How to build outdoor raised garden bed planter box

This article provides the steps for making a garden pallet planter box without using nails. You can re-use the materials you have in the garden for this project. 

The steps are easy to follow. What's more, use the video guide to build your own. 

DIY outdoor raised garden bed planter box

You can make a pallet planter box with some old pallet timbers, bamboo sticks and ropes. 

I build these types of boxes and use them successfully in small spaces. Hope this instruction gives you an idea about your planter box project.

Materials for garden planter box

• x12 pallet timbers or old weatherboards
• x8 treated posts (or 4-inch by 2-inch timbers)
• a packet of nails

Tools required

• handsaw
• hammer
• shovel
• road pin/crowbar
• claw bar

DIY Outdor Planter Box project

The idea is to use bamboo sticks as pegs where the pallet timbers will slot in before tying them together. This will form the 4 sidewalls.

• 1. What you need: x24 bamboo sticks, x12 pallet timbers, ropes, and a crowbar.
• 2. Set dimension: The planter box is 1.5 metres by 1.5 metres all around, and the depth of the box is 0.4 metres.
• 3. Build the first sidewall: Use the crowbar to punch x6 holes in the soil (2 holes opposite each other); put x6 bamboo sticks into the holes.
• 4. Tie bamboo in pairs: Tie bamboo sticks/pegs in pairs with pallet timbers in between them– no need to use nails.
• 5. Build the other sides: use the same idea to build x4 sides.
• 6. Tie the corners: Each corner will now have 4 bamboos, use the ropes to tie all the 4 bamboos, at the corners, together.
• 7. Planting: Finally, add soil. Your planter is ready.

DIY ideas for small garden box planter - no nails

There are many ways to build raised planter boxes. It also depends on the materials and tools you have at home. 

However, it is important to learn some simple techniques and best practices. 

One of the best things that I’ve learnt over time is to use bamboo sticks in pairs as pegs to build the sides. Tie pair of bamboo sticks to hold the timbers together. 

The natural plant leaves are perfect rope alternatives for projects like this. There is no need to use nails, cable ties, or other plastic ropes in the garden.

Cordyline australis leaves garden rope alternative

One of the plants that grow in the UK – the Cordyline plants – is the practical alternative for garden ropes and nylon ropes. 

I’ve used the leaves to tie tomatoes, flowers, bamboo and many other plants in the garden.

Take a look at the different varieties of Cordyline australis available at Gardening Direct UK.

In this project, I used its dry leaves to tie the bamboo pegs that held the pallet timbers. The leaves are strong ropes. 

They can last for more than 24 months, similar to eco-garden tie-ropes. In fact, they are a great alternative for nails and other garden ropes. 

The dry leaves from the Cordyline plants may not be ideal for permanent projects. Yet, they are perfect for tying plants in spring and temporary projects, like the DIY outdoor planter box. They can last the whole summer.

See this tomato plants hoop frame where I used strips of the Cordyline leaves as ropes as an alternative to nylon ropes. 

If you want to use a natural (biodegradable) rope, use the Cordyline leaves. Here is where you can get the plants online in the UK.

Challenges of working with pallet timbers

Working with wooden pallet timbers is challenging because the jawed nails are hard to remove. Sometimes, you can damage the timbers. 

To avoid that, Use the right tools to remove the nails and prepare the pallet timbers. A wrecking bar with a chisel end is a perfect hand tool for removing nails without destroying the timbers. 

I hope this article about DIY Outdoor Planter Box inspires you to build yours. If you want more ideas for small gardens, check out my DIY bamboo garden projects.