Update your glasshouse with these three easy projects

Potting station stained with Resene Waterborne Woodsman in Resene Natural and planter boxes stained with Resene Waterborne Woodsman in Resene Pitch Black.

Acclaimed artist and keen DIYer Jae Frew has given up the rat race in favour of a peaceful and picturesque country lifestyle.

“My wife Jo and I had lived in Mt Eden for 34 years,” Jae says. “We raised our girls there and were very happy, but we decided it couldn’t be the only thing we had ever done. We still wanted to live close enough to Auckland for work and friends, but also have some quiet space with an outlook and room for projects – I’m an active relaxer.”

Although it’s only been a short time, the couple are still discovering the beauty and serenity of country life. “We’re enjoying the quiet location with its land, native bush and bird life. We’ve made some new friends in the community which has been lovely, and we’re having friends and family to stay so we can share the property with them. Also my robot mower keeps the lawn looking great!”

One of the first projects Jae has sunk his teeth into is refreshing and rejuvenating an old glasshouse on the rural property to give Jo a place to grow her vegetables. “She loves to grow and eat fresh produce and experiment with different plants.” There’s nothing more satisfying than growing your own produce. You’ll save money, consume pesticide-free veges, fruit and herbs, and minimise your environmental impact.

Within the glasshouse, Jae has undertaken three unique projects and finished them with Resene paint and stain for a polished, protected and professional looking finish. This includes two planter boxes and a potting table, as well as painting the cobblestones in a vibrant green palette.

Jae credits the staff at his local Resene ColorShop for always offering helpful suggestions and advice along the way. He particularly enjoyed working with Resene Waterborne Woodman penetrating oil stain. “I used both Resene Natural and Resene Pitch Black. These stains go on to the raw timber with ease and clean up well in water. They leave a consistent coating with just two coats.”

Jae’s best advice for anyone planning to undertake projects like this? “Plan ahead as to what you wish to achieve. No two (or three) projects are the same, so it is useful to have a vision and goal and work step by step to get there. And have fun!”

There are plenty of projects you can do in your backyard to help you make the most of your space. Visit your local Resene ColorShop for advice on your projects or Ask a Resene Paint Expert free online.

Jae’s glasshouse projects:

Painted cobblestones

Customising your garden is a great way to make it a pleasure to work in, as well ensure that it looks its best. Painting your cobblestones or pavers couldn’t be easier and Jae was inspired by the vibrancy of his property when selecting the Resene Highland, Resene Dingley and Resene Clover hues for the durable Resene Lumbersider Low Sheen topcoat. He also mixed Resene Anti-Slip Grip Additive into the paint to ensure they’re easy to walk on. “The colour palette of the property has these shades of green among them, so it was good to use them to incorporate these colours from the outside in.”

Top tip: Treating your cobblestones or pavers with Resene Moss & Mould Killer before painting will help you achieve a good finish.

Custom planter boxes

Jae says planter boxes were an important project for him and Jo as the soil on their new property is predominantly clay and not of great quality. Raised garden beds provide ideal growing conditions for all kinds of plants as the soil will remain aerated. Measure your desired area and build them from timber, then topcoat with your favourite Resene paint colour or stain.

An important step is to apply Resene Water Lockout watertight membrane to the inside of the planter boxes to stop any water seepage. Resene Waterborne Woodsman penetrating oil stain is an ideal topcoat for the outside of these planter boxes as it protects the timber, as well as provides stylish colour with its Resene Pitch Black tint.

Once you’ve stained and constructed your planter boxes, line them with cardboard before filling with topsoil and planting your favourite veges, herbs and seasonal fruit. “We were able to put in vegetable mix to give the plants their best chance to survive,” says Jae. “Jo has planted for the summer – tomatoes, capsicum, potatoes, strawberries, snow peas and aubergines.”

Top tip: It’s important to make the boxes deep enough to retain good soil quality and moisture.

Planter boxes need to be deep enough to retain good soil quality and moisture. These ones are stained in Resene Waterborne Woodsman in Resene Pitch Black.

Potting station

Building a sturdy timber potting station is a gift to your future self, as it’ll save your back and knees from long-term pain and strain after constantly bending down. It works equally well in the garage or garden shed and coating it with Resene Waterborne Woodsman in Resene Natural allows the beauty of the timber to shine through. Jae built this potting station for Jo so she can have “a central, tidy place to store potting equipment and to plant seedlings.”

Top tip: Jae says to measure twice and cut once (advice from his dad). Make sure the cuts are square – and use good glue.

The potting table offers a central, tidy place to store potting equipment and to plant seedlings. Potting station stained with Resene Waterborne Woodsman in Resene Natural, planter boxes stained with Resene Waterborne Woodsman in Resene Pitch Black and cobblestones painted with Resene Lumbersider Low Sheen mixed with Resene Anti-Slip Grip Additive in Resene Highland, Resene Dingley and Resene Clover.