Now that I have drawn up my garden plan. It was time to roll up my sleeves and actually figure out how to build raised garden boxes. From the beginning of my adventure, I had already established myself to be a pretty broke chick, not wanting to spend any money if possible and if I had to that it was something I could get many uses out of. When you take on a project like this, you will need to spend some money but I have found a few tricks that may help you to keep your wallet in your pocket. In this blog we will look at the right box size for the right vegetable and some kind of awesome tricks in using all of the nooks and crannies of your pallet. In this series we will design, build and grow a magical garden full of peace and tranquility. Learn new stuff, makes some mistakes, make an even bigger mess, change our mind a million times and then go back to the original plan and then drawing board. We will use new tools, makes some decorating decisions and at the end of the day, reflect on the growth both in my yard but my soul as well.
Use, reclaim, recycle...reinvent
I am very fortunate that I work for a company that has a never ending supply of Pallets. Using Pallets not only keeps me from spending money but it also amazing for our environment. All of our pallets are already heat treated, this prevents molding or bugs later on. We get them in all sizes and having that variety has lent itself to many creative ideas. The best part about pallets is...ya can't fuck it up. It's pallet wood.
I do these projects at home alone and sometimes trying to get 3 pallets to stand up at the same time to get a handle on them lends to the domino effect. One piece falls, ya pick it up..the other side falls...so on and so on. Well about the 20th time the wood hits the floor your ready to beat the hell out of everything. If you have a buddy, this project could really use the company. Since I did not at the time, I used walls, other pallets...levels, I used anything I could to be sure that I was on the straight and narrow and so would be my pallet wood.
I had many ideas of what I wanted and my drawings really helped keep my mind focused on 1 thing at a time. Your garden planner or journal does so many more things than keep random ideas flowing, it really does keep you going down the list to be able to keep yourself dead on in the game. Distractions were horrible with this project because in doing it, I saw a million other projects a head of me.
Again, the best advice I have is know what you want to plant first and how many you may be planting. I say that now but in a future blog you will read how I did not know to follow my own current knowledge or advice and am now in a jungle of vegetables in my dinning room. I lost a dog for almost an hour yesterday so that should tell you how hind sight really is 20/20. Now that I know..trust me I will make sure I say something so you do not do the same. With the many varied boxes and sizes I would need to create I needed a starting point. I began sewing my plants in late February of 2019 as it is suggested that you should put the seeds in the dirt 6-8 weeks before the last frost. I will be blogging on all of that later. To my dismay however...my plants have decided to all begin to grow..way faster and more plentiful then expected so I really need to get a move on with the raised beds. Where the hell to start?
What you'll need for this project:
I used 2- 22x44 pallets
2 pallet frames cut in half- you will need 1 4x2 and one 2x2 square section from these.
2x4 or scrap wood pieces for trellis and structure
Wood nails
Jigsaw
Hammer
Wood screws
Weed Barrier
Staple gun
A good glass of wine
The Bean Box
Because my green beans and peas will require a lot of room to grow upwards and eventually on to a trellis, I figured this was the best place to start. Beans and peas don't so much need the area as they do the upward space to grow and by the looks of my sprouts..they will be the first to have to be transplanted. So I am going to need something deep, square that may have a growing area attached. I got the basic box concept, which you can see above, and played around with separating the boxes in the middle. I tried several ways to make the top look professionally done but at the end of the day the separation took up to much of the area in the soil.
Mocking up this bad boy was kind of a pain in the ass, it would be much easier with a buddy to help you but is no excuse for not at least trying. Mocking the box up was again a challenge to keep the boards upright. I found two fairly similar sized half pallets. The best part about this project is there is very little cutting involved with the actually pallets themselves.
Almost this entire time I am thinking that I am going to use this divider at the top but on a fluke I decided to take the divider off and had leaned it against my box...the light bulb went off.
I took 2 half pallets and used the frames of two pallet dividers to make this project. The pallets I used for this are 22x44 and have roughly 4 boards across each one. The top parts actually have these unique little holes or sections that would normally be on the side but the way I have positioned my pallet they are now sitting right on top. To me this looked like the perfect place for flowers or herbs. I can make the space useful if I play my cards right.
