Garden Tips

An overflow of sun-loving plants truns a vintage fountain into a stunning planter.

Creating your planter
Follow these steps:
Prepare the fountain for fresh paint by scraping it with a wire brush to remove old paint and rust. (Skip this step for an aged look)
For a new fountain, apply a coat of enamel spray paint. Or for an aged patina, use latex paint that lets the rust show through.
Bafore adding potting soil and plants, drill three 1/2-inch holes per square foot using a masonry bit. This will allow excess water to drain so the plants roots won't rot.
Fill each of the fountain's tiers half full with potting soil. Gently separate each plant's root ball, plant int in the soil, then sprinkle additional soil around it until the soil is an inch form the top of the tier.