Ladder Herb Planter

Total Cost: $40 + two shipping palettes

Total Time: 20 man-hours

Materials:

3 2" x 10" x 48" copper treated boards

2 2" x 8" x 48" pine boards

3 2" x 4" x 8' pine boards

2 40" x 48" shipping palettes

1 box #6 construction screws, 1 5/16" long

12 #8 construction screws, 3" long

6 coated deck screws, 2 1/2" long

2 bags river rock

4 bags top soil

1 bag manure compost

The palettes:

I realize that the palettes are free, and often you get what you get. However, if you get to choose which palettes you take, try to find palettes that have solid boards that run the length of the palettes. Occasionally, the boards are made of plywood, or they're two pieces of wood nailed across, rather than a single piece.

Using a sturdy pry bar and a hammer, gently pull the palettes apart. The wood is often fairly soft and will break easily. We found that if you shimmy the pry bar between the wooden slats and the supports (sometimes requiring a few taps from the hammer to get it in), and then gently but firmly pry up, you're more likely to get the wood in one solid piece. It also helps to smack the boards from behind.

The palettes are made using scrap wood, so they'll be rough, unsanded, and not at all pretty most of the time. That's okay! It leads to the charm of the finished boxes. Don't worry about split wood, either. Our boxes aren't supposed to be water-tight, and in fact, it's better if they aren't. You're probably going to want to wear gloves to avoid splinters while you're working with the palettes, though, and it will take time to rid the boards of all of the nails in them. 

The boxes:

Once you have the palettes deconstructed, lay the boards out side by side so that you can see the different tones, shapes, and sizes. Organize the boards so that you have three sides per box that are relatively the same sizes. You will need to make sure that the boards for the bottom of the boxes are 8" wide. It's okay to use more than one board on the bottom, because, again, we aren't worried about making water-tight boxes. We'll be using river rock to stop up most of the cracks and spaces so that dirt won't spill out of the bottom, too. 

Once your boards are arranged into sets of four boxes, it's time to cut the end pieces. On the 2" x 8" x 48" boards, measure 8 8" blocks. (You can use scrap wood for this, if you have it. You do want to make sure that the end pieces are 8" x 8", though.) Cut the boards, using a circular saw, and stack two ends with each of the sets for the boxes. This helps keep everything organized. 

Working with one stack at a time, bring the wood up onto your workbench. Set the wooden slats for one side on the upright end piece. (We set our end pieces in about 2" to avoid the nail holes already in the slats.)  Pre-drill the holes in the slats with a 1/8" bit to avoid splitting the wood. Use one or two screws, depending on the width of the slats. Do the same thing on the other side. Screw the slats down, making sure that the edge of one of the slats is flush with the bottom of the end piece. Attach a second slat above the first if necessary to make the box between 6" - 8" deep. Do the same thing on the other side, keeping the ends as straight as possible.

Add the bottom to the box using the same method, making sure that the full 8" is covered if possible. It's okay to have a small gap between the boards on the bottom, but they shouldn't be more than 1/4" wide. There should be no gaps at all between the boards on the sides.

They look rough in the picture above, but they're supposed to. Again, don't worry about the gaps, as we'll be filling those with river rock before we add the dirt.

The steps:

You'll need a large square, a pencil, and a measuring tape for the stair stringers (the pieces the boxes will sit on). On the 2" x 10" x 48" boards, use the following chart as a guide cutting out the steps for the boxes. 

Cut three of these stringers.

The back frame:

Cut the 2" x 4" x 8' boards into the following lengths: 

• 2 boards at 34" for uprights
• 2 boards at 40" for horizontal boards
• 1 board at 42" for cross piece

Mark the uprights 6" from the top and the bottom, and draw a line across. Lay the horizontal boards across the uprights, lining the horizontal boards up along the drawn lines. (The boards should be on the inside of the drawn lines so that there is a 6" "leg" and 6" top on the frame.) Screw the boards down using the #8 construction screws, two screws in each end. Place the cross piece in between the two horizontal pieces, laying it at an angle. Screw it in with the #8 screws, two on each end.

The frame:

Screw the steps into the back frame on the horizontal boards about 6" in from each end and in the center, using the coated deck screws. Place the frame where you want your herb garden. Place the boxes on each of the steps.

Fill the planters:

Use half of each of the bags of river rock in each of the boxes, spreading the rocks out evenly. Mix the top soil and manure compost together in a large bin, then fill the remainder of the boxes with the mixture. 

Add the plants, and water.