I have the most beautiful outside project to share with you today…. NOT!
Here is our sad mailbox 
surrounded by some bare batches of Georgia red clay and some weeds grass. He has needed some TLC pretty much ever since we moved in 8 years ago and has finally made it to top of the list.
Here is my dilemma. I don’t want to buy a new post or mailbox. I want to work with what I have. But I can’t decide on a color??
Here’s a full shot so you can see our house in the background.
I drove around our neighborhood the other day and took some pictures of mailboxes for ideas. Now I need your help! Help me pick your favorite and which one would best go with my house.
#1 option – White mailbox/wood post
This is probably the most accurate look of what mine would look like since my post is very gray and aged over time.
Here’s another white mailbox/wood pole. I can see some wood stain on this pole.
I really like this one, BUT I would have to buy a new post to get mine to look this good. And unless someone destroys ours, that is not the plan.
Again really like this one too.
#2 option – Black mailbox/stained wood post
Of course this one looks really good with the new stained wood post.
This is pretty much what I have already – just a little touched up. Thinking I am wanting a change…?
Option #3 – Black mailbox/White post
This could easily be done with mine. But I do think painting the post would accentuate the aging/cracks/etc. And would it stay/look clean?? This was originally what I thought I would do though.
So what would you do?? Which one is your favorite?
I supposed I could start with sanding/staining the wood and see what that looks like and then could always paint over it white?
And here is my other dilemma. I want to put in a flower bed around my mailbox.
Again, here is the before…
Should I put in 2 beds? One on each side of the driveway? We have nothing in our front yard until you get to the porch – no trees, just flat yard. So I think a bed at the entrance of the left side of the driveway would really help with some interest. BUT is it TOO much and too parallel?
Here are some inspiration pictures I am using to help plan my bed.
Love this one – just with a little smaller plants.
Love the natural look of the large rock and the rock edging on this one.
So tell me in the comments – what do you suggest?
Option #1 – white mailbox/wood post
Option #2- black mailbox/wood post
Option #3 – black mailbox/white post
Should I put in one flower bed or two?
Thanks for your help! And be sure to come back tomorrow for the next post in our “Sprucing up the outdoors for Spring” series! 
{cj}
I personally would do the white post, but then again I like the natural wood color with a stain. I love the idea of the flower bed around it! I am going to have my husband weld something together so I can slide something down some of my post and have two flower pots on each side! Good luck!
I’d go with option #3 – the paint will help. Also – two plantings – not square! – with some taller things like the black eyed susans – they have a pinkish/purple variety that would go well with your house. Be sure to post your “after” pics ! Have fun ! 🙂
I would paint the box the color of your shutters. And sand and paint or stain the post. It will help seal the wood and put a termite resistant seal on it too. A stone lined angled plant bed would look nice too. I’m sure whatever you do it will look fantastic!
Black mailbox- white post. Also, I like the look of the 2nd bed with rock edging. Clean and simple.
Hi, I would go with option 3. I really like the white, but living in Ga., I know all about the Ga. clay and it would just be a matter of a short time before you would have to clean it off that beautiful white. I really like the flower bed on option 3 also.
Hi! I think it would be nice to use your house paint colors … The window shutter color on the mailbox post and your exterior paint color … the light tan color … on the mailbox. I just like to tie tge color scheme together. Lovely home!!
I like option #1 – white mailbox, wood post. I think you could probably sand your post and then stain it, maybe something similar to your shutters. A white post will be very difficult to keep clean but the white mailbox would pick up on the white trim on your house. As far as flowerbeds are concerned, yes, I like the idea of a flower bed on both sides of the driveway doing something similar to the first picture you posted. Or you could put a narrow flowerbed up the house side of the driveway – that would look pretty too. Good luck! Be sure to post a follow-up!
I like option#1 (white mailbox with the wood post. I also like the rock trim and the simpler plants around the post. Hope we can see the finished look!
I like the stained post – light color if you prefer that more that dark. Also, I think the mailbox in the color of your shutters would be nice.
For plants, I like the curved rock edging and small plants (but do they stay small?) and I think it would look nicer on both sides of the driveway. You could also add more along the rest of the driveway later if you want to.
I like the idea of painting it to match your shutters, but it looks like your shutters are burgundy. I just can’t picture a burgundy painted mail box. Or post. Personally, it doesn’t really bother me the way it is now. I think if you did some landscaping it would make it looks 100% better. I kind of like the last picture. Black Eyed Susans are nice, but they won’t be there all year. And I wouldn’t use Monkey grass. It’s a pain after a while. And it doesn’t look good all year either. I think we have some kind of purple flower vine that blooms out now that grows up the mail box. I’ve also planted lambs ear which kept the whole winter. Junipers look nice. Especially the small growing ones. Check and see if you have a landscaping nursery nearby. They will have plants for your area, and I think they selections are better than a big box. (ie they take better).
Here’s my 2 cents worth. I vote white post (use high gloss paint, so it will be easy to hose off) and black mailbox. Please don’t use those tacky stick on numbers though. You are talented. Use a stencil and hand paint them. Make it easy to find your house in an emergency by painting your house number in a very tiny font dead center on the front of your box using white paint. Then use black on both sides of the post directly; behind the mailbox to paint the numbers. You want it to look classy, but still be very visible. Maybe add ‘No.’ before the number to make it distinctive. A curvy font would look great.
The second bed is lovely, but I think you should go a larger and put one on each side of the driveway. You don’t want them to look out of proportion with your house. Little tiny beds would look awkward. Take the bed back about 6 feet and make it about 4 feet wide or even 6 feet. You don’t have to completely fill it with plants all at once. Buy some for the area closet to the road and add others as the seasons change. Pine straw is my favorite mulch though.
Plant ‘white’ flower beds. White reflects light at night making it easy to see your driveway in the dark. A moon flower growing up a short narrow trellis (think – a piece of wrought iron perhaps?) on the opposite side would counter balance the mailbox post. Alaskan Shasta daisies will bloom in pretty cold weather and go dormant in the heat. Just cut them back to the ground. They are perennials and will put out new growth when conditions are right. Add a pot of white mums to each side for the fall. They are perennials as well. Dusty miller and lambs ear will add a little contrast while still remaining in the ‘white’ family. Dianthus (aka carnations) is easy to grow and makes a great ground cover type plant. It will work beautifully right in corner area between the street and the driveway. Some white strawflower to add height and maybe a few annuals to fill in with. You will have a gorgeous almost year round bed that only needs minimal care.
So maybe that was more than 2 cents worth. Sorry to be so long winded. I might should have told you I am from Alabama and my background is horticulture! 🙂