Upcycled Picket Fence Container Garden
Do you have a small yard with no room for garden beds? Do you rent and don’t have the freedom to create a garden bed in the yard? We currently rent the house we are living in and while there is a very small garden bed it isn’t large enough for everything we would like to plant. When we came across free sections of picket fence, we knew we were in luck! Keep reading to see how we used the fence sections to increase our garden space.
The first thing you’ll need to do is gather your supplies.
•picket fence section
•10 foot rain gutter (cut in half)
•4 end caps for the rain gutters
•screws
•garden/potting soil
•seeds
We cut the 10 foot rain gutter in half, using a hack saw, to create two 5 foot sections. Then screwed the gutters to the front side of fence, opposite the support boards that run horizontally across the back. We used 7-8 screws on each level. (We used screws we had on hand)
This next step can be done before attaching the gutters, but we did it after they were in place on the picket fence. You will want to drill drainage holes for water to escape. Because our fence piece is leaning against the house, the low spot is at the back of the gutter, which is where we made the holes. Make the holes along the entire length of the gutter. We drilled a second line because our holes were on the small side.
Adding the end caps on each end will keeps your dirt in place and your plants from washing away. They are easy to slip on and snapped right into place.
Now that both gutters are attached, holes drilled for drainage and place the end caps on. You’ll want to place your garden fence, before adding dirt so that it’s easier to move and adjust. We chose to put ours on the side of the house that receives the most sunlight.
After placing the fence, add dirt to the gutters. You can use a garden trowel, a small bowl or bucket to scoop the dirt and add to the gutters. Or pick up the bag and pour the dirt. However you wish to get the job done. We ended up only using 1 large bag of soil (cost was $5)
The very last step is to plant your seeds and water. We planted spinach, green onions, chives, arugula and peas. This would be a great option for strawberries or any leafy lettuces. You could also use it for flowers. This is where you get to be creative on what you plant in your garden. If you’d like to get more creative you can decorate your picket fence with garden art as well or even paint it. Let your imagination take over.
I can hardly wait for our plants to sprout! Happy gardening friends!!
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I tried this last year. The deer loved that they did not have to even bend down to eat my plants and the squirrels didn't have to drop to the ground. They could just run along the fence! On a more serious note, because the gutters make for such a short bed, you need to keep up with the watering. It will dry out quickly.
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Great idea. Looks good
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I like this idea. I would love to have seen it with flowers in it. Do you have a picture?
Great idea! I’m going to add gutters to my deck rail outside my kitchen today! Perfect for herbs. Thanks for sharing!
Why don’t you show the finish project withe the plants to see the end results. That way one can choose what u want ur s to look like