Summer trends come and go, but some have stayed longer than others. We've seen garden bars take off, closely followed by outdoor kitchen ideas, but the new big thing we've had our eyes on are chic potting stations to aid our gardening.
Whether you're looking to fill your garden with plants or simply want to take some rose cuttings, having somewhere to store small your garden tools as well as propagate, prune and pot plants makes gardening life that little bit easier.
DIY potting station upcycle
DIY enthusiast Michaela Shoebridge (who you can find on Instagram at @mishkashoe) had been looking to create a surface area for prepping and repotting her plants, along with some extra storage – but knew she wanted to do the project on a budget.
Taking some pre-loved cabinets, she upcycled them with paint and bought extra bits from both vintage and independent sellers on eBay to complete the look. 'I’ve always made an effort to be more sustainable where I can, so the plan for this section of our unused garden was to create a little gardening station with the option to add a couple of raised beds to grow our own vegetables,' she says.
Let's look at how Michaela brought her vision to life…
Before
Michaela started by planning her garden and zoning it into sections, with one spot allocated to her new potting table area. The plain brick wall provides the backdrop, but it was fairly uninspiring to begin with.
'The plan was to tackle the storage element first,' she recalls, 'and as this is a working corner, we had to make sure that whatever we decided to create would be practical and affordable. After all, there's no point in overspending on fancy units if they’ll end up covered in soil and plants.'
Knowing she had some old units in the garage, Michaela was keen to put them to good use and turn them into something practical she could use on a day-to-day basis. 'We've had these units for a couple of years now, so I decided it was time to finally utilise them,' she says. 'After a good session of sanding them down, we made sure we treated the wooden base and doors with a wood preserver to make sure they would be okay to be left out all year round.'
Finding her favourite exterior wood paint on eBay, Michaela set about transforming them. 'I just love how this paint allows the wood grain to still come through, even after a couple of coats are applied,' she says. 'Not only is it more sustainable and cost effective to upcycle, but it looks more bespoke and is a one-of-a-kind. It's a win-win!'
After
With the potting station complete and the brick wall painted behind, it makes a handy spot for Michaela to tend to her plants. 'The power of paint is absolutely incredible,' she says. 'Not only is it a very affordable way of giving things another lease of life, but it also allows you to express yourself and get your creative juices flowing.
'I couldn't believe what a difference a lick of white paint could make to our exterior garage wall either,' she continues. 'I absolutely love how light and bright it feels now – it looks completely different and I couldn’t be happier with the transformation.'
The units have done just the job and repurposing them has kept the budget right down, with the total cost at under £300. 'If you're looking for easy and affordable ways of transforming your garden, upcycling is the way to go,' Michaela says. 'It's amazing what you can create out of pallets, scrap wood or even unwanted pieces of furniture.'
It's not just the painted units that makes this potting station so handy – she has paired it withhooks to hang tools picked up on eBay and a hardy tiled worktop has also transformed the area. 'I get tired of universal solutions sometimes,' says Michaela. 'Just because we tend to use patio slabs on the floor, it doesn’t mean these can’t be cut to size and used as a worktop instead. Not only is it a great way of repurposing materials, but it also adds so much fun and character to your space.'
Lining the units are a range of plants, all displayed in aged white stone plant pots picked up on eBay too for a rustic feel, while storage baskets keep smaller items neat and tidy beneath.
You might be surprised to know that the long row of hooks is actually made from a weathered old wooden beam, which Michaela transformed with a pack of peg hooks from eBay and is now used to hang trowels and gardening forks from. 'It looks super organised,' she says.
A range of trugs and wire baskets are all kept to hand and we love how Michaela has styled the station.
Are you tempted to create your own DIY potting station? 'I’d recommend looking at sites like eBay for any pre-loved items, as you can find some real bargains for a fraction of the cost in comparison to your local garden centres,' Michaela advises.
