Elevated Garden Planter - Simple, Affordable, and Sturdy

This instructable shows how to make a medium-sized garden planter. It measures 4' long, 2' wide, and 30" tall. I designed it so it can be easily rolled around on a concrete patio. I made this planter for my sister since her entire backyard is a concrete pad, and she really wants to grow produce (such as tomatoes). She wanted it to look nice, be sturdy and durable, be easy to move, and provide enough space to grow large plants.

This project is a simple project; it doesn't include any hard or complex connection points, and it also doesn't include any hard measurements or unusual geometries. So I think that this project is applicable for apprentice and beginner woodworkers.

I also showed this project at my local county fair, and it is going to the Iowa State Fair. So I think it is safe to say that this is a good design.

Materials

2” x 6” x 12’ (5) -$59.80

2” x 4” x 12’ (3) -$20.52

1” x 4” x 6’ (2) -$9.30

⅜” Lag Screws 1 ½” Long (12) -$9.48

⅜“ Washers (12) -$3.24

3” Swivel Locking Caster Wheels (4) -$28.00

2 ½” T-25 Wood Screws (~84) -$13.50

3” T-25 Wood Screws (~44) -$7.00

Wood Stain (Provincial) (2.5 fl. oz.) -$2.00

Staples (20) -$0.50

Garden Bed Sealer -$10.00

Weed Barrier (10' x 4') -$2.50

Tools / Equipment

Impact Driver or Drill

Miter Saw or Table Saw

Pencil / Marking Knife

Tape Measure

Staple Gun / Stapler

Rags (to apply stain/sealer with)

Drill bits (to pre-drill holes)

2 ft. F-style clamps (2)

2 ft. framing square

Sandpaper (60-180 grit)

It took me about 10 working hours to complete this project, not including the drying time for the stain and sealer. I was able to buy almost all of the materials for this project from my local hardware/wood store. I got Douglas Fir boards since they are cheap, and similar softwoods would work well (such as fir, southern yellow pine, spruce, and pine). If you want to make a VERY Durable and weather-resistant version of this, I recommend using Cedar. It has very good resistance to weather and rot, more than other wood types.

The first thing I had to do was design the plans for the planter. Since this is for my sister, I designed it with what she wanted in mind. She wanted it to be somewhat small, about thirty inches tall, but still deep enough to grow tomatoes. She also wanted it to be easily movable and aesthetically pleasing. I don’t think there is a design on the internet with these specific qualities, so I made my own design. I started by finding the dimensions I wanted, which I chose to be two feet by four feet and thirty inches tall. I planned for the planting area to be eighteen inches deep, so the tomato plants have plenty of room to develop healthy root systems. I chose to have caster wheels added to the design to make it easier to move. The next design aspect was to make it structural. I made the design so that it would use thick wood to make it sturdy. I finished up my design plans by making it more aesthetically pleasing.

I made my design so it could be easily made out of common-sized lumber and screw sizes. I also designed it so it could be assembled with common screws and basic tools.

The next step was to pick the wood and find out how much I needed. Since I made my own plans, I needed to find out what I needed to buy myself. After doing the math, I figured I needed five 6” x 2” x 12’, three 2” x 4” x 12’, and two 1” x 4” x 6’. I tried to get the best wood I could. I wanted wood that was not warped, twisted, or had any live edge. Some of the wood I got was warped, though, so I tried not to use that whenever possible.

Sorry for the messy papers; I had to redesign the project a couple of times.

I could then start on my project. I first cut the wood for the legs. I cut out eight pieces of wood, 25 1/2” from a 2” x 4”. I then screwed them together in pairs, in an L shape. I used four 3” screws to attach them together. I used four screws per leg. I attached them 1 inch from the edge, and evenly spaced from each other.

I then attached the wheels to the legs. I did this by centering the wheels and marking where the holes go. I then pre-drilled the holes for the lag screws. If you do not do this, the lag screws can split the wood. I attached each caster securely using the lag screws and washers.

I then attached the top wooden surface. I cut the 1” x 4” into two 48” long pieces and two 17” pieces. I then screwed the top pieces to the top of the legs with 3” screws. I pre-drilled the holes so I would not crack the thin wood. When attaching the wood, I made sure it was square and had the proper measurements. Because of the L-shaped leg design, I used one screw per side for the shorter side, and three on the longer side. After I put in the sides, I added two extra screws to the middle that screwed directly into the 2" x 6" boards. Throughout assembly, I periodically checked that everything remained square using a framing square.

I then started adding the wooden sides. I did this by cutting the wood to the proper measurements and then press-fitting it into the planter. I either cut it into 45” or 18”, depending on the side. I cut the 2” x 6” boards into these pieces. I then fit them into the planter and used clamps to make it flush and tight with the other boards. I then used two 2 ½” screws per side to attach the boards to the legs. I attached them 1 inch from the edge of the board. If they are evenly spaced, it can improve weight capacity. I then repeated this step four times as stated in my plans. On the last board, though, I used an additional screw on each side to help with the weight.

I then attached the bottom ledges that hold the bottom boards up. I cut three 2” x 4” boards into 42” pieces to put into the bottom. I made them flush with the bottom boards and then used six 2 ½” screws to attach them. Position the screws along the centerline of the boards, with pairs near each end. For the middle board, I used four screws and had to put them in the end grain.

I then cut the remaining boards for the bottom and set them in place with plenty of drainage clearance. I cut them to 18". The bottom boards do not need to be fastened because the surrounding frame securely holds them in place.

I then sanded and stained the planter. I started by sanding the wood with 60-grit on all of the exterior surfaces. I then sanded with increasingly higher grits until it was smooth. I then stained it with the stain my sister chose on the exterior only, so I would not possibly contaminate the dirt. If it contaminates the dirt, it could make the produce unsafe to eat. To further protect the wood, I used a garden bed sealer. This is a plant-based wood sealer that is food-safe when cured, so it doesn’t contaminate the soil. I applied two coats to the inside and outside of the garden bed. I applied the sealer as per its instructions. This protects the wood from weather, rot, and sunbleaching. If you choose not to seal the planter, it will still work, but it will have a significantly shorter lifespan.

The final construction step was lining the planter with weed barrier. I first cut out a small piece to cover the bottom. I used a staple gun and quarter-inch staples to attach it to the wood. After I finished the bottom, I covered the sides as well.

Now that the planter is all made, it is time to fill it with a good soil mixture. I recommend filling the bottom up with pieces of wood first to help with weight. If it is too heavy, it might be hard to move. I filled the bottom third with wood, and then the rest with soil. Since I live in Iowa, I already have access to high-quality garden soil.

But I would recommend adding some fertilizer if you can, because anything helps your plants.

After you plant the plants you want, they will have plenty of room to grow large and produce large fruits! Your planter is now complete and ready to provide years of productive gardening, while still looking pleasing to the eye. Because you did the work yourself, you have also saved at least $300 compared to planters I found online. (I found close designs online for around $500-700. Some of these designs you still had to assemble yourself.)

Here are some of the tomatoes I harvested from my planter.