My Garden Center

My New to Me Garden Center

So it is officially FALL here in on the hot peninsula.  All this really means is that the temperature isn't above 90 degrees but I'll take it.  Anything that even hints of a seasonal change is worth celebrating down here.  I decided a few days ago that FALL is my favorite.  Something about the slightly cooler temps combined with the arrival of dragonflies and butterflies all in the same month gets my motor running.  FALL also happens to be primetime gardening season so I have been peeping the garden for new arrivals.  You can read all about the goings on of my garden at Lauren in the Garden

A few weeks ago I found a gem at the Women's Center Resale Shop and decided it was going to be my new garden center extravaganza.  It took me a little while to figure out what to do with my new-to-me mini kitchen island but I finally decided it should live in my garden.  It is now happily residing on my patio and loving the cooler weather.  Here's how it all went down.

For whatever reason I didn't get a true before shot of this piece.  It wasn't anything spectacular.  Just your standard floating 2 tiered island.  It was stained a light maple color which I didn't think I needed to strip first...I really should have and it is only because of my lack of foresight that I ended up with the subtle woodgrain look I ended up with.  I wish I could claim credit for the outcome.  I can't.  But I really like it.

So, Step 1:  Find a fun color of exterior paint and go to town.  I used a paint from RustOleum.  I bought a small sized can, because I'm cheap, and it was exactly enough.
-I put two coats of fire engine red on this little diddy.

...Ater I Painted it Red

Step 2:  Polyurethane the crap out of it.

-I chose a clear polyurethane so that the vibrancy of my stand wouldn't be compromised.  The brand I chose was Helmsman Polyurethane.  I was pleased with the result.  The Hot Papa, my genius husband, put a strip of painter's tape around the outside of the can to prevent the stain from dripping and it worked wonders.  You can be all official and pour the polyurethane into something else and drip your paint brush in there but I decided to cut that corner and it worked out just fine.  One thing to be aware of is that stains tend to bubble.  Gently roll the can back and forth a few times to remove the air bubbles and you should be fine.

I knew this piece was going to live outside so I put 4 coats on it.  Just read the directions on your brand and it will tell you how long you can wait between coats.  Also, if this piece was going to live inside, I would have probably sanded between coats.  Just and FYI.  While I loathe sanding, it does create a smoother surface.  I wasn't concerned about that with this project.

Helmsman Poly (those in the know call polyurethane "poly." Now you can sound cool too!!!)

Step 3:  Enjoy your finished product!!

-The entire project took about a week for me to complete.  I took my time and painted and stained when I could.  You could probably get this done in one weekend if you wanted.  I LOVE IT!!!  As you can see, I've got a few smaller pots living on top of my new garden center.  My plan is to experiment with different methods of growing cuttings from my garden lovlies.

Finished Product, woot woot.