Tbh that's the dream right there. I'd probably fix it up just enough so it works but keep all the patina and wear - that barn find charm is way harder to fake than the value of a fully restored one.

Solidarity from someone who also learned this the hard way last year. @troythompson nailed it with the board-plus-canned-foam method, total game changer for rim joists.

Good on Carol for calling it out. Learning to water at dawn or dusk saved my yard and my water bill too. That direct sun watering really is just pouring money down the drain.

Tbh the lighting trick alone is why half those before/after pics go viral.

My neighbor tossed a similar one together from old deck boards and I swear that thing is gonna outlive his actual house. lmao. The key is that scrap wood usually has some natural oils or whatever left in it from being outside already, plus the soil kinda seals the inside over time. You might wanna flip it upside down next spring to check the bottom edges, if they're soft just screw a piece of scrap over them and you'll get another season easy. I do that trick with all my janky beds now, the tomatoes don't care what the box looks like as long as the dirt's good.