How to Build a Herb Garden Box
You can build your own herb garden box to use in your garden or on a patio or 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 having to hike out into the landscape in search of your favorite item. Because you can build your herb garden box to any size you can grow your own herbs in large or small spaces. A nicely designed herb garden box can be a decorative asset to any place you choose to set 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 fit conveniently in the space you will be using. Measure the area so your herb garden will fit the way you want.
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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 since toxins can leach into the soil.
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Make your box narrower than long so you can easily reach across it to tend and harvest your herbs.
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Cut four corner supports using 2-inch by 2-inch wood for a herb garden box that will be roughly 3 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 all the same length.
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Cut the panels for the width (narrower side pieces) all the same size. If your box will only be 6 or 8 inches deep, you can use a single board or panel for each of the sides using wood that is the same 6 or 8 inches in width. Remember the boards on the front and sides will cover the edges of the bottom piece of wood. That means 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 keep wood from splitting. You can use nails, but screws will give you a tighter and more solid fit. Another advantage of 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 2-inch x 2-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 the edges of the shorter sides.
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Line your finished box with heavy plastic or set preformed plastic plant trays inside the box. 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 away. This will be especially important in rain.
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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 2-inch layer of gravel in the bottom of your plastic liner(s) as 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 lip 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 sun or shade 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 more of direct sun. Some herbs will grow in 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 using vertical supports. A fully framed box with wood screwed on the sides will be more solid and long-lasting.
Use a miter 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.
