Beehivey Ribbed Planter Makeover

The Freestyle Find

Those who (successfully) garden indoors eventually face the dilemma of plants that outgrow their pots.  At first the solution is obvious, just get a bigger pot, and for pots below the 6-7-inch diameter range this usually isn't too expensive.  The Swedish superstore has a wide variety, and I'm an owner of various sizes of PAPAJA and MUSKOT-series plant pots.  However, larger and larger ceramics also get heavier and heavier (especially when filled with associated plant material) so at some point it makes weight-sense to switch to some type of plastic outer pot. The problem I have is that lots of plastic pots are ugly and so very plastic-looking and more expensive than the $0 I want to spend on plastic.  Lucky for me I came across this planter that was free, large, and interestingly-shaped-but-ugly-color and thus was crying out for a makeover.  I washed it in the tub and after it dried I got to work painting, and oops I forgot to take a full-size 'before' picture.

Pea green plastic planter close-up view

The Makeover

I knew right away that the makeover for this plastic cachepot would be simple and quick, transform the stained pea-green exterior with some matte white paint so that the planter would blend in with my existing collection.  This process started with some primer (this gallon of primer just keeps on giving, I've been using it for 5 years now).....

In-progress, applying primer to plastic

....and the process continued with some **free** paint+primer in the form of a quarter-full can that I received from a neighbor, the color was Behr Ultra Pure White 2050 in Interior Eggshell Enamel. I'm wasn't sure what sort of sheen 'eggshell enamel' would have, because eggshell sounds 'not-shiny' and enamel sounds 'shiny'.  All coatings were applied with a low quality chip brush.

Paint can in front of the painted planter

Conclusion

The final result of the multiple coats was a lovely matte white color that shows off the cool ribbed texture while serving as a backdrop for a tall dark green Sansevieria plant (aka Snake Plant).  This might not be the last plastic cachepot that gets this paint treatment.

A closer view of the painted planter.

Below is a full-length view of the Sansevieria in its new home.  The contrast of the bulbous beehive-shape planter with the strong vertical lines of the plant is just what I was hoping for.

Sansevieria plant in a new home.

Happy freestyling, if the item is free why not paint it?  Give it a go.

@Friends' - Blue planter finds a happy new home

Towards the end of summer/early autumn I went on a little plant-gifting and reorganizing spree.  Hoarding is not something I want to do, unless it is with local honey, because honey doesn't go bad, it is delicious, and has reputed antibacterial properties, they use it on turtles at the aquarium that come in with cuts..... Wait, what was I writing about? The awesome power of honey? No, no, plants, plants! Bring it back to earth. Right. In an effort to weed out my collection* I started foisting plants and plant pots on to my willing (or so they seemed) friends under the guise of 'gifts.'

One of these friends, 'Lady K,' was over while I was in the middle of a plant-splitting and re-potting session.  Just to set the scene, any re-potting session usually involves me sitting on the kitchen floor, surrounded by a mini-jungle, dirt in both bags and open piles, planters piled up within arms reach, all the while holding a knife and staring intently at root balls and rhizomes.  It is actually very satisfying, afterwards I feel like a plant surgeon. Lady K, who was there to see her boyfriend, not me, casually mentioned that she was looking to expand her plant collection and before you could say boo! I had wrapped up some Sansevieria trifasciata cuttings, placed them in a large blue pot, and told her how happy they would be to grow under her care.  And I was right, again.  She recently sent me a picture of the plant in its new home.

So be careful what you casually mention in the presence of a freestyler, you just might find yourself the recipient of the perfect item for your home / office / wardrobe, for free!

P.S. Without plants where would be no honey, so make your world a bee-friendly place.

*pun intended