DIY Recycled Pallet Vertical Garden

Pallet gardens are simple, beautiful and whether you live in a studio apartment in the city or on a farm, they are versatile and impressive anywhere! The following instructions are a simple guide* to building your very own.

1. Clean Your Pallet

Give your pallet one more scan for any loose nails or chipped wood that could cause an injury. Use sandpaper to smooth out any blemishes. If you wish to paint your pallet, do so before step two. Be sure to use a water-resistant paint.

2. Attach the Landscape Fabric

Choose which side of your pallet you want to show and lay your pallet face down.

Begin to roll the landscape fabric across the entire back, sides, and bottom, leaving the top and spaces between the slats uncovered so plants can grow up and out of your pallet.

Use two identical pieces of landscape fabric for a thicker, sturdy back. Staple the fabric into place at the top left edge of the board, pulling it tight, repeat on the right side. Staple every two inches to prevent soil spillage.

Repeat the stapling process down the pallet until the back, sides and bottom are fully covered with fabric. Get staple happy and go over the spine of the pallet or anywhere you think soil could fall out. Trust us you cannot over staple this project.

3. Now For the Fun Part! Plant Your Starter Plants

You are going to plant with your pallet laying flat on its back and it is recommended to leave it in this position for at least 2 weeks(watering when needed) so the roots of your plants grow strong in order to hold themselves up in a vertical position.

First, slide the plants into what will be the top, packing the soil very tightly. Once the top is capped, pour the entire first bag of potting soil onto the pallet and move it through the slots. Repeat this with the second bag.

Then, plant each plant closely together fitting the most you can in each slot (the soil should be hidden). You don’t want the plants to be spaced out because this could cause them to break or the soil to fall out once your pallet is in its upright position.

4. Watering Your Pallet

They seem to dry out quickly so don’t forget to show your pallet some tender loving care and water it regularly. Enjoy!

Now here’s the bigger question: what will you grow in your pallet garden?

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*Check out BrightNest for a complementary step-by-step guide.