You may remember these planters from the first Putter-Project: From Rescue To Over-Run.

The plants are looking a little ragged, but that's normal for them this time of year. Plus, I'd imagine the transplant probably weakened them some. No worries, though. They're tough and I'm sure they'll be just fine. The petunias have settled in nicely and are blooming on a regular basis.

Besides, they're not the focus this project. Where they're sitting is. Normally, the little space they occupy is mulched for weed control. As you can tell, it's been a while since that's been tended.

After moving the big planter to the side, the most efficient way to tackle the overgrowth was to just rip it out by hand. Some of it came up easy, but some were a real fight. Eventually, both sides ended up looking like this. Bet you didn't even catch the ring of pavers under that mess...

I did the usual landscape fabric treatment, using a few pins around the perimeter to keep the squirrels from digging underneath. They LOVE to bury things in there. I left a little excess fabric, too. Rolling it under to fit the space and holding it down with the mulch will work well enough.

Oh, and by the way, the big red 'planters' had a previous life. They were the bottom portion of the sand filter for the now-removed swimming pool. Each of them suffered some damage during a winter resulting in leaks. Not acceptable in a pool filter, but perfect for re-purposing as a flower planter. I need some more red paint.

Overall, I'm pleased with the outcome despite aching from shoulders to toes. Even my hands hurt. Time for another round of aspirin and a long, hot shower.