Want to see what I made? What can I put in it?

[gardening_gal]

After finally deciding what kind of planter I wanted to make (turned out nothing like the original plan ), I got it pretty much finished over the last couple of days.

I made little mini planters from the offcuts which sit in front of the planter to try to help disguise the awful uneven patio surface and the big sloping gap at one end. I still need to make another long one for the other side but I'll need to get another length of £2.99 decking for that as I ran out of wood.

The objective was to try to give us some privacy so I'm not sure yet what to do with the trellis part. I considered stapling some thin screening (bamboo/wicker etc) to the back of it but I'm concerned about increasing the weight. Right now, it's very solid and pretty much immovable, I don't want to make it top heavy. Maybe some windbreak mesh? At least until things grow. I'm just not sure.

I wasn't sure what to grow in it. I don't want to fill it with soil, I just want to sit grow bags in it and use them as pots iyswim. A grow bag will stand up on end quite happily and I can get around 6-8 bags in the planter depending on size/brand.

I put strawberries in the trough in front, so I'm wondering if I should make this the fruit area and put raspberries/blackcurrants in there? Would they be ok in deep grow bags?

Maybe I should just put in Clematis or something? Be glad of any other suggestions. The planter will be in sun pretty much all day. Assuming we get some that is. It's 2.5m long and 1.8m high and the planting area is about 35cm from front to back

Oh and the ivy has a temporary home in pots at either end, at least for now.

[SaraJH]

Wow, I'm seriously impressed GG that's flipping amazing!

I'd try raspberries in it although I'm not sure how much root space they need, so really I'm no help at all

[SaraJH]

Ooh, just to add that we are trying a pumpkin and a couple of squashes in a planter, training them up the trellis. No idea if that will work but it's our little experiment

[Containergardener]

Wow that's brilliant .
I want some !
If you want something to screen permanent but not grow from inside you could have a pot beside with clematis in to grow along. Otherwise annual climbers for summer, cucs, courgettes, toms

[Bigmallly]

Nice work GG, it's screaming out for climbing Squashes. It'll look brilliant with those huge yellow flowers they grow.

[Bigmallly]

P.S.............I would put some diagonal bracing in the corners from the bottom front of the planter to the top of the trellis & maybe one in the middle just to give it a bit more rigidity.

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

I'd say smother them in "Clematis" a few of mine popped today!



I really, really need to step up a gear here on end this year!

[gardening_gal]

P.S.............I would put some diagonal bracing in the corners from the bottom front of the planter to the top of the trellis & maybe one in the middle just to give it a bit more rigidity.

Thanks BM, I'll see how it goes but if it looks like it could do with more support I'll do as you suggest.

What you can't see is the extra thicker (but same width iyswim) bracing on the back that is unseen from the front because it's directly behind certain uprights. It does feel very solid right now but I realise the wind might still have something to say about that! Will bear in mind the diagonals thought. I do have wood left that could be used for this.

[muddled]

Awesome good work there GG!

You know, apparently, runner beans were originally bought to this country as ornamental, fast growing screening so Henry VIII cound snog Anne Boleyn in private...
(Okay, maybe not snog exactly. They actually said 'woo' but we all know what they really meant!)

Runners with their red flowers and squash with bright yellow...Beautiful

[gardening_gal]

Thanks for the comments everyone. It's the first thing in ages I've actually liked building.

I was at the garden centre today looking for something to just jump out at me shouting 'rehome me in the planter' but the problem was I wanted to put everything in the planter. I left with some marigolds.

[Jay-ell]

I'd second the diagonal bracing as the diagonal wouldn't be able to stretch or shrink and would stop the frame leaning to the side. The horizontal and vertical slats wouldn't necessarily stop them by themselves as they don't need to stretch or shrink to lean over.

[SaraJH]

How easy/ difficult was that to make GG? Did you also make the trellis yourself?

I've just been looking at decking planters on fleabay and the are sooooo expensive!!

[Mr Bones]

That's brilliant GG. With those sort of skills have you thought about using pallet type wood, I saw some bits in the garden centre not nearly as good as yours.

[craftymarie]

It looks absolutely beautiful. I'd love something like that for our garden. I will dream on

[gardening_gal]

How easy/ difficult was that to make GG? Did you also make the trellis yourself?

I've just been looking at decking planters on fleabay and the are sooooo expensive!!

Yes I made it all up as I went along. The deck boards were full 2.4m lengths and I used 3x2's for the corner posts.

I have good (but ageing!) power tools, Makita mitre saw, Dewalt nail gun, Feinn MultiMaster etc etc. if I had to do it all just with hand tools I think I'd have thought twice. I'm not as young or as fit as I was. The biggest issue was the fact I change my mind so many times about what I want.

Once you decide on a plan it's just a case of working out what goes where, like a jigsaw really. The other issue (for me at least) is that the wood can be quite heavy and I get tired so it takes me a while to put it all together. I'm sure some big burly bloke would have whipped it up in a couple of hours but it took me a couple of days, lol.

That's brilliant GG. With those sort of skills have you thought about using pallet type wood, I saw some bits in the garden centre not nearly as good as yours.

Thank you. I have already made things from pallets. I get them from the local farm. I've made some small low planters / shelves for garage / bits and bobs. Nothing too big. (Yet!)

This particular planter had to look kinda decent as it will be seen from the road and I didn't want my neighbour in particular to have any complaints about it so I chose to use 'proper' wood.

I do have a pallet slats in the garage that I'm collecting just now. Once I have enough decent ones, I want to make a ladder style planter next.