A while back I bought a teak teacart at our local flea market. It was the perfect piece for our backyard ice cream party and drink station, and I knew it would also make a fun backyard plant stand. It turned out to be a very flexible purchase.
A few weeks ago I decided to bring the teacart up to the deck and use it with plants. But first we needed to freshen the deck. Does that ever happen to you—moving one thing and ending up doing a whole project? We were guilty. The deck finish had worn to bare wood over the past few years and it looked shabby. It felt like a big job, so I’d been putting it off.
Then Better Homes & Gardens scheduled a photo shoot of our kitchen, and because the back deck is visible from the sliding door, I finally had the deadline to act. Motivated by that and by wanting the teacart on the deck, we tackled the refresh.
We aren’t ready to rebuild the deck into something larger—that kind of project isn’t in our budget or schedule right now—so the goal was simply to make the deck look better than before. My husband found a product called DeckOver by Behr. The process was straightforward: no sanding, just a thorough cleaning to remove dirt, then rolling the coating on like paint. We applied it only to the deck surface, not the railings, and it looked great.
Before I could finish arranging everything and take after photos, life happened:
Our dog Lily was left unattended for a few minutes, tipped over a plant and had a blast digging through the soil—spreading dirt across the freshly finished deck and the brand new rug. Then she tracked mud inside the house. Such is life with dogs.
Still, you can’t stay mad at that face. Lily’s antics keep us laughing; my sister jokes she looks like Fozzie Bear from the Muppets.
Despite the dog-related mishap, I’m glad the deck has a refreshed finish. It already has a lived-in vibe and with dogs around I’m realistic about it getting dirty again soon, but it’s definitely an improvement.
When we worked on the deck we moved all the furniture down to the backyard. The pieces make nice conversation areas and I’m planning a gravel patio below eventually. Up on the deck, the smaller footprint feels better with less furniture; I’m considering adding a small café table and chairs for morning coffee. The rug we used adds a cheerful splash of color.
Back to the teacart: I brought it up to the deck and it looks charming filled with plants. Placing it just off the kitchen makes it convenient and decorative.
The succulents on the bottom shelf are still in their original tray—often sold as a succulent carpet—so I didn’t even need to repot them right away. The other plants are in pots so I can rearrange them as seasons and needs change. I love how the cart groups them together and adds vertical interest.
In other plant news, the wisteria growing in the corner has put on a lot of growth. Right now the vines are attached to the privacy screens for support, and they’re doing fine, but I’m considering moving them to the lower fence area this fall or next year. Eventually they’ll need stronger support and I’d hate for them to pull down the deck trellises. For now, I appreciate the extra privacy they provide.
Teacarts are incredibly versatile.
Do you use a teacart for anything besides serving tea?