Our little Beechnut Bungalow is finally coming together. We have been working nonstop to get everything spruced up just in time for summer. While the inside of our home is now mostly furnished, organized, and ready for visitors, our front porch/pathway still needs a bit of primping.
I spent all day today cutting down the horrendous, unkept rose bushes, bundling them up for trash pick-up, and shopping for new plants that will make the entrance to our home a bit more inviting. (more to come in a future blog post when I've finished planting our my new little flower babies).
In the process of shopping for our home, I stumbled upon a lovely idea for two farmhouse planters to place on both sides of our front door. I'm starting to learn that the best decorating ideas come when you least expect it. With that being said, get out and go walk around Walmart, Home Depot, or Goodwill and see what ideas jump out at you.
While walking around Walmart (I went for water bottles and left with shovels, two rakes, and a bunch of cereal) I stumbled upon the galvanized Better Homes & Gardens® "Ice Buckets". The Walmart I went to had just finished stocking the shelves and people were already grabbing them like crazy. I decided to pick up one of the large buckets even though I wasn't quite sure what I'd do with it. After getting home and working on the entry way, I quickly realized I needed to go back and grab another one to use as planters for the porch. Fast forward 24 hours later and I'm back at Walmart staring at a nearly empty shelf. There were three of the buckets left so I went ahead and grabbed two. I mean how can I say no. They are obviously a very popular item so I didn't want to run the risk of wanting another one later on and them not being available. The buckets cost a whopping $7.47 and despite being labeled as an "ice bucket", I knew they would make perfect planters for our front porch.
Now for the plants....The Home Depot is our go-to shop for all things home/garden. The amount of money we've managed to spend there, this month alone, is astounding. Anyway, it doesn't go without saying, I love their lawn/garden section. They always have the best quality plants and the widest variety. When looking for flowers/plants to put in the buckets, I went for a totally different look than what I would normally choose. I went for color and texture which I thought would add a pop of piazza to our currently drab entryway.
CELOSIA: medium height, requires 3-6 hours of sunlight, water once per week ; colors: pink, red, orange, and yellow. Total cost: $17.75 for a 12-pack
CAPSICUM (ORNAMENTAL PEPPERS): medium height, 6+ hours of sunlight, can stand extreme heat and humidity, low water usage. Total cost: $12.75 each
NOTE: These are not edible. Only for decor purposes.
I worked with one of the workers in the garden center to decide if these two types of plants would survive together in the same container. After talking it out, we decided that watering once per week would be a happy medium for both types of plants. I chose the celosia flowers because I loved the colors and textures of the blooms. The ornamental pepper plant was a no-brainer. Seriously, aren't they just the coolest thing you've ever seen. (Cue the part where I realize I'm an adult who is freaking out about buying a cool plant.)
Now, here's the part where I show y'all the steps it took for me to turn those ice buckets with ZERO DRAINAGE into farmhouse porch planters.
Step 1: Drill holes in the bottom of the bucket and around the sides towards the bottom rim.
Step 2: Place rock/cobblestone one inch thick along the bottom of the container. This will keep the container from tipping over or blowing away.
Step 3: Fill the container two inches from the top with potting soil.
Tip: Miracle-Gro 50QT Potting Mix found HERE is my fave.
Step 4: While taking into consideration the space needed for each plant, arrange your flowers to your liking about 1/2 inch under the soil.
Step 5: Fill in around the plants and create a totally even surface for the plants to grow through.
Step 6: Enjoy your new farmhouse planters! Don't forget to water your new friends!
Thank you to Walmart, The Home Depot, (and #LorettaThePointer) for the help today. You can find your own Better Homes & Gardens® galvanized "ice bucket" from your local Walmart (IF YOU ARE LUCKY). They are currently sold out online HERE.
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