We went to Wal-Mart for the paint, and had to hunt someone to mix it up. I told the man I wanted Glidden Exterior Satin, gave him the color card, then did the rest of my shopping while waiting for the paint. When I went to pay for it, it rang up at $29.99! I just about keeled over....thirty bucks plus tax to paint garden boxes? I questioned the amount, and the checker noticed I had paint with PRIMER! I hadn't asked for the dual purpose paint, the boxes are already painted, so they only need primer in a few places where they've weathered badly. I have a whole gallon of primer in the garage, I don't need more! It turns out that ALL of the exterior paint in this store has the primer in it! I went to the service counter, and returned it, although I told the girl I'd take it if she discounted it. After all, they will eventually have to discount it anyway. Well, she wouldn't even listen, just gave me back the purchase price.
Soooo...off we we went, across the street, to Lowes. They had Valspar exterior satin for $19.99. I wandered over to the garden department and parted with $21.11 for a big bag of vermiculite, then went back for the paint. Instead of the one I had told him I wanted (15-year warranty), he had mixed up a more expensive (lifetime warranty) version of the same brand. I had just returned a $30 can with primer, now I had a $30 can with no primer! I said, no way. I had the print out of the variety I wanted right there on the counter, and that was the one I had shown him. They ended up selling it to me for the $19.99 price, so I took it.
After all that.......
I don't like it at all. I'll use it to paint the walls in my shed or something. It looks kind of pink, or flesh colored. It just looks yucky. Tomorrow I'll go back and buy a can of that old rusty-brown. 
I had to chuckle a little at the end....sorry! Good luck finding the right color.
ReplyDeleteKatrina, the sad thing is that next I'll have $40 into painting boxes!
ReplyDeleteOh my, that is beyond frustrating and expensive!
ReplyDeleteSorry, still grinning! After all that, it ends up being a really yukky color! Hate it when that happens...
ReplyDeleteWell, Meems and SB, I've done enough painting that I know the darker color "connects the boxes to the ground....gives them a base". The lighter color makes them look like they are floating. Besides, it just looks bad with the grayed fence and the yellowish birdhouse. Tomorrow I'll have dark garden boxes. Unless it rains ;-)
ReplyDeleteSounds like quite an ordeal! I'd suggest a nice sage green but then you might end up with three paint cans for your boxes:-)
ReplyDeleteI don't get how they make a paint with primer in it. The whole point of primer is for the paint to stick to it, not to be mixed into it.
Oh Granny! What a bummer! I had to chuckle a little over the $30 can with no primer. Well, I don't like the color either.
ReplyDeleteDan, you sound like my daughter! As she was leaving, she suggested I paint all the house trim green. No way! With my orangish brick and my orangish roof, I just can't see green on the house. If I did the garden boxes green, then everything in the garden would be green, and it would all run together. Nope, can't teach this old dog new tricks, I'm going back to the original brown ;-)
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Alison, it's bad, huh? It will look OK inside the shed, though ;-)
And what do you think the odds are that when you go back for some rusty-brown paint that you end up with a $30 can again?! LOL!
ReplyDeleteKitsap, ummmmm, maybe I'll try Fred Meyer? Three strikes and I'm out!
ReplyDeleteWOW, you got them to return a can of paint that was mixed? There are never returns here on paint that's tinted. That and a $21 bag of vermiculite. I choked when I saw it for $17 a few years ago at a local nursary. I ended up getting it in a rural city up north for $12. May need to go back there eventually as I'm almost out for my seedling mix.
ReplyDeleteGlad you got something done on this spring weekend. I didn't do squat in my garden.
I agree, I don't like that color either. It's probably best to stick with a dark color that you know will look good....unless you are planning to open a paint store!
ReplyDeleteNow see, I don't think it looks bad. maybe it looks more pepto bismol in real life, but it looks more earthy than pink on my monitor. Sorry this is turning into one big headache AG. Could you just bring the can back and have them add black or something to darken it?
ReplyDeleteGran, don't forget to go back to Wal Mart and check to see if they discounted your primered paint first LOL! Now weren't you the one with the "paint guy" post last year, too? I feel your pain, I have spent almost $250 on interior paint, I think I'm done finally, but WOW, paint is expensive.
ReplyDeleteI've never thought of painting the boxes before, but I admit now you've got me dreaming of painting mine lime green, pink and orange and sticking flamingos all over the place just so the neighbors can officially call me the crazy garden chick! :)
It's 'interesting' how stores usually make mistakes by upgrading to the more expensive brand.
ReplyDeletePaint colors can fool you; it all depends on the light and the other colors around. Sorry you had a bad experience with the pinkish beige. Sounds yucky. I'd vote for a nice gray -- that fence looks good in the background.
ReplyDeletePoor granny. I guess sometimes sticking to the tried and true is better.
ReplyDeleteGranny - Does the paint ever leach into the soil around the veggies? I'm starting a raised bed this year with cedar, but not sure if I should paint the sides. Also, I was wondering if you ever rotate your crops - I read that you can't plant tomatoes(and veggies in that group), in the same soil over and over every year. What do you do? Thanks, in advance.
ReplyDeleteSinfonian, was that a 2 cubic foot bag you got for that price? I usually have to pay about $5.99 for just a small bag that doesn't even get me through spring seedlings. Last year I had to buy two of those. This one should last me at least for year, maybe more.
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Robin, at $30 a can, I wish I DID own a paint store. I'm used to closer to $20-22 for exterior paint.
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Kelly, the two paint mixer-uppers at our Lowe's are both new. I even had to show them where the type of paint I wanted was. There was an entire section of it, but they couldn't find it....then they still got the wrong one. When I picked it up from the counter, my color card was no longer there, but it sure doesn't look like the same color as on that card, which was more a light terra cotta. I'll just use it to paint the walls in the shed.
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Erin, if I liked the color, I would do that! Yes, it was Lowe's where I had the problem with the two guys last year.....the ones that were too busy visiting with each other and said "Oh, we don't sell paint here".
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Katie, I couldn't believe a walmart store would only sell the paint+primer. They didn't carry any other exterior paint! I'll bet the Walmart across the river does.
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Dianefaith, except the shed and house are both Almond with a darker (brown or brownish) trim. The fence is only gray because it has faded to that color.
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Yes, Daphne. And I have the color chip right here on my desk. Live and learn.
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Random, if it did, and I'm sure it doesn't, I wouldn't worry about it. It's exterior latex paint....it would be about as dangerous as chewing on a rubber band. There is no lead in paint anymore, and that was was what was in danger of leaching or flaking.
You'll read most everywhere that you have to rotate crops, but that's close to impossible in a small garden. Unless you experience a diseased crop, I wouldn't worry about it. My father grew tomatoes in the same bed from 1954 until 2003! I keep mine in the same spot, too. I do, however, dump the soil from the buckets into other beds, clean them and refill with fresh soil. The tap roots of those tomatoes are, however, going down into the same soil below year after year. If I ever have a problem with them, I'll just have to figure out a different spot to grow them.
Granny - that sounds like a nightmare. I don't know how you managed to keep your cool! I'm thrilled you got your paint discounted, but so sorry you didn't like the color. But, as you said, you have other places to use the paint!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see the garden growing!
Farmer
Farmer, funny you should say that....I kept smelling sweat, and thought it was my daughter. She's ultra clean and always smells so good, I was rather surprised. Then, as I lifted my purchases into the back of the pickup, I got a real good whiff. It was ME who stunk! I'm not one to sweat a lot, but I guess the paint ordeal just got to me, LOL! Mr. Granny said I was just like Otto. He stinks when he gets excited, too :-D
ReplyDeleteGranny, this is something you may want to check in to. Years ago, my father-in-law owned a pool and spa business. On occasion, I would help on an installation. Vermiculite is used as the "base" that you put down before installing the liner. It is mixed with cement and trowled on dirt as you would concrete. Vermiculite is the "aggregate" in the mix instead of sand and rock in regular concrete mix. It makes a soft but strong base for your pool bottom. Fast forward to present day. I have wondered if you could use swimming pool vermiculite instead of horticultural vermiculite and could not find any info on what the difference is. I am currently going through a Master Gardener program and have asked extension agents and different speakers and they don't know!! So.. I called a local nursery to see if they could order me some "Horticultural" vermiculite cheaper than the box stores sell and the owner said, ' I go to "xxxxxxx Pools and Spas" and buy "pool base " vermiculite. I have never been able to tell any difference'. That is what I am buying now! 4 cu.ft. $16.25. I can't tell any difference either! If you or any of your readers decide to go that route, pool places sell two kinds, 'pool mix" which is vermiculite and cement already mixed and "pool base" which is just vermiculite. Sorry this is so long, but wanted to share.
ReplyDeleteSpiderjohn, I have read the pros and cons of using the non-agricultural grade, and I have to agree with you. In most cases it turns out the vermiculite is made by the same company, and the only difference is in the sacks it comes in. That goes for much of the insulation that is also vermiculite, although some will argue it has insect killer in it, I think (don't quote me) it has been proven otherwise. If it does, I'm quite sure it would be stated on the label. I did look for the vermiculite insulation, which was supposed to be available at Fred Meyer, but I've not found it anywhere. I didn't even think about the pool vermiculite! Wow, you paid $5 less for twice as much!
ReplyDeleteSpiderjohn, where are my manners? I forgot to say "thank you"!
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