Out With the Old, In With the New

Can't really tell from the top picture that the front half of the bench collapsed last fall when I loaded it with just a few too many pots. 

 

 

After all, they are over 14 years old, made from the pickets of a fence and subjected to years of high humidity and watering.  It is surprising they lasted this long.  'Finally' said Andrew.  He knows my motto of trying to get the last tomato from the plant.  I will not throw anything out if it still has some life in it.  I had to admit it was a goner.  Andrew wanted metal benches.  "They won't rot."

 

Ok.  The bench was ordered.  Out came the old one.  You know it is rotten when you can practically break it apart with your bare hands.  The greenhouse always had a gravel floor from day one.  We had put a few large patio stones in a few years ago, but that was as far as it went.  Andrew's dad seemed to have this large stock pile of stones at his place (he throws nothing out) and with a few trips to the local building supplies, we put in the floor.

I have to admit, I am really liking it.  And even though I am busy outside, I was not putting a brand new bench on a brand new floor with walls looking like that.  

But it didn't take long to clean, and boy does it ever look better.

After all that, the realization that we ordered the bench 6" too long; What were we thinking??  Out came the dremil (great little invention) and the bolt cutters and everything fit perfect.

And it didn't take me long to fill it up.

I wonder how long the benches on the otherside will last?