What to do with a flower "bed"

Sherry Sweet
by Sherry Sweet
I got this from my mom. I'm thinking of spray painting it white so it pops against the green wall. What should I put in the middle for now since I live in upstate, NY and it's been hot n dry?
  9 answers
  • Marilyn Zaruba Marilyn Zaruba on Jul 18, 2016
    Perfect for trellises.
  • Rosalie Moffett Rosalie Moffett on Jul 18, 2016
    Oh what a great idea to use it for a flowerbed...definetely paint it...then maybe put some concrete blocks around the bottom and fill it with really good potting soil for the plants. I'd plant a climbing rose or 2, along with some clematis, daylilies, bee balm, hostas if your bed is in the shade, any thing you like. If you want it to look more like a "bed" you can paint some sort of decorative pattern on the concrete blocks so it looks like a bedskirt. Love the idea...guess I know what I'm going to be looking for when hubs and I are out at the garage sales this summer!!
  • Deanie Winter Deanie Winter on Jul 19, 2016
    Yes, paint it white if you like. It is fine as is also. If you need an outdoor resting place add slats and cushions for an instant daybed. Would be fabulous on a porch or under a tree.
  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Jul 19, 2016
    I would consider portulaca for the rest of the season. This is a low maintenance annual that gives you a lot of non-stop color.
  • Charmaine Lundy Gersbach Charmaine Lundy Gersbach on Jul 19, 2016
    Join them together, make a bed in the middle to plant creepers, then put castor wheels on the legs and you can push it to where you want privacy, your own wall of green, hang solar lights on each corner and use it at night
  • Sherry Sweet Sherry Sweet on Jul 19, 2016
    Love all the suggestions. thanks!! Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to google portulaca!
  • Mcgypsy9 Mcgypsy9 on Jul 20, 2016
    Oh please don't paint it white! Let that beauty rust!! That would give you some real color! You can rust it faster if you rub it down periodically with vinegar. I love the idea of putting portulaca in it but what would make that cute too is to get a mattress somewhere, even a crib mattress, with springs in it and cut it apart, take the big curly springs inside and rust those also. Use them all through the middle of your headboard and foot board and let your flowers grow right up through them! Would love to see this when you complete it no matter what you choose to do!
    • See 1 previous
    • Mcgypsy9 Mcgypsy9 on Jul 21, 2016
      Ok I get it that you don't like rust but white is just too bland. How about springs in pink and yellow and green and the headboard and footboard in white? The colored springs would still pop when the flowers aren't in bloom!
  • Cindi Cindi on Jul 20, 2016
    I prefer white to rusty stuff myself, even though old weathered stuff is all the rage. I like new, and bright, and shiny. Of course you could combine the two and paint it white, and weather it, kind of a shabby chic thing. I also think it would be great as a backdrop to a couple of benches, one high, one low, maybe one in the yard and one on the patio, kind of tie them in together, and put pots on the one bench......something like that. It's a cool piece. Rust is OK, but I've seen stuff that has rusted straight through, then the piece is shot, unless you really like that stuff. Yeah, it's too nice to let it rust away, in my opinion.
    • Sherry Sweet Sherry Sweet on Jul 21, 2016
      Cindi, I see what you're saying about the benches. I never thought of that, which is exactly why I ask here :-) I don't have a patio tho.. I do love shabby chic, so that's an awesome idea too. hmmm....I wonder if I put a darker color on it first, then some crackle paint, so the darker shows through....thoughts?
  • D fuhrman D fuhrman on Jul 27, 2016
    paint or not you could hang pots with flowers in them from it.