Umbrella Stand Flower Bed

You can always add more weight. . . 

Summer preparations continue and this is the latest addition. We recently bought a patio umbrella and the base was to be filled with 190 pounds of wet sand. We managed to get about 100 pounds of sand in based on the weight of the bags we had. The umbrella was not exactly cheap and I was a little nervous when the day after we built it we had a storm with 60 mph gusts of wind. Better safe than sorry, we decided that if we want to secure this a little more and brainstormed what we could do to add to the weight.


I think the base is pretty ugly on its own. Sure it's pretty simple as a black disk but I didn't think it
really lent to the concept of the oasis we are trying to create. Landscape blocks added weight quickly but then we can up with the brilliant idea that we could create a miniature flower bed at the same time.

Now, I know I am rushing the season and perhaps it's not really warm enough to be planting flowers. . . I waited a couple of days and left the flowers inside the house as that storm with 60mph gusts also included some snow. I also picked flowers from the ones that were already outside at Lowe's so they may be hardened a bit. We went with dianthus which, according to some websites, is really a perennial anyways. They are apparently often sold as annuals because aesthetically once they lose their flowers folks seem to pull them out.

The flower bed itself is kind of shallow as we only used one layer of landscape blocks so we will see how these flower fare, especially with knowing they won't bloom all summer long. I already plan that we will rotate some other flowers in throughout the summer to keep it blooming.  We may also use some wildflower seeds to keep it blooming throughout the year. I don't imagine this will last through the winter but only time will tell really.

I won't place a wager but I think this added weight, combined with the sand, will really keep this umbrella secure throughout the season. I can't wait to actually use it.