I spread GE Exterior Silicone II on the bike bars and wrapped them with the wicker. I used large clamps to hold the wicker in place until the silicone dried (This was not an easy or fast process). I used a whole can of Minwax Polyurethan on the wicker, straw, wood, willow, bamboo, handle bars and seats. The wicker soaks up the Poly and it acts as an extra glue and hardener. I plan to do extra coats periodically. I even coated the burlap fabric with the Poly. I am not a confident gardener about what to plant in the baskets. Temperatures are already gettin' up to 100. It will probably need to be potted plants. This Fall, I plan to fill the back basket with coconut liner then those miniature pumpkin gourds that I am growing in the back yard. Last year people were using my bike as a photo op on Halloween night. I had painted it with spray primer to look like rust and It had yellow pansies in it.

As per usual you have great suggestions from the local talent, floral, toys, bathroom items, etc, the two others I might suggest is shoes or laundry? I have a basket by the back entry for tossing in shoes when we come in the house, its actually used for the shoes we wear out to the back yard, or take walks in, gardening shoes etc, and the grandchildren use it when they come in and out. Its in lieu of one of those boot trays which is also handy but holds less. It would make a lovely laundry basket, you could use it for gathering laundry, looks like it would hold a whole load of clothes and towels, and then delivering it, and its pretty enough to leave out in the laundry room rather than a plastic basket although not as stable since it rocks, the handle would make it easy to carry.

I am an attorney and I say you advise your now former agent in writing that the sale of the property is a closed issue. If it was not included in the contract, it does not go with the house. Once she signed off and the sale was closed - that's it. There are no "go backs" and "do overs". Your former agent can appease her all she wants, but you are done. A court will only accept as evidence - what the contract says. We call it the "four corners of the contract" - other stuff like what she thought, or what she said or what someone else said - is not admissable evidence. And there is a universal rule - anything involving land, must be in writing. So if she wanted a wicker shelf, or anything else, it had to be in the contract and she should raise the issue at closing or she has waived it. (Claiming it was a fixture is a load of cr*p too. A fixture is defined as being permanently attached to the building that actually affects or has some function relavent to the building - like a light, or say the mirror in a bathroom that is attached to a wall - not an obviously inexpensive temporary shelf). I wouldn't put up with the harrassment. Under no circumstance give anything that was not spelled out in the contract or agreed to in writing. This person makes her way in life and gets what she wants by being a jerk, hoping to pester people into getting what she wants usually for free. A huge waste of energy but apparently she has been successful at it. Do not fall for it. Do not be a nice guy just to shut her up. Too many people have already done that - and that is why she thinks she can continue to get away with it. I had an acquaintance like her ... ignore her and she'll eventually run out of steam. Move on and tell your agent (in writing) to quit bothering you or you will report her to her broker. Or ask around your friends, find one with a son or daughter who just passed the bar and pay them a hundred bucks to write a letter. You should not waste another moment of your time with this.

I would spray on a coat of the same color paint in the gloss you want it to be.