gardenranger
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Joined: Sat Oct 15, 2016 11:46 am

Garden furniture

Hi, garden friends,I am wondering if anyone is making garden furniture/decor,I want to build a Weather garden potting bench/station.do you have any thoughts on this as an exciting addition for both hobbies of weather watching and gardening. :D

imafan26
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Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

The weather station needs to be unobtructed by plants, trees, rooflines so mine is in a pole in the middle of the yard. I just has a rain guage and a directional vane. I had a fisherman wind toy but it made too much noise at night so I had to turn it off.

My potting area is in my patio. I just have a step stool I use as a seat and I work from a five gallon bucket. I have an Ames wagon that I use as a table to put the plants and pots on and a couple of buckets with tools, labels, pencils, and fertilizer nearby. I would like a yard sink someday to rinse and trim the veggies from the garden and have it drain back to the yard instead of into the sewer. It would be for rinsing only, no soap or chemicals down the drain.

The other furniture I have is a garden bench. It is by the gate where it is handy for dropping things off or putting on shoes.

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tomf
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Joined: Mon May 18, 2009 8:15 am
Location: Oregon

I have made some out of 2x6s and some out of glue lame beams. I have some old skis I plan to use.

imafan26
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Posts: 13947
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

I have an umbrella table in my patio, right now it has orchids on it but years ago, we used to have breakfast in the patio where we could sit and enjoy the fresh air and watch the birds in the morning. We had a bird feeder in the tree in the front yard and the society finches would be lined up on the banana leaf waiting for it to be filled.

Asica
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Joined: Fri Sep 25, 2015 1:11 am
Location: California (Los Angeles)

I live in Cali so it is safe enough to have wood garden desk outside. I love mine. It has shelves, drawers, and small removal able dry sink.

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ElizabethB
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Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 12:53 am
Location: Lafayette, LA

GardenRanger,

Welcome to the forum.

I am intrigued by your concept of a combination weather station/gardening station.

My experience with a weather station has been an information collecting unit on the roof and a translation unit in the house.

I am sorry but I do not get what you are talking about.

A gardening station/work bench is relatively easy. Your material will depend on your local. I live in south Louisiana. I must use treated lumber for my garden bench. If I do not I will have to replace it in 2 or 3 years.

Build your garden work station on the outside of your deck/patio. You probably have only 1 faucet. Put a splitter on it and run a short hose to your garden bench.

There are so many sites available to you. You should be able to find a design/style that will suit you.

I look forward to seeing you finished product.

QueenBee

imafan26
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Posts: 13947
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

I have a garden sink on my wish list. I did find one online and considered it, but the sink is kinda small. I do want a garden cart so it can be moved around with an insert to cover the sink when it is not in use, so I can use the whole top for other things and keep the rain out of the sink. Connect a garden hose to the faucet and have a place for a waste bucket or connect a hose to run the water out to the garden. It can be used if all I am doing is washing dirt off the vegetables as long as no soap or chemicals goes down the drain.

I already put in a dry laid patio and I can move my patio table with umbrella out there or use my pop up tent. I have heavy metal chairs for the table but I usually use the stacking chair or folding chairs. I have a folding side table if I don't need to drag out the big table and of course cooler tops work just as well and they have built in cup holders. I can fire up my table top smokey joe for a backyard cookout. The rosemary is handy for throwing onto the coals to make rosemary smoke.

For the weather station. I don't have an anemometer. I google NOAA for that or watch the palm leaves. If they don't move then winds are calm. However, I do have a temperature gauge and rain gauge combo that was on sale at Lowe's a few months ago and it came with a stand. It has been very handy. I thought about putting an outdoor clock in my lanai, but garden time is special. I don't like to take my phone out into the garden either since, I don't want to be disturbed by it. I usually only take it out, when I want to take pictures of the garden. I do have about 7 sundials. I don't have any of them out now because there is hardly any space that is not obstructed by shadows during the day. I have to tilt it for latitude or correct the position for the season. I have a set of LED string lights, but I have never used it because I don't really go out in the garden at night. I can't see my feet at night and there are just too many bugs flying around after dark. If you have never seen a B-52 flying roach, you are so lucky!

imafan26
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Posts: 13947
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

I added an anemometer to my weather station, sort of. I found a garden pinwheel. Not as big as Gary's.

A lot of people are buying garden furniture for their homes because, indoor furniture is so expensive and there are not a lot of places to buy them.



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