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.

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!

Make way for the garden!

First off, please ignore the part of the photo where I'm blurry, making a weird face and running out of the shot. Mr. Venture loves to catch me running out of the photo, because he knows how much I hate being photographed. (He's sick and twisted.)

After installing the new fence out front, we decided it was time to put in a walkway and modern planter. Mr. Venture used a sod cutter to remove the grass from the area first, and we transplanted the sod to some bare places in the back yard. Next he leveled out the dirt, and staked out the path for the walkway so that it would be straight.

I'm leaving you with a cliffhanger today. You've seen the prep work, and you can see the finished product tomorrow. For now, just visualize how nice a clean walkway and nice planter will look in this area. (And we have taken a slight break from posting about the interior. Never fear, back to that soon.)

Fenced In

Check out our lovely lattice fence. It guards a pile of rocks and the trash can. Isn't it pretty?

This fence really bugged Mr. Venture. It really served no purpose, and it was ugly. So, he kept the posts and made a modern fence out of 1x1 cedar. He left extra room for a walkway leading to the front door. Later, the pile of rocks will be transformed into a lovely garden, and the trash can will find a new home that isn't within 3 feet of the front door.

What do you think? Leave us a comment!