Wow! It's a beauty! With your chick wire between the seat & canopy, it sounds more like a trellis...so maybe you could plant a Fall Clematis (like 'Sweet Autumn')at the backside of the swing seat which vines in the Spring/summer here & blooms little white flowers in the early Fall).

Meanwhile, you could sit your fav big pots or make window type boxes in the 'seat' & choose your fav flowers to plant. You could add some GJunk in various ground places around the base of the swing.

Another great cover for 'vining' is Mandarin Orange Honeysuckle...this pic from last summer shows one that's been planted for years at my pond...love it on the arbor:

{{gwi:146189}}

Ohhh, lots of possiblities! Have fun with it! Great score! Jeanne S.

could you place heavy plastic over the chicken wire, staple it as you fold it over the edge to form a planting trough? You would have to use chicken wire on the sides and up higher in the front to form a trough shape and you would need to reinforce the bottom in a few places with heavy wire or jute tied to the frame of the seat under the chicken wire, or by putting a few narrow boards on the seat portion, just to take some of the weight. Poke a few drainage holes in the plastic add soil and plants, something trailing down like petunias and possibly a vine growing up the back would be beautiful.
I'm anxious to see what you come up with.
Diane

In my "garden bed", I put landscape fabric over the lattice that I have for my frame...so far, it's working fine.

Hope you'll post another picture when you get it planted.

That will look great planted! You can use landscape fabric to line the swing seat. It's very strong and drains well. I use it to line hanging baskets. If you want to hide the cloth from below use a layer of large shredded bark mulch on the chicken wire first. I use moss in my hanging baskets but unless you have access to free moss that would be expensive.

The landscape fabric or weed cloth is sold at almost every garden center, hardware, or big box store. It comes in black and light or dark gray.

You can buy that coconut fiber stuff by the yard at some garden centers, the same kind of stuff they use for hanging baskets. I would lay that over the seat and then put soil on top. You would need to figure out some way to contain it on the edges: stones, boards, I don't know. Maybe staple the corners together and reinforce it there. Don't quite understand the chicken wire on the canopy part of your description.

But a great find on the swing and lots of possibilities!! (That last word looks funny).

I'd add some chicken wire to the open ends of the seat then line with landscape cloth. I use this in my wire planters. Keeps the soil in & provides adequate drainage.

Looking forward to seeing it planted!

blessings,

~digger

I'd try using sphagnum moss as a bottom layer under the soil. Like a giant moss basket

Coconut fiber disappears quickly if you have squirrels around or even some birds. Weed cloth would work but you couldn't get too much soil on top of it because of weight. Maybe the canopy put weed cloth & succulents as they can get by on less soil I think. If you get lots of cold weather that wouldn't work so well. Might try a fast growing morning glory on top! I have purple, lt & dk pink & had some white. Blue grow fast & maybe wave petunias on bottom, would have to give them fertilizer in water quite often I would think. Good Luck, looks like it will be cute when covered with flowers. Chicken-wire might need stronger wire underneath it every 6-8 inches going both ways to hold all the weight. Jan

I went to my local greenhouse ( who I have done some work for) and told him of my idea, he hooked me up with some weed fabric, so this is what I am at now, I bought some impatiens for color, hope to plant 2 small hostas on the seat and some impatiens, the top awning I have some low growing sedum I am hoping will work for that area,,hmm I guess I can't post the newest photo.. well anyway, what I have done so far, is added the weed fabric under the chicken wire, will add some heavy, something under it, I think I will take some of the fabric, or perhaps some burlap, and sew bags to hang on the seat back, and plant those also, and hope for the best,, :)

I like your idea of making some planter bags to add to the swing. That's a very popular idea right now and I've been thinking of doing that too. Impatiens are good for the seat because they will spread quite nicely and sedum for the top so you don't have a lot of maintenance.

I couldn't be sure from your description how you are using the fabric on the chicken wire. The fabric should ideally go on top of the chicken wire to hold the soil for the plants. If you want to post a progress pic so we can help that would be great.

A large garbage bag, heavy duty,filled with potting soil, make it look like the swing cushion then poke holes and plant.
A vine on top hanging down would be nice. I have metal framed cast off Christmas lawn decorations. I took of their lights and have vines growing on the frames. No fuss or muss with chicken wire or sphagnum. I have two angels and a moose so far. The right vine will grow on anything!

pillow cases instead of garbage bags. You could have used an old blanket from Goodwill to line the chicken wire too, then you would really be recycling.

How about picking up some pretty pillow shams at the thrift store- (for some reason lots of pillow shams find their way there)- and putting them on bags of garden soil instead of pillows. Place them on the seat and cut some holes in the top and plant your flowers!

What a great idea! I can't wait to see it planted.
Kathy

You guys have given me some great ideas! thanks! I planted it on Saturday, put some inpatiens in the seat along with 2 small hosta's will have to start a new thread as I can't seem to post my photo here.. I placed the fabric under the chicken wire and put a piece of conduit UNDER it to help hold the weight. hope it all works,, great idea on the pillow cases and shams,, if this doesnt work,, will give those a go..