New Planter Project

When I moved from New York to San Francisco, some carpenters built this crate to fit my grandmother's lamp.  My landlords accepted the delivery and nicknamed the crate "the coffin." It sat idly outside my apartment for a year before finding a place on the porch below (upside down, serving as a bench).  I brought it back to my SoCal apartment and am going to turn it into a vegetable planter.  

Step 1- drill drainage holes in the bottom

Step 2- paint the outside (color suggestions welcome)

Step 3- place down a layer of gravel, then fill to the top with potting soil and chicken manure

Step 4- plant away!!  

I may not be able to attack the project until January, but I will post my progress.

Oh... and remember the dead parsley and cilantro I posted about?  One of the plants has come back!  I'm amazed.  It sprouted while I was away this weekend.  I'll have curly parsley before I know it.