After setting up the pallets and mocking up what I thought the box should be like, I drilled proper holes in the wood before I drilled in the screws. This is a new one on me. I had a bitch of a time trying to just drill the wood screws in the wood. The would either not site right, wouldn't bog all the way to the board or they would bend. After watching a few youtube video's I realized that you need to drill in eye wholes first so that your screw has something to grip on to. So write that one down! In fact, write it all down. Believe me my journal is turning more into a how to guide then it is a reference. Yes I can refer back to ideas when needed or make improvements but this is where you can seriously look back on a project and actually see your personal growth. You can't always see it. The struggle is real ya all. Despite my many changes, days of learning patients, mulligans and total fuck ups..I looked back on this journal last night and was like there is no way this is who I was a year ago. The many changes in mindset, my ability to actually make a plan and make it happen and above all my willingness to give myself the shot, has seriously paid off. Not only can you see it at the end of a the day with your progress, you can look back on the journey and see what you've been through to get to that moment.
The more and more I stared at this box the more I hated the idea of it not having an open top. So...Boom separation section GONE!
The pallet frames as I call them that I get at work are basic 2x4's that are framed out to form 4 perfect squares. The ones I am using measure 4 foot x 4 foot square. If there is a more technical name for them...well I don't care what it is.
I cut the 4x4 in half, I took a second pallet frame and cut a 2x2 and as you can see its a pretty good fit. The only real issue here is that we are working with Beans and Pea's, both of which need plenty of up space to grow and a lattes of some kind.
I went back and remeasured everything but still felt like the end part of this box needed to be taller. This way later on I could string a lattes or install one, but it will need to be supported before the need for the lattes.
using a jigsaw, I improvised and made a basic 2x3 frame and added it to the end. This gave it way more stability while still giving me the general look I wanted. Because this needed to have a bit of a lattes on it, I added a few cross beams to both the front and back panels so that later on I could string up something for them to grow on. This worked perfectly.
Once I had the finally pieces on paper, in my mind, measured and logged in my journal, I mocked it up and took pictures. This is a awesome idea because as you are creating things in your head...you can get a visual of what you are already working with. It is now time to realign and drill some holes.
I've learned a great deal of things along the way and one of the biggest is drilling eye holes before you drill your screws. Not only does this give you a more even hole but it gives the screw something to latch on too, making it a hell of a lot easier to get the boards flush to one another.
Because I did this alone, I found it much easier to tack the boards together before marking them or drilling them with a wood nail. Just tapping it into the wood enough to hold it in place long enough for me to not chase it falling boards and giving me time to line it up a million times before making it permanent.
I framed the box out before drilling. lined up where I wanted my screws to be and marked them on the board. I have learned that when you use wood screws of any kind, it is smart to think inside the box. you want to be sure that your board will be secure but supported as well. I suggest using the box method. Using 4 screws in a square provides the structure you need and the stability you want.
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Boom...its a garden box!
The middle of the box was going to need some support to hold a ton of dirt and the weight of the plant itself. I secured the inside section with two 2x4's that I had laying around. Once I drilled them into place, I actually sat in the middle of the box, just to see if it could hold my weight or if it would just slide apart. It is solid man!
Now that the box is together my next step was to lay the weed barrier down. I actually went to the dollar tree and picked up a bunch, in my opinion these are the best and least expensive way to go. The double thickness of its material is pretty top notch and if I had spent more, It would of been for the same material. Save the money..go to dollar tree! I laid out the barrier using my staple gun and really stabled the hell out of everything touching wood. The more staples and places they are secured the better off you'll be later. I had picked up some recycled mini fridge shelves at a office junk giveaway at work, I just figured they may come in handy one day and placing them at the bottom of the box not only will help with drainage but also give them roots something to cling on too.
When you stand a pallet on its ends, the sides almost create this cool little pockets that are amazing for planting. The box itself can be more than a planter, it is also decorative in that you can make these little pockets and fill them with herbs or flowers. It is the perfect depth for herbs or strawberries and I put them together using scraps and left over material from the inside of the box. I think I may have paid $2.00 total to make this box. I have decided not to stain the wood or even sand it, I love the way this looks as is and over time it will become even more weathered...so pretty much, once the spring gives up her frosty nights, I will be ready to go.
Building a raised bed, rebuilding your life, taking risks and trying something new, these are all things you can do. You do not need special tools or knowledge, just the desire to do something amazing. You don't need fancy store bought stuff to feel good, or to make your world a prettier place to be. You can create a world of magic and beauty, peace and tranquility, when you are able to feel it within yourself first. You will never know until you begin your journey.
Find yourself in your own creations....you can do this!
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