Curbside Treasures in the Garden

Awhile back, I shared some photos of treasures I found on the curb on our neighborhood clean up days. I was scouting for garden items and it turned out to be a banner year!

After cleaning them up and spray painting them, I put both trellises in the garden.  

  

 

 

 As the plants have grown, the trellises look like they were meant to be in their spots. I'm really happy with how they turned out -- and the price was certainly right!

 

 The little bird bath has a spot in front of the house. I tried putting bird seed in it but as soon as it rained, I had a mess (duh!). So now it's filled with water. The birds and squirrels seem to like it!

 

 

  The two heavy cement pots are now on the front step. As I was planting them, I discovered why they were on the curb: There's a large crack in the "stem" part of one pedestal. It looks like a surface crack and doesn't hinder its use -- the crack just adds character! In spite of the crack, these urns have never been used.

 I put hostas in the urns which I'll plant in the landscape this fall. It's my first time putting perennials in pots so we'll see how it goes. Hostas do really well in front of our house so I'm optimistic!

This baker's rack is just the right size for some smaller pots. I wasn't quite sure where I'd put it this year, so I started by cleaning it up and spraying it black, hoping an idea would come to me.

While it was sitting outside to dry, I realized it fit just perfectly in this little shady nook of our garage.

I bought a hanging basket for the area first, then I decided to find some shade plants for the rack to coordinate with the basket.

The shelf holds six pots: Three adorable miniature coleus which shouldn't get much bigger than they are now, two New Guinea impatiens, and a fern. That fern looks a little big for the second shelf but it can easily move to the top if it grows too tall. It's a beautiful variety called Autumn Brilliance which I first saw at a greenhouse in Texas. When I happened upon one locally, I snatched it up!

  I'm really happy with how my curbside finds have worked out! I'm happy to give these little pieces new life in my garden.

jp

Curbside Treasures: Clean-Up

 The best things in life are old, loved, and rescued.

Author unknown

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We had a beautiful Easter weekend, so I decided to take some time to clean up the garden items I found on the curb last week.

First up: The iron bird bath/bird feeder. As you can see, it had a pretty thick coating of rust. 

I may end up having it sandblasted but for now, I thought I'd try a home remedy I found online: Cream of tartar mixed with enough hydrogen peroxide to make a paste.

This is one home remedy that actually WORKS! As I scrubbed, the rust literally rolled off the surface. I went through two containers of cream of tartar before running out. By that point, I could see a design on the feeder which wasn't visible before.

 Since I was out of cream of tartar (and time), I decided to stop and come back to this project at a later date -- and with a stockpile of cream of tartar. So I rinsed it thoroughly and let it dry in the sun.

 

 Now this little piece looks really sweet in the front garden area! For now, I have filled it with bird seed but that may change to water.

 Next I tackled the baker's rack. I used a wire brush to scrub off the loose paint. I hosed it down and let it dry in the sun.

Then I took it out in the yard and applied a few coats of black spray paint.

 I painted the little finials silver. I think it turned out really nicely and will be cute with a few shade plants in this little corner by the garage.

 

Next up: This short trellis. First I brushed it to remove all the loose paint and rust. The previous owner had left some fishing line tied to it so perhaps it was once a support for clematis or another climbing vine. It's a very sturdy little piece.

I initially painted it a bronze color to (sort of) match the original shade, but it was too bright. Since I decided to stand it up against our house, I opted for black to match our other metal accents. I like the way it turned out!

 

This taller trellis was in serious need of clean-up. The paint had faded to a sort of pink color, and it was covered with rust. 

 But with a few coats of black paint, it looks good as new!

  I really like the way it looks behind my grandma's tiger lilies. The motif on this trellis is a fleur-de-lis, which is perfect for me since I love all things French.

 I'm excited to have a few "new to me" ornaments in the garden...each one with its own story! 

Thanks for stopping by!
jp

Curbside Treasures Galore!

 

Each April, our city has a clean-up day. On this day, residents can put large items out on the curb to be picked up by the garbage hauler. Our normal garbage day is Tuesday, but neighbors start putting "junk" out on Sunday, as long as the weather is nice. By the time Tuesday has rolled around, most of the stuff has been picked up by "junkers" who cruise around the neighborhood with trucks and trailers...

followed by me. 😎 Yes, that's me driving around in my SUV, scouting for curbside treasures.

