Don't Toss An Old Ironing Board When You Could Use It In The Garden Instead

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Not everyone has a big backyard workspace to make their gardening dreams a reality. For that reason, space-saving tips and tricks can make gardening feasible for those who need to be more intentional with their yard setup. Aside from having an area for plants, gardeners also benefit from having a space for transplanting potted plants, like a potting table, which is typically equipped with gardening gloves, soil and soil amendments, pots, and small tools.

However, not everyone has enough room for a permanent potting table. If that sounds like your situation, you're in luck — there is a way that you can still reap the benefits of a table while conserving space. If you're ready to retire your ironing board, give it a second life as a potting station. Or, if you don't plan on replacing your board anytime soon, thrift shops and garage sales are perfect spots for scoring one for a few bucks.

The main perks of using an ironing board as a potting bench are that it's portable, easily customizable, and doesn't take up valuable yard space. You can also set it up anywhere you want — in the shade on a hot day, or in the sun when you want some Vitamin D. When you're done repotting plants, fold the board up and stow it vertically; you also can affix hooks inside a shed, garage, or a wall outdoors to hang up the board.

Before your old ironing board makes its debut as a potting table, you may need to prep it for its new role. First, toss the fabric cover, which is covering the board's metal mesh. This surface is actually ideal for your gardening needs. The metal can be easily wiped down, and excess soil and water can trickle through the mesh onto the ground. Next, protect it with a weather-proofing paint like Rust-Oleum's Professional High Performance Enamel Spray Paint, available in a variety of colors. Although there is a hack to make rusty outdoor furniture look good as new, it's best to avoid getting to that point in the first place. 

Gardening tools can be hung on S hooks attached to the metal mesh, or to the iron rest at the end of the board. Look for hooks with safety buckles, like these Waitkey S Hooks, so the tools can stay put even after you've folded up the board. Position the S hooks and tools when the ironing board is flat. This way, you know where they fit best when the board is in its opened and closed positions, and you won't need to remove the tools for storage. You can also keep tools on a hanging shelf, like the SUFAUY Steel 2-Pack Under Cabinet Shelf Basket, which can hang below the board. 

Keep in mind that storing tools with the board is fine only if everything is housed in a shed or garage; if the board will remain outdoors, keep the tools in a dry space to avoid rusting. Soil, amendments, pots, and gardening gloves (which you may want to keep in a Mason jar when not in use) can be kept together in a bin that can be easily pulled out and stored away as needed.