Create A Stunning Garden Wall Using Affordable Wood Pallets

By Maeve Browne
A white pallet planter box filed with succulents McCoy_LG/Shutterstock

An intentional and well-designed garden is one of the simplest ways to elevate your living space. Thankfully, choosing to design your home with sustainable materials can be both stylish and affordable. This thrifty garden project transforms mundane wooden pallets into a blossoming garden wall. The DIY is extremely customizable, and all you need to get started is a wood pallet and plants of your choice.

There are often pallets hiding in plain sight, waiting to be repurposed. Many garden centers, large stores, and construction sites have discarded pallets lying around. You can ask permission to take one for a budget-friendly wood pallet DIY. You can also research recycling centers nearby that may have some to spare. If all else fails, local hardware stores sell new pallets. You may be able to score a deal on one for as low as $40. Once you procure your materials, it's time for the fun part — adding personality to your design! 

How to build your wood pallet vertical garden

@joesgarden

Today we are back and I am showing you how to build one of my favourite zero waste projects and the best part is this one is completely free. As you know by now I love using pallets in the garden to make various bits and pieces, but this project is by far my favourite! I’m always asked where and how to get pallets, and the best way to get them for free is to simply ask your local garden centre or industrial unit. They will be more than happy for you to have them as they have to pay to have them taken away anyway. When getting your pallets just make sure to get ones which are stamped with HT which means they are heat treated and and safe to use. I love to protect my pallets using a good wood preserve, but this is optional (although I highly recommend). To create the planting areas, there are a few ways this can be done, but by far the easiest is to simply attach the slats you’ve removed back under the remaining slats, which then create a perfect DIY planting trough. These make ideal containers for small gardens and balconies, and I love to use them as small herb kitchens or floral displays. If you have very strong screws or bolts, you can even attach these planters to walls or fences, but be careful because they can be heavy when loaded with soil. Thank you so much for watching, and let me know if you have any questions, I love you all, Joe 😊🌱💚 #verticalgarden #verticalplanter #zerowaste #palletproject #sustainability #gardeningtips

♬ A Gentle Sunlight - James Quinn

Constructing your garden wall is simple. First, clean and sand the wood until the surface is smooth and any excess dirt is removed. Next, remove every other pallet slat with a crowbar, hammer, or saw, depending on what tools you have handy. Reattach these to the underside of the other slats with nails or screws, forming rows of planter boxes. Seal your vertical garden with plant-safe wood sealer and apply a fresh coat of paint to give it a weather-resistant pop of color. You can staple in recycled compost bag, plastic, or landscaping fabric to line the troughs.

The versatile design can be mounted to a fence or remain free-standing in either your backyard or even indoors. To mount the garden on a fence, screw stainless steel ceiling hooks on the fence's top horizontal support beam, hang the pallet, and reinforce the support with extra screws drilled into the back planks. Be sure to mount the frame prior to filling it with soil so it's not too heavy to handle.

Once your vertical garden wall is securely in place, fill the planter boxes with soil and whatever foliage your heart desires. The narrow design is the perfect size for creating your own patio vegetable garden. You can fill your beds with succulents, lilacs, herbs, or even leafy greens like kale. Vegetables with shallow roots like radishes, green onions, and arugula would thrive. Plus, vertical gardens are a cost-effective way to brighten up even the smallest of spaces without breaking the bank.

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