Yes. The idea was to darken the paint with charcoal, but it took unbelievable amounts of charcoal to get past light gray. Doing it again, I think I'd stick with plain whitewash simply because it is a lot easier, and not that different.

The paint lasted about a year, I think. After that, the wood just weathered to gray.

Did you make your own paint, or buy it pre-made? There appears to be a finish coat available for exterior applications of milk paint. I am thinking of using that if I decide this is a viable option.

I made it. Since then, I've seen commercial milk paint for sale.

Is the finish coat something like linseed oil?

When you buy a whisky barrel to use as a planter the inside has been charred to preserve the wood, there is also a Japanese technique of charring wood decoratively perhaps you could do something like that using a blow lamp.

I guess cost is an issue if you are considering pallet lumber but I don't think there is a rule that veg beds have to be wood. Stone perhaps? If you have an opportunity to collect fieldstone or get some off craigslist, consider that.

Other option that I've used for raised beds is marble or granite off-cuts from a countertop place. They put rather big pieces out in the lane near my place.

Other cheap option, broken-up concrete.

Karin L