Scrap Lumber Orchid Table

During 2020, when I was going a little stir crazy being stuck at home, I decided I wanted to use all of the scrap lumber and other materials I had around the house and yard to build a new structure to hold my orchids. I have an orchid obsession but most of them are in places in my yard that I can’t see from inside the house. So I wanted to build a structure that I could put outside of my office window.

I don’t really do “fine woodworking” and consider everything I build to be somewhat “rustic”.  I didn’t have any plan to follow. I just looked at photos of structures online to get some ideas. It was difficult because I hadn’t built anything in awhile and I had to think about every corner and brace and angle…things that some people would have been able to visualize in their head with no problem. I didn’t really know what kind of lumber I had around here and I didn’t want to buy any, because that kind of defeated the purpose. So I made multiple trips around the property and the garage adding more items as needed.

I made it up as I went along and worked to the point of exhaustion every night. I ended up adding an old stained glass window I had made and some carved trim and even made some decorative inlays out of tile. I also added some wire garden fencing across the back to hold potted orchids. They were all left over items that had been sitting around in the garage for years, and they fit right in with my creation.

I like to start things but HATE to finish them so after a few coats of varnish, I finally just decided it was done and moved it out into the yard. I try to move the blooming orchids from around the yard to the table so that I can see them through my window.

The story doesn’t really stop there. I also put in a 4×4 next to the orchid table and put a cross bar on top because I have owls nest on my property every year and I wondered if they would sit on it. The owls seem to enjoy sitting on the back of the orchid structure and looking in at ME, just as much as I enjoy looking out at them.

For more details about this orchid table project, you can also read: Reconstructing Me

You might also enjoy this post about the visiting barred owls: Barred Owls: Barred Owls: Symbols of Power and Protection