How To: Get that rusty look

We wanted our steel planters to have that nice rusty look that says, "I've been here for a long time, but I still look darn good." To do that, we had to find a way to create rust, but stop it from destroying the steel. Here's what we did:

How to Get the Rusty Look

1. Mix 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water in a garden sprayer.
2. Spray a heavy coat on the steel.
3. Let the steel get as rusty as you want.
4. Mix 1 part baking soda to 3 parts water.
5. Spray the steel to neutralize the vinegar. 
6. Hose down the steel with water to remove any lasting vinegar.
7. Let steel dry completely.
8. Coat the steel with polyurethane to keep it from rusting any more.

Blog Love

The folks over at You Are The River featured our industrial lighting yesterday. If you get a chance, mosey on over and check out the site.

We have vegetation!

What's green, pretty and lively? Our new planters! We decided to go with mostly native plants because they require less water and are more likely to thrive in our climate.

These are Lantana. They can survive a nuclear explosion. They will take over if you don't keep up with the pruning.

Bulbine are one of our favorites! They have little orange and yellow flowers. They're not native, but they like our hot Austin sun!

Russian Sage and Salvia attract bees. We like bees.

This Yucca shoots up coral colored stalks in the spring. Gorgeous!

The whole shebang!

Just wait until it all grows in!