I’m an inveterate DIYer and willing to take on anything…despite any odds, like lack of knowledge or ability! I just start thinking, how could I make/fix that… hmm….

But learning how to do something from scratch can be difficult and frustrating. That’s why I like this project. It’s easy. You don’t even have to do a good job, although there are some simple things you can do to improve your results.

The project: spray painting stuff in your back yard! Here are a few samples: 

I call this my “Golden Arch.”  It’s at the entrance to my veggie garden. I bought it years ago, really cheap, and the bottom link had rusted away on one side. I replaced that with a stick and spray painted it... didn’t even clean off the dirt. Scarlet Runner beans are planted at the base and are taking forever to grow, or 75 days according to the seed package, but eventually there will be beautiful flowers and edible beans to boot. 

 My sister Julie’s orange chaise…she’s got a pretty cottage back yard filled with roses, but she’s going mid-century modern inside, and decided to zip up the yard, and it works!

I caught this picture on Ready Made Magazine. Homeowners turned their mudroom into a roomy deck…and, spiced it up with painted Adirondack chairs and this spray-painted Ikea table. 

How-to Hints 

General: protect work space, don’t do this project on a windy day, clean with mild detergent and water, use sweeping motions starting outside the project, be about 8 – 10 “ away from the surface,. 

Spray painting metal: clean with sponge, lightly sand, wipe off with water, allow to dry, prime using metal primer, paint! 

Spray painting wicker: clean, prime, paint. You have to be careful with paper-based wicker (v.s. rattan-based) or it will get soggy, so don’t use too much water, just a damp sponge. 

Spray painting wood: clean, let dry, sand lightly, wipe off with tack cloth (old t-shirt, diaper), prime, paint.

I have many examples in my files, amongst them my inspiration for buying that first can of spray paint…a lovely book on container gardening, Gardens To Go, Creating and Designing a Container Garden, by Sydney Eddison with photography by Steve Silk. Inside I found a double page spread with 4 pictures of the same table and chair set. It turns out the author creates a new tapestry with her container garden and re-paints her furniture yearly and you know why?  Because she can! And, if she can, so can I!

Jeannie Hanson is a full service gardener offering garden design, coaching and seasonal maintenance/planting. Her business, Geno’s Garden, specializes in small space gardens. Jeannie loves working and creating in the garden and likes to help others achieve the same satisfaction. “I believe there’s twice as much pleasure to being in a garden you’ve created yourself,” says Jeannie. “The tomato tastes sweeter, the path is more charming, the garden art more remarkable.” www.genosgarden.com