We immediately decided to recycle in style after we spotted a unique garden feature—rusted bedsprings attached to a brick wall—in the suburban Melbourne garden of designer Andrew Plymin.
As Plymin explained on the public-access program Gardening Australia: "This garden's very much a personal space, and I just fill it with things that I like. I don't really care if they're fashionable or if they actually all go together.”
As for his sourcing secrets, he said: "There's lots of rusty things...I just find them on the junk piles and stick them in the back of the car when I'm driving past and drag them home and they all start to work together as a group."
Above: Our inspiration, from the garden portfolio of Australian photographer Simon Griffiths.
Above: After some sleuthing, we realized that vintage box springs and mattresses are surprisingly hard to find. Our recommendation would be to call your local salvage yard and say you're on the lookout for a rusted box spring. An online option: This Antique Metal Bed Box Spring is available for a $175 on eBay (if you click "Buy It Now"), or up for auction starting at $125.
Above: This Vintage Lincoln Bed Spring Box is available for $225 on eBay.
Above: We like the mix of wood and metal textures in Plymin's garden. For a luxe version of his table, a 94.5-inch-long Preserved Teak Dining Table is $2,998 from Terrain. A budget-friendly option is Ikea's Sunderö outdoor table, made of wood and finished in a gray stain; $219 for an 86-inch-long table.
Above: Tolix Short Stackable Tabouret Stools are available in several shades of blue. Contact Antiquaire for pricing. (In the UK, Cult Furniture sells a Tolix copy called the Xavier Pauchard Stool in powder coated blue for £49.)
Above: This terra cotta Italian Low Bowl is available in six sizes starting at $7 from Arizona Pottery. To recreate the look above, we'd recommend an 18-inch-wide bowl; $37.
Above: To create a rusted wire crown atop the bowl of succulents, Mais Jamais on Etsy sells a set of 10 Large Antique Coil Bed Springs for $24.
Above: As an alternative, Etsy seller Streetcar Junction offers two coils of 14-Gauge Rusty Wire for $7.89.
Above: Fill with any mix of succulents; haworthia is shown here. Photograph by Erin Boyle from DIY: How to Stop Killing Your Indoor Succulents. A six-plant selection of Haworthia Succulents is $9 from Succulent Source via Etsy. Need more plants? A 16-plant Sedum Collection (in 2.5-inch pots) is $49.95 from Mountain Crest Gardens.
Steal more looks: try Water Troughs as Raised Garden Beds, A Mod LA Patio with Twinkly String Lights, and An Open-Air Concrete Bath.
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