DIY: Raised Planter Bed
We finished building the main part our deck last year but wanted to modernize it a bit further. I really like the look of those tall planters; they're so sleek! Originally I was going to add some glass railings around this portion of the deck but I had enough leftover materials to make this planter at no extra cost so I went for it!
I didn’t really have a good plan, but I had a rough idea of what I wanted. I used this tutorial as a basic starting point and jumped right in.
Materials
- 2x12s or 2x10s (for my project I used two 2x12x10s and four 2x10x10s)
- 2x4s or scrap lumber for bracing
- 4” deck screws
- 2.5” deck screws
- Landscape fabric
- Soil
- Plants
Measure out where you want your planter. I wanted mine to match the length of my deck with a tall and skinny profile, so I measured 10’ deep, by 13” wide and 42” high. I started by building the short ends. I cut three pieces of 2x10/2x12 and joined them together by screwing into some scrap pieces of wood placed on the inside of the planter. I did this twice; one for either side.
Once I had both short ends made, I attached boards to create the long edges. In this case, I stacked up one 2x12x10, and two 2x10x10s to give me the desired 42” height.
I made the deck side of the planter first and, before attaching the fourth side, I affixed the U-shaped structure to the side of the deck with long deck screws. I made sure it was level before attaching to the deck, which required a small amount of trench digging. I also made sure it was resting on the ground so the screws would't have to bear the entire load.
Once the partially built planter was secured to the deck, I screwed on the remainder of the boards to complete the final side. I also added some blocking in the centre of the planter for extra support to prevent bowing when filled with soil.
Do a hand stand on it to make sure it's sturdy (just kidding, don't try this at home).
If you don’t want to cover your planter with anything fancy, you can skip to the next step. I covered the outside of mine with reclaimed wood, starting with the short ends first. I used deck screws to attach them to the frame. I also made sure they extended slightly above the frame so that it was hidden when filled with soil. I then stained the reclaimed planter and accent wall boards with this semi-transparent stain in Architectural Grey.
Once the planter was finiched, I lined the inside with landscape fabric. I used a staple gun to tack the fabric in place.
I then filled the planter with black earth, which required about 28 bags at $1 per bag.
I planted four boxwoods, making sure to keep space between them to allow for growth. I chose boxwood because they keep their leaves all year round and I love their look. Once grown, these will be about 3-5’ tall and about 3’ wide, offering some additional privacy to the deck. Keeping the shrubs all the same gives that modern look, however you can plant whatever you want in your planter!
To plant the shrubs:
Dig a hole in the soil deep enough for the base of your plant to fit in.
Sprinkle a little fertilizer in the hole.
Remove the plastic container around the roots and carefully loosen the roots by lightly squeezing the soil.
Pop your plant in the hole and fill in around the sides with soil.
Make sure you give them a good water once they are planted. Don’t forget to water them often, especially on hot days.
We still have a few things to do before we can do the big reveal, like stain the deck and add a gravel walkway. Next year we will be replacing the ugly siding with something prettier, getting a new fence, and hopefully cleaning up the lawn.