She is such a treasure to me, as are all four of them.

Here is one of my styrofoam containers. I found some large leaf stickers I've had around here for so long so just put them on the container. Don't know if they will stay there or not, maybe a little modge podge over them?

If the leaves don't stick, then stenciling them on might work.

Pegi that turned out wonderful. I love the colors of the green container and the blue stand together. The leaf colors are perfect also. Hope you can get them to stay on, they really give a nice affect.
If they don't work Tabby's suggestion would work nicely.

Thanks Lynn. I bought the green when DH put up a raised bed for me, painted the wood green (will need another coat after this growing season). So, I have a lot of paint to use up. I bought some glue for styrofoam, was going to add some kind of decoration and just happened to find these leaves. Looks so much better than just plain. Have another green container, but discovered it won't fit on the bottom shelf of my stand. I have 3 small containers that I may paint another color. Will check out the container later and see how the leaves are holding up.

Nice job Pegi. The stickers do dress up the trough nicely.

Oh Pegi, what a beautiful trough you made. I love love the colors.

Thank you all, a little praise helps now and then. Picked up for reject paint at Home Depot so now I have more than green to work with. I have several pairs of jeans and tops that I've splattered with paint, very hard to keep it on the brush, that I put aside for my painting days. My old worn out sneakers get their share of paint too.

That's what the old close are for Pegi.

Nice, Pegi!

OH.. how goes the foam work...
some one asked me about early foam projects... I couldn't find the digitized version of the picture.. but it surfaced the other day.. I'll find the digitized version of my 40' cloud bank that was carved to be a bath tub...and kitchen and bath room sinks in the ridgid foam sometime..
This is the soft matterss foam... cut and covered to make the chocholate peces and the foam box.. it was a 10' dameter foam bed... it was to be used in the first US comercially made hologram.. back in the '60's... Salvadore Dali's holographer was to have shot it... but Candy Darling ... the subject that was to have been filmed in it died before it could be filmed.. [ candy darling was the subject of the Lou Reed song... Walk on the Wild Side... and the colored girls go do de do de do.. etc... ] this picture was from a magazine... http://www.lyricsfreak.com/l/l...

That is amazing Gordon. I can't wait to see the cloud bank.

I found 4 styrofoam boxed to turn into planting containers. I won't be able to start on them for a couple more weeks.


I want to do some carving on them before painting to make them look more like rock. Then I need to play with paints to find what will look the most natural. Any help in that department would be much appreciated as I know nothing about painting.

Those look a lot like the drug boxes I get.

Roughing them up first with a stiff wire brush helps to give them a rock look.

I paint in layers, staring with the darkest color first.

They are Omaha Meat boxes and are really thick. What colors do you use Tabby? Do you start with a dark grey or black? Then tans and browns?

That is one strange foam bed! It's a shame the project couldn't be completed.

I started with what I had on hand, which was a really dark brown. I'm cheap.

Thanks Tabby. : )

Lynn--I have a couple of those coolers from Omaha Steaks as well. The minute I saw them I knew exactly what to use them for!!! THat will be a winter project for me to get them painted for next growing season.

Linda this coming year is going to be so much fun sharing what we created with our styrofoam boxes. We have some members here that are a real inspiration for us. : )
Don't forget, come spring there will be many of us trading plants that will do well in the styrofoam containers. What are you growing now in your containers and beds?

Lynn, please take photos, step by step, of your painting process. I didn't paint mine, but I would like to try it on a few.