Summer is here and it’s time to hit the junkin’ trail for thrifted vintage treasures for the garden!

Today I am excited to be  joining a few fabulous blogging friends for a monthly get together with a thrifted theme! It wasn’t hard for me to come up with a round up of my own several rusty, crusty, shabby vintage thrifted garden treasures I have collected over the years that give my garden extra vintage charm and unique style. You will find links to my friends’ amazing thrifted posts at the end of this post.

Adding Interest to the Garden with Salvaged Items

When I set out on my junkin’ adventures, anything that can be used somehow in the garden, in my future garden shed, or that has a garden theme for indoor decorating is what I look for first.

 

Here is an example of some small pickins from a typical Saturday: Teal crate, a pretty urn, and a cool mushroom garden stake, all purchased for under $10.00.  I don’t always know where the items will end up, but I eventually find spots and uses for them! 

 

I hardly ever pass up sturdy baskets. I used them daily for my gardening tasks. I have so many that I plan to share a post specifcally about all my different garden baskets.

 

I recently shared a post about all my vintage thrifted galvanized buckets and tubs and how I use them in the garden.

 

Gardening books are also favorite thrifted items. I have a whole collection, but I’ll save that for another post too!

 

Thrifted Garden Items in the Backyard Cottage Garden

Every single item in this picture was thrifted, with the exception of the potting bench base which my husband made. The Vintage sink  ($32) turned into a potting bench, rusty architectural salvage shelf, and all the treasures on top were thrifted at yard sales, consignment shops and estate sales.

 

This 100+ year-old piece was salvaged from an old hotel demo. 

 

My husband added wood to the sides and back to make a shelf for me to hang behind the potting bench. Sometimes I fill it with plants or other seasonal items such as bittersweet.

 

 

The potting sink is a great place to rotate vintage thrifted garden finds. I love using my small collection of vintage colorful McCoy pottery for succulents on the back ledge.

 

A galvanized bottle drying rack holds an assortment of small pots, garden nozzles, vintage bottles and other useful items, all thrifted. A rusty rake head attached to the side of the potting bench makes a great tool holder display for my thrifted vintage gardening tools.

 

 

I use the tools for their original purposes, and as part of different vignettes on the potting table that change throughout the gardening seasons.

 

 

 

It’s also fun to use the potting bench to arrange and display small summer bouquets cut fresh from the garden in vintage thrifted vases.

 

I enjoy the bouquets while I am working in the garden, then bring them indoors in the evening to enjoy.

 

 

I am always shifting things around on the potting bench and playing with the little treasures there. 

 

As the flowers grow and the garden expands, I am also adding found thrifted treasues, such as this architectural salvage and the rusty rooster weather vane below.

 

 

 

Does it count as thrifted if it’s free? This darling fountain was rescued from my neighbor’s junk pile headed for the dump!

 

I found the perfect spot for the fountain (repurposed as a succulent planter) beside the potting bench. *Fishing line is a great deer deterent!

 

 

Last year a $5 yard sale bird bath was the focal point in the my center island herbaceous border. Not sure what that rusty cloche thing is, but for $10 at an antiques shop, I had to have it for my garden!

 

 

 

 

The island bed has changed completey as it has grown and filled in. I have moved the birdbath elsewhere and now my dad’s 60 year old rusty tricycle is the focal point. A thrifted little galvanized basket on the front is a planter for tiny succulents.

 

 

BIG GARDEN NEWS!

This space pictured here last year is about to change, again. The island bed has filled in tremendously since last year, but the little raised bed at the end of the yard by the fence is now gone. Currently in it’s place is the foundation for my new potting “she shed!” If you are just reading this post you are the first to find out! It’s a dream come true I can’t wait to share the progress with you guys! I have a garage and basement full of of thrifted vintage garden finds and brocante frenchy farmhouse cottage treasures that have been waiting for a home, so there will be no shortage of blog posts on this topic in the months (and years) to come!

 

 

This little thrfited sign is so sweet, and captures my garden sentiments perfectly! It didn’t have it’s original stake, but that didn’t stop me from finding a place for it in my garden. Now I am heading back out to garden to move plants and vintage junk around in preparation for potting shed! So many exciting things going on! But first, there’s more vintage thrifted fun to explore! My friends are sharing amazing posts today:

 

The Vintage Thrifting Inspiration Continues!

Kim at Shiplap and Shells is sharing some swoonworthy  European Vintage Antique Doors and Gates. Be still my heart!!! Kim has a cottage filled with amazing garden inspired treaures you will just love.

 

Stacy of Bricks and Blooms  is sharing tips on Thrifting for a Vintage Aesthetic.  I love style in the garden and indoors, so I can’t wait to see how she uses her vintage treasures.

 

 

And if you didn’t get your fill of vintage junk here today, Jen at Cottage on Bunker Hill is sharing How to Add Whimsy to Your Garden with Thrifted Finds. Such a fun post!

Be sure to check out all of these fun posts. Now, back to the garden!

Thanks for visiting today!

Amber