Gardener Turns A Popular Backyard Kids Toy Into An Epic Raised Garden Bed

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As most gardeners already know, raised beds are perfect for growing salad greens, herbs, and flowering annuals. If you've ever shopped for a pre-made raised bed, you likely noticed how expensive they can get, especially if you want one that is functional and good-looking. After all, aesthetics are particularly important in small backyards, courtyard gardens, patios, and balconies. With a bit of ingenuity and a few simple hardware store supplies, you can create your own inspiring designs for raised garden beds. Take, for example, the DIY project completed by crafty Instagrammer lightscamerayorks, who transformed an old kid's water table into a stunning planter.

Have your children grown out of their water table and is it sitting unused in the garage? Grab it. If not, ask around family and friends, check Facebook Marketplace, or, worst case, shop online. This Zdrkwsm Water Table for Toddlers costs about $43. To prepare the table, you'll need an electric drill, a Scotch-Brite pad (or wet-and-dry sandpaper), a can of Rust-Oleum Automotive Adhesion Promoter Spray, and some Rust-Oleum Aged Iron Textured Spray Paint. You'll need a good quality commercial potting mix to fill the finished garden bed. Or you can make your own by mixing perlite or vermiculite with peat or sphagnum moss and a little decomposed leaf litter or compost. Lastly, get whatever seeds or seedlings you want to plant in your water table turned garden bed.

Water tables are made of smooth plastic. New paint will wear or flake off the surface over time if you don't prepare it properly. In fact, skipping this step is one of the biggest painting mistakes homeowners make, experts tell us. Paint adheres better to texture, so scuff the surface with a Scotch-Brite pad (or some sandpaper) until it no longer shines. Next, drill plenty of drainage holes into the base of each tray. You don't want your plant's roots getting waterlogged. Finally, give the entire table a good clean using water mixed with a little dish soap. This removes dirt, debris, and any fine plastic dust generated when you scuffed the surface.

Now it's time to start decorating your old water table. First, move to a well-ventilated area and put on a mask. Spray on several thin layers of primer, with some drying time in between. We recommend Rust-Oleum Automotive Adhesion Promoter Spray, but any primer designed for use on plastic should work. Follow the manufacturer's instructions — in the case of the Rust-Oleum product, you need to apply the top coat of textured spray paint within 10 minutes. Allow the paint to cure for 48 hours.

Fill the trays with soil and sow seeds or plant seedlings for an almost instant garden. Choosing ornamental plants, such as flowering annuals, over edible plants is advisable. The plastic water table and the paints you used to decorate it may leach chemicals into the soil. There are even some low-maintenance perennials that thrive in raised garden beds, like lavender, false goat's beard, chocolate cosmos, and mealy sage. With very little work, you can create a fantastic floral display for your patio or courtyard.