How to Build a Herb Garden Box
You can build your own herb garden box to use in your garden, your patio or even your balcony. Herbs are easy to grow and if you raise them where they will be easy to harvest you are likely to use them more often than you would if you had to hike out into your landscape in search of your favorite item. Because you can build an herb garden box to any size, you can grow your own herbs in either large or small spaces. A nicely designed herb garden box can be a decorative asset to any place you choose to install it. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 6 or 8 inch wide wood panels or boards
- Screws
- Plastic tray or heavy plastic sheets
- Hand (or power) saw
- Screwdriver
- Paint, oil or stain
- 2 inch by 2 inch wood
Instructions
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Decide what size box will conveniently fit in the space in which you'll be installing your garden box. Be sure to measure the area so your herb garden will fit in the allotted area.
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Use weather-resistant wood like redwood or cedar. Do not use greenwood or recycled wood that has been previously painted or coated because the toxins in the paint can leach into the soil.
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Make your box narrow in width so that you can easily reach across it to tend and harvest your herbs.
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Cut four corner supports using two inch by two inch wood for a herb garden box that will be roughly three feet in length. A smaller box can use smaller-sized supports. A larger box might need extra vertical supports added along the length depending on how long it is. Cut your supports to be the depth of your box. Make sure your box is at least 6 inches deep to accommodate the bottom of the box yet still provide plenty of soil depth for plant roots inside.
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Cut bottom and side (front and back) panels such that they are all the same length.
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Cut the panels for the width (the narrower side pieces) so that they are all the same size. If your box will only be six or eight inches deep, you can use a single board or panel for each of the sides using wood that is the same six or eight inches in width. Remember, the boards on the front and sides should cover the edges of the bottom piece of wood, meaning that you need to factor in the thickness of the base board into the total interior depth.
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Drill and screw the supports to the bottom length of wood. Drilling a pilot hole before screwing will help to keep the wood from splitting. You can use nails, but screws will give you a tighter and more solid fit. Another advantage to using screws is that you can always take apart your herb garden box easily if you need to in the future.
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Screw the short panels that will create the sides to the two inch by two inch supports you have just screwed to the base board.
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Screw the longer panels that will be the front and back herb box lengths to the vertical supports. Allow the ends of these front and back boards to overlap with the edges of the shorter sides.
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Line your finished box with heavy plastic or place preformed plastic plant trays in the bottom of the box. Note that plastic sheeting can be stapled into place.
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Cut drainage holes in the bottom of the box and liners to allow excess water to drain. This will be especially important feature when it rains.
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Paint, stain or oil the outside of the wood to make the herb garden box more attractive and help it resist the wear and tear of weather.
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Place a two inch layer of gravel in the bottom of your plastic liner(s) for additional drainage for the plants.
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Fill the remainder of the herb box with potting soil so it tops out about an inch from the top of the container. Leaving a gap between the soil and the edge of your box will keep soil and excess water from spilling over the top.
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Plant your herbs. Choose herbs that will grow the best with the amount of sun and shade available in the area where your box is located. You will have the best selection of herbs if you can place your herb garden box where it will have six hours or relatively direct sun. Some herbs will grow in the shade, but most prefer full sun.
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Tips & Warnings
For a larger or heavier duty herb garden box, you might want to build a full wooden frame rather than just vertical supports. A fully framed box with wood screwed on the sides will be more solid and long-lasting.
Use a miter saw for more finished corners that will angle together.
If you want a more substantial herb garden box that is less likely to leak or come apart on the sides, add a layer of glue between all your wood pieces before screwing them into place.
Sink the screw heads lower than the wood surface and fill over them with wood filler if you don’t want the screws to show.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit iStock Photography