When it comes to snagging stuff off the curb, I have no shame. None whatsoever. People put some pretty amazing things out on the curb. This upsets me greatly, because if those awesome things don't get picked up, they absolutely will end up in the landfill. But clean-up day is actually a GOOD thing because it results in many items being salvaged instead.

This year, there was SO MUCH STUFF on the curb that the garbage guys didn't make it all the way around town until THURSDAY. In the meantime, people kept dragging more and more stuff to the curb. 

Long story short: It was a banner year for curbside treasures!

Now mind you, you HAVE to be selective when looking for curbside treasures. There's a lot of not-so-great stuff on the curb -- stuff that should be recycled or truly thrown in the trash. But if you're willing to put in a bit of time and effort, you're sure to find some good stuff. 

The stuff you see on the curb seems to vary by year. One year, there were fire pits on every curb. Recliners, mattresses, and office furniture are always common. When flat screen TVs became the norm, older models were at the end of every driveway. This year it was artificial Christmas trees.

This clean-up day, I was looking for two kinds of items: Things to sell in my case at the antique mall and larger decorative pieces for my garden. Remember the bird bath I found a few years ago?

On my first trip around the neighborhood, I stopped quickly to inspect some trellises. They weren't in good condition so I turned to head back to my SUV when suddenly, behind some old office furniture, I spotted this sweet bird bath. I mean SERIOUSLY! There is nothing at all wrong with it other than rust -- which I actually find rather charming. The base, however, weighs about 200 pounds. But when curbside thrifting you develop SUPER HUMAN STRENGTH, so I hoisted it into the back of my SUV. I absolutely love it!

Near our house, I picked up the stack of tall metal buckets you see in the photo above. They have been painted, but galvanized tin (even in poor condition) sells very well, so I grabbed them. I've since learned that they're actually vintage sap buckets but can also be used for flowers. Crossing my fingers that they'll sell quickly!

I also found a box labeled "old trophies". A quick peek inside confirmed that they are mostly from the 50s and 60s. They're  in good shape with dates and, thankfully, no names. Believe it or not, there's a good market for old trophies, so we'll see if I can sell them!

Nearby, I found a box of old school papers from the 60s. Peeking quickly, I could see several interesting vintage items such as books, chemistry charts, sketch books, and more -- in short, a few older pieces that could be sold. Going through this box actually made me rather sad as it contained a number of report cards and photos that would have been lovely in a scrapbook...sigh. I recycled most everything in the box with the exception of non-personal items such as books to sell. More on this in another post.

In that same box was a goofy purple rabbit. I've been known to rescue stuffed animals, so I dropped this one off at Goodwill on one of my trips there. I could not stand the idea of him sitting out on the curb. Hopefully he found a home in time for Easter!

I also found this baker's rack which, other than a bit of chipped paint, is in really good condition and would be nice outside for smaller pots of plants.

As it got dark, I went a bit further from our immediate neighborhood and made a great find: A huge pile of trellises and garden ornaments. I had to turn my vehicle toward the pile and shine my headlights on it to inspect the loot! The trellises were all tangled up with fishing line and a garden hose, but I was undaunted and finally reached the two I wanted which were (naturally) at the bottom of the pile. They'll be perfect in my garden!

 

While I was working on the pile of trellises, a truck pulled up and the driver hopped out to take a look. After I left, she must have come back to take the entire rest of the pile because when I circled back around to grab one more item, everything was completely gone. When scoping for curbside treasure, if you see something you like, you must act immediately!😉

But with all of these great finds, the best was yet to come!

By the time Thursday rolled around, I could still see piles of junk out on the curbs. So on a whim, I decided to make one more trip around the neighborhood. Suddenly, I spotted two urns sitting at the end of a driveway.

  I was sure they were plastic but just to be on the safe side, I turned around and went back to take a look. Lo and behold, they are CEMENT and look as if they've never been used! Aside from a chip on the corner of one pedestal, they are in perfect condition. They only weigh 400 pounds each but I managed to hoist them into the SUV. I knew if I didn't take them immediately, the next person would!

This was the best find of my entire curbside operation. These urns will be beautiful in the garden, on the patio, or on the front porch. I seriously can't believe how lucky I was to have found them!

I spent some time over the weekend cleaning up the pieces I plan to keep for the garden and will share some pictures in a future post. I'm thrilled to be giving these curbside treasures a new life -- outside of the landfill!

jp

 

New/Old Ottoman

During our recent bathroom remodeling project, I collected quite a lot of items to donate to our local Habitat for Humanity ReStore. From switch plates to drawer pulls, from old light fixtures to doorknobs, I had amassed a bit of everything.

On one of Spouse's recent days off, I asked if he wanted to ride along to the ReStore to make the donation. If you've never been to a ReStore, it's a fun place to wander around. For someone who loves to re-purpose, it's a treasure trove! Still, I didn't expect to find anything that day since I'd been there not that long ago when I was looking for glass sconces.

Imagine my surprise when, in the lighting section, we looked down and saw this chocolate brown ottoman on casters, beautifully upholstered, in nearly perfect condition! 

 You may remember that I have been on the lookout for an ottoman for the corner of the bathroom which once housed the large tub. I have not been pleased with what's currently on the market -- way too expensive, poor quality, and limited fabric choices.
 

Here was this amazing ottoman, the perfect size, and on casters, just like we wanted! And only $19? This was a deal we could not pass up!

Since bringing it home, it has proven to be perfect for the space. Spouse replaced the old casters with new ones which are smoother on the tile. I think I can sell the old casters for around $20, which would make the ottoman FREE! :)

 

  And of course, Tinsel has claimed it as one of her private napping spaces.

 

This ottoman was a great find, once again proving that most anything old can be made new again! :)

jp

Curbside Treasures

I'm sorry to say it, but people are wasteful. 
TERRIBLY WASTEFUL. 

This fact is painfully obvious at our community's annual "Clean-Up Day". Over the course of a few days, people put unwanted items -- furniture, grills, lawn decor, etc. --  out on the curb to be collected with the regular trash service. On those days, you can see all kinds of vehicles driving through the neighborhood collecting treasures before the trash guys arrive.

One of those vehicles would be mine. :) Much to Spouse's dismay, I love checking out the items on the curb. 

One year, I found a fabulous birdbath in perfect condition. It took all of my strength to lift it into my SUV. Another year, I snagged a great wire shelving unit for a closet.

Spouse reminds me that I am supposed to be getting rid of stuff, not bringing more stuff home, but I cannot help myself. First of all, I'm hopelessly sentimental. It breaks my heart to see once-loved items carelessly tossed aside. In addition, the creative side of me sees potential in just about everything. Beyond that, I'm just plain appalled by the amount of perfectly useful stuff we send to the landfill from our neighborhood alone. I really makes me sick.

This year, I could have collected so much more, but I knew if I pushed my luck, the next thing out on the curb would be me! :)

Why would anyone throw out this nearly new watering can? I'm sorry, but this is just plain wasteful. I brought it home for Bailey to use on her balcony. After washing off the mud and checking it for leaks, it is as good as new. Better than new, in my opinion, because it didn't end up in the landfill.

I'm mainly on the lookout for vintage-type items, and I scored big time with this cool old metal watering can which I found in a huge pile of garden decor. The owner had used it as a flower pot. Once I get this old can cleaned up, it will be a fun addition my patio plantings. And I guarantee I could sell it in my case at the antique mall. But I won't. :)

This year I ran across a lot of Christmas decorations. Sadly, it rained during the days when stuff had been left out on the curb, and a few items I would have rescued and delivered to my favorite thrift store (notably an adorable stuffed reindeer and gingerbread family) were soaked. I did snag this pink table-top Christmas tree, which still had the tag on it. WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD YOU NOT DONATE THIS TREE? The last thing I need is more Christmas decor, but this was just too ridiculous to pass up. Plus, I had a vision for it.

As soon as I saw it, I knew that I could spray paint it and turn it into a perfect tree to display some of my antique ornaments. Unfortunately, Spouse and Daughter have been slow to warm up to this idea. :)

I've never spray painted fake greenery, but it works just fine. It does take several sessions to cover up all of the old color but I'm getting there.

I have just a few more touch-ups and this awesome tree will be done. Imagine THIS:

 OR THIS:

 

This tree is going to look amazing tucked in a corner at Christmastime. 

 Who cares if it came from the curb? If I can give something new life or save one item from the landfill, what's wrong with that? 

Look out, because on Clean-Up Day, I'm unstoppable! :)

jp