Blooming Easy Chair

Create your own simple display of color.

Filling a container with vivid flowers and foliage is a quick way to add instant interest to a dull spot. You can turn a vintage chair into an inviting movable planter that will transform any place where it is displayed.

Prepare Your Chair

Yard sales and flea markets are the perfect places to find old chairs. They don't have to be in great condition as long as they are pretty sturdy. Plus, if you don't like the color, spray paint will do wonders.

Remove the seat, and replace it with chicken wire to create a nest to hold sphagnum moss, potting soil, and plants. Cut the chicken wire several inches larger than the seat's frame so it can sag down inside the chair and make space for the arrangement of plants. Fold the edges of the chicken wire over the seat, and fasten snugly to the chair with wire.

An alternative to this step is purchasing a wire basket and preformed sphagnum moss liner that will fit the dimensions of the seat. Drop the basket into the chair frame, attach it securely with wire, and then add the liner. It's easy!

Build the Moss Lining

Place sphagnum moss into a bucket of water, breaking up large chunks and removing stems or twigs. Mix thoroughly, and allow to soak. This will soften the moss so it's easier to work with. Next, remove handfuls of moss from the bucket, squeezing out the water while pressing it together to form a fairly solid mass. Press this firmly into the bottom, sides, and top edges of the chicken wire, creating a layer about 1 inch thick. Add enough moist potting soil to allow plants to sit level with the top of the chair seat.

Place Your Plants

Choose plants that complement each other and your chair. Don't be afraid to mix colors or add a houseplant, such as the 'Neon' pothos shown here. Denise Smith, a horticulturist in Jefferson, Georgia, agrees. "A container is essentially a horticultural box of crayons," she says. "There are no rules-except to use plants that have the same light and water requirements. Remember, you are making a 3-D picture with colors and textures." So experiment and have fun when choosing your plants.

KERI PAYNE

MATERIALS

old chair

spray paint (We used Krylon Fusion in Blue Hyacinth #2333.)

chicken wire

wire cutters

wire

sphagnum moss

bucket of water

potting soil

PLANTS

Boston fern

'Black Prince' coleus

'Celebration Apricot' New Guinea Hybrid impatiens

'Neon' pothos

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Jun 2005
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved