Finished Planter Boxes and Garden Update

The planter boxes are finished and filled. 

If you missed how we made them, you can read about them HERE.

I stained the inside with some food safe stain and thought I had some oil based stain  for the outside of the boxes left over from when we stained the raised beds, but it must have been used up.

Darn. 

Of course I couldn't remember which stain I used on the raised beds.

So I guessed.

It only took me a week to make it to the store to go pick up some stain.

I planted 4 pole beans in each planter box and since beans grow so fast, they had to be transplanted into the planter boxes before I had a chance to stain the outside.

The planter boxes have their new home behind the raised beds since that's where the sun shines for most of the day. The boxes are on wheels and can be easily moved if we need to get to the other side of the bed.

Next, we bought some 6 foot bamboo and tied them up like a teepee. Each bean plant has it's own bamboo stake. Can't wait until the beans grow up that high.

This past weekend I was finally able to put a couple of coats of stain on the outside of the planter boxes.

It had just rained  before I took these pics, so the boxes look a little splotchy. Actually, we had about a 20 minute deluge. 

Did you get rain where you are?

Of course, Mr. Fanatic hooked me up with drip irrigation to each planter box. 

How cool is that?

And being the proud "mama" that I am, here's are pics of the 4 raised beds in our North garden.

 

There are 6 heirloom tomatoes planted  in the closest bed on the left.    

I planted/transplanted most of them this weekend. Can't wait to see those tomatoes grow!

We've already harvested a pound of broccoli and a 1/2 of pound of snap peas from this bed and we're just getting started. If you haven't tasted home grown broccoli, I highly suggest growing some. Be forewarned though, that if you do, it will be difficult for to eat broccoli from the grocery store again.

My kitties love to take cat naps nearby when I'm working in the garden.

Sam has to wear the "cone of shame" (from the movie Up) because he licks himself constantly. Buddy loves to hang around Sam outside.

The raised beds in the South garden are finally all planted. The lettuce bed is full of Romaine and head lettuce that was planted over a month ago. 

The turnips and beets are growing, but I'm not sure what's below the ground.

I get a kick out of growing radishes. They pop up out of the soil when they're done, so there isn't any question as to when to pick. Another added benefit is they take only 30 to 40 days start to finish.

Now you're all caught up.

Would love to know if you plant a veggie garden...and what you like to grow.
If you'd like to see how we built the planter boxes, you can read about them HERE.

Pam

How To Make A Wood Planter Box

Mr. DIY made me some wood planter boxes this weekend.

They are so pretty even in their unfinished state. 

You know I saw something similar on Pinterest 

and Mr. DIY loves to make things, 

sooooo

this weekend he got out a few of his saws. 

lucky for me because wood planter boxes are pretty expensive when you buy them pre-made. 

As with all building projects...START WITH A PLAN.
It's best to draw out your building project to scale.

The planter boxes are made with t-111  plywood siding, which has an 8" groove pattern in it. (it also comes in a 4" groove pattern) 
The first cut was 15" high and he used his circular saw with a metal guide clamped to the wood to make cutting a straight line easier. 

For each box he cut a piece 15" high x 18 5/8" wide. He centered the groves when he cut the pieces. He nailed the sides together with a finishing nailer.

He was able to make 3 boxes with one 4 x 8 sheet of t-111.

For the frames on the sides and tops he used 1 x 3's .

He used his Kreg Jig to put together the corners of the frames. This is a super, handy tool to have and Mr. F uses it when he's building something out of wood that he doesn't want nails or screws to show.  
Here's a little tip: he cut off 3/4" off one of the 1 x 3's (lengthwise) so that when they were put together, each side would be 2 1/2". If he hadn't done this, one side would be 2 1/2" and the other would be 3 1/4".

The corners were then attached to the box from the inside. 

Here you can see the corners attached. After the four corners were screwed on to the boxes, the top and bottom side frames were cut and screwed on. 

Finally,  he mitered the top frame and then cut a piece of plywood for the bottom. 

The finished bottom of the boxes are: 15" high x 20 3/4 wide

The finished top is: 22 3/8" x 22 3/8"

See the wheels underneath? It's on a dolly.

Mr. F made the planter boxes  large enough to fit over and conceal most of the dolly. (the bottom piece of plywood is attached about 2" up from the sides)

I am married to one smart cookie. (insert hearts here)

Here's how the cost breaks down:

$31.26 for 1 sheet: t-111 plywood

$33 for 11- 1 x 3 x 96 choice lumber pine

       $0- 3 pieces plywood for bottoms (used scrap pieces from another project)

$0- finishing nails and  1" screws and 1 1/4" Kreg jig screws (we had in our stock)
$0- we had the wheels already

Total:

$67.26 or $21.42 a piece.

not bad

You can see the finished planter boxes HERE

Pam

Disclaimer: The above post is how we made our planters. I don't take any responsibility for any errors or results obtained from using this information. Using power tools can result in injury. When using power tools, use safety equipment.

Amazon links are affiliate links