Table of Contents
Homemade planter boxes in your garden not only look appealing, but they also help you save money.
It’s a great way to have a project out in the sun while growing vegetables and other plants that help with the grocery bill. It’s a win-win situation for everyone!
If you’re tired of the same old regular planter boxes sitting in your garden, keep reading. We’ll go through a bunch of different planter box ideas to spark a new kind of creativity to your garden that’ll keep you wanting to stay outside.
1. Change Up the Shapes
One of the easiest ways to bring new life to your garden boxes is to change the shape. Sure, they’re called planter boxes in name, but that doesn’t mean they need to always stay in the same square or rectangular shapes.
Have fun putting together rounded planters, or slanted ones. If you prefer the more box-like shape, go with the extremes. For example, try a very thin rectangular shape planter or several small squares lined up in interesting patterns.
Mixing and matching different shapes of the boxes gives you the perfect way to show off your personal gardening flair.
If you’ve never created a planter box before, make sure to check out this article by Home Tech Handyman to get started. Once you have the basics down, changing up the shapes into your own style is an easy next step.
2. Turn Them Into Outdoor Seating
This is a great idea if you have a smaller outdoor area. Dedicating the outdoors to your planter boxes doesn’t mean you can’t have a nice place to host guests or lounge in the sun.
Convert those boxes into a dual-purpose asset.
Some people create entire couches with planter boxes attached along the back. Another idea is to attach similar planks of wood on opposite sides of the planter box for a simplistic but effective bench.
3. Try Placing Them in Unexpected Places
Garden boxes don’t need to always sit on the ground. There’s a lot of interesting ways to place them around your home that bring a sense of natural beauty at every turn.
Instead of a wind chime, why not hang a planter box from an overhanging roof? Any railing on your porch is the perfect place for a new planter. Hang them up outside of your window or place them on the window sill itself.
Set up a trellis up against the walls of your home. Then hang planter boxes within the trellis for a decorative but still productive piece of art.
By finding unusual places in which to place your planters, you have the chance to use up some of your vacant vertical space. It’s also a nice feeling to look around and find growing plants in places you’d never seen before.
4. Repurpose Recycled Material
Reclaimed wood always has a certain kind of character to it that you can’t replicate. It makes a beautiful base for any planter box you build.
Another way to reuse old materials is to take an old metal tub and turn that into the base for a planter box. An old watering can, ruined tires, and plastic tubs are all great ways to cut back on waste. If it has raised walls and holds the soil together, it works as a planter box base.
The nice thing with reusing non-wood materials is that you never need to worry about the material rotting over time. Plus, it brings a charming look to your garden and you’re helping the environment all at the same time.
5. Create a Miniature Greenhouse
Some plants require specific conditions to grow. Even those of us with the best green thumb can’t do anything if the weather conditions aren’t right.
That’s why greenhouses are a great addition to any gardener’s toolbox. The best part is that it’s easy to convert your planter boxes into small greenhouses throughout your garden.
Install supports around your planter box and then set a garden quilt over those supports. It encloses the plants and creates a greenhouse effect that lets your plants grow without any problems.
Even if you don’t plan to grow anything exotic, it’s still a perfect way to protect your normal plants from pesky bugs and bad weather conditions.
6. Have Fun with Extra Tall Planter Boxes
Playing around with different shapes is fun, but there’s also the potential to play with the height of your planters as well!
Raising your planter boxes above the ground looks like you’re growing floating islands of nature in your garden. They look magical and the best part is that they’re great for your back, too. Instead of hunching over all the time working on your plants, stand up straight and do all of the same work with no aches and pains.
Don’t be afraid to go to the extreme with the height. Anything that works for you is the best way to do it!
7. Bring Nature Indoors with Tiny Planter Boxes
If you’re a big fan of planter boxes, then this is the idea for you. Instead of having all of your plants growing outside, bring them indoors to use as unique conversation starters.
Making tiny planter boxes is a lot of fun and it’s something even children can help create. These small boxes work great for growing delicate herbs inside the kitchen. This way, you’ll always have fragrant and fresh herbs available at all times of the day.
And you didn’t even need to go to the store to get them!
Grow Something Exciting with These Planter Box Ideas
Although all of these different planter box ideas are a great starting point, the sky’s the limit. There’s no wrong way to create one of these beneficial boxes, so set your creative side free.
Try out something new and see how it works. After a few tries, you’ll find the right styles that work best for you and your gardening interests. From there, you’ll never have trouble coming up with beautiful planter boxes again!
For even more planting inspiration, check out the gardening content on the rest of our blog!