How to Build A DIY Pallet Garden in 6 Easy Steps

A pallet garden is an easy and cost-effective way to grow many plants vertically. It also uses materials that would often go to waste. Upcycling is the key to gardening on a budget, and there are many ways to use a wooden pallet. 

Once your garden is planted, it’s just a matter of placing it vertically against a sunny wall to grow. This herb garden is placed near a kitchen wall to cut sprigs of herbs for cooking, making tea, or adding to desserts. The added color in the display in the form of edible flowers can also be used for decorating cakes and cocktails.

In just a few hours, you can have a garden like this one. Start the plants from seed to grow further in the pallet garden to make it even more cost-effective. Let’s find out how. 

What You Need

You only need a few items to begin this project, with some optional items you can use or skip.

Wooden Pallet

Pallets come in different sizes, but this one is four square feet. When you’re looking for a pallet, some places (like new pallet manufacturers) charge for them, and other places give them away for free. As most big shipments come on a pallet, they are generally easy to find. 

To find a pallet in your area, ask at your local hardware store, construction and building sites, grocery stores, home improvement stores, or furniture stores. You will also need some way to get your pallets home, as they can be heavy.

When buying or getting a pallet for free, look out for markings that indicate that the pallet has been chemically treated. Avoid those for use in gardens, as the chemicals can affect plant growth. It’s especially important to avoid treated pallets in edible gardens. 

Lining

To line the pallet, I used landscaping fabric to hold the soil in. You can also use a strong plastic or a combination of both. Even doubled-up refuse bags can work in a pinch.

For this size pallet, you will need a length of lining 4 feet x 8.5 feet.

Attachments

Next, grab something to attach the lining to the pallet. I used a bag of half-inch nail tacks at regular intervals. However, if you have a staple gun, the process will be a lot quicker. Use this as your excuse to invest in one, or stick with the tacks and a hammer. 

Plants & Soil

For the soil to fill the cavity to plant, we used three large bags of potting mix with added compost. 

The plant selection is up to you, as long as you pick plants with relatively shallow root systems or species that don’t mind being confined to small spaces. 

This herb and flower garden has a selection of herbs, including oregano, thyme (garden and lemon), parsley, rosemary, nasturtium, mint, and variegated mint. I also added some lettuce in green and dark red.

For pops of color, I included violas and pansies in shades of pink and white. The variegated leaves of the herbs give the display an added color variation.

Extras

If you are planning on decorating with wood stain (as I did) or painting with a color, it’s best to sand the areas for staining or painting. You will need a sander and sanding disks or sandpaper, along with a plant-safe, non-toxic wood stain (you can use paint if you prefer). 

The weight of the garden will be fine just leaning it against a wall. But if you want to hang it on a wall, you will need heavy-duty bolts to attach it.

How to Build a Pallet Garden

These are the steps to build a garden like this one. Keep in mind that this DIY is also a creative project, so these steps can be adjusted depending on what final look you want. 

Sand

Lightly sand all the rough edges of the pallet with the sander and sandpaper. Ensure all sections are sanded evenly for a smooth finish.

This is recommended for older secondhand pallets. However, if yours is new, or doesn’t look like it’s in bad shape, leave it rough and skip to step 3.

Stain

Use a paintbrush to apply two coats of wood stain to all the wood, allowing it to dry completely between coats. This step isn’t essential, but does add a more finished look to the garden.

You can also paint the pallet a color of your choice to complement the plants in your pallet garden. 

Line

Line the inside and sides of the pallet with landscape fabric and use nail tacks to tack it down. Form a pocket with the top of the pallet open to add the soil and plants later. 

Start with the pallet upside down and line the pallet, forming a smooth surface on what, when turned over, will be the front. Keep the top of the pallet open to fill in with more soil if you want to plant up the top of the structure.

Fill

Half-fill the cavity you created with the potting soil. You need enough soil to fill the pockets but don’t worry if you don’t get the amount just right initially. You can add more soil later as needed.

Tack on another piece of lining to make a backing, holding everything in place.

Plant

Turn the pallet over to plant. To fit the plants into the sections, cut a cross into the material with a box cutter or scissors. Gently remove the plants from their containers and plant them into the holes, filling in with soil if needed.

Display

Stand the pallet garden upright and lean against a wall. Finish the