by Silva Payne

Created on: September 11, 2009

While plastic planters may be cheap and plentiful from most garden stores, making your own wooden planters is a satisfying and easy pass time. They add a touch of rustic charm to any garden and can be built to fit a particular spot in your garden or on your patio. In just a few easy steps you can learn how to build a wooden planter, and how to take care of it so that it lasts year after year.

For a basic square planter you will need some wooden planks and batons, nails or screws, a saw, a drill, a hammer, a pencil and a tape measure. Cut sections of plank so that you have 4 side pieces and a base all the same size. Planters can be surprisingly heavy so keep the dimensions compact for your first planter, around 12 inches by 12 inches (30cm by 30cm) is a good size to begin with.

Next, cut the baton (soft lengths of rough wood, 1 inch by 1 inch (2.5cm by 2.5cm) and up to 8 feet (2 1/2 m) long) into 8 sections. These should be long enough to create an open frame box that you will attach the plank sides to. The upright sections will be as long as the planks and the base sections will be shorter to fit between the uprights. You will need 4 upright pieces and 4 base pieces.

To assemble the planter, either drill holes through the plank and baton and attach with screws, or use a hammer and small nails or tacks. Keep the baton sections on the inside of the planter and the edges of the planks flush with each other. Drill 4 or 5 drainage holes through the base section of plank to allow water to pass through so that your plants will not get waterlogged. You should end up with an open-top wooden cube.

In order to make your planter last as long as possible, you need to protect the wood. Treating it with the standard creosote is not recommended as this will harm any plants you put into the planter. There are water-based wood preservatives available in a range of soft colours that are not toxic to plants which you can use. However, the best way to preserve the wood is by painting it with one or two coats of gloss paint, inside and out. Make sure the drainage holes do not become clogged with paint. You can choose any colour you like, but keep in mind that the plant is supposed to be the star of the show, and a bright red planter may draw more attention than the plant it is used to display.

Finally, sit your planter on a couple of off-cuts of wood, flat stones, or purpose-made planter "feet". This will keep it up off the ground and allow water to drain away freely without rotting the plant roots or the base of your planter.

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