Tutorial to create a raised modern planter for your garden space.
The garden wasn't on the list of priorities but during UK lockdown 1.0 we decided to make a start on the outdoors space, as the weather forecast was planned to be amazing. It was tidy when we moved in, it just needed alittle TLC. So to help disguise this concrete breeze block effect wall, I came up with an idea of building a large fixed planter.
So firstly we jet-washed all the paving, then painted the wall in a masonry paint from B&Q - GoodHome Classic Oklahoma Smooth Matt Masonry paint.
Now the space was ready to start building a frame. As we had alot timber lying about in the garden, so we decided to recycle it. Alot of it was in various sizes. We cut them, so they were all roughly 2x2" in size. We then added cross timbers fixed to the wall, using metal L brackets to secure them at equal distances to fit and support the plant pots we would be adding later.
We now have a fitted sturdy frame, we started adding the slats. This was one of the easiest parts of the project, requiring just a hammer and nails.
We used sawn kiln dried timber - 19 x 32 x 2400mm Pack of 8 from Wickes. You can use tanalised timber which is already treated but this is alittle more expensive and I didn't really like the green tinge you get with it. But as the kiln dried timber is not treated, you will need to treat it with some exterior wood protector or paint. This all depends on which finish you would prefer. *Tip - Use an off-cut for spacing between slats.
Staggering the joins will help strengthen the planter.
Once we finished nailing all the slats into place, we decided to treated the timber in a clear outdoor varnish. I wanted to keep the colour as natural as possible, as I loved the wood colour.
When we were happy with the overall look, we slotted in the plastic trough planters and added some planting.
We opted to use various grasses, so they would eventually grow and fill out the space. To give the look of it being one continuous planter. Also as this spot is in the sun all day, whatever we decided to use needed to be hardy to withstand the heat.
To Make the garden feel like an extension of our home, we added festoon lighting, an outdoor rug, rattan seating and also an upcycling patio set that matched perfectly with the overall look.
Our next project was to create a log and bin store. Continue to read my blog to see how we got on next. Thanks for reading.
