage pieces in my decorations.

 

 

 

 

 This old scale, hanging in my window is filled with greens, pinecones and pomegranates.

 

   An old Dietz lantern is displayed as part of my holiday decorations .

~ Old enamelware pieces & jars filled with greenery & dried fruit ~

I used an antique tool box to display a small tree in a crock. Old keys and locks were hung by twine on the tree.

 
The antique telephone box was filled with  pine, fruit and a star to dress it up for the holidays.

          ~ ~ Old crock filled with holly sits in the window ~ ~

I like to dry apples and oranges to use in my displays and garlands .

 Some of the dried apples and oranges were strung on twine to make the little garland, hanging on the back of the toolbox.

 

My husband surprised me with some branches of holly that he cut from his Uncle's bushes. I had fun spreading them throughout the house. I hung this branch of holly on a door of the  Shipwright cabinet.

Cranberries were added to an old canning jar and placed along side a sprig of Holly on the window sill . Such an easy way to add holiday color to the room!

Old mason jars on a vintage enamelware tray with cranberries and holly, to add a little color.

One of the wreaths I made using the dried fruit, pine cones, berries and burlap ribbon.

~ Small milk bottles filled with cranberries ~

The old Coca~Cola crate was turned on it's side and used it to display my Santa & Snowmen. I attached a candle ring to the crate to use as a wreath.

 

 

Branches of berries were added to the old milk can for the holidays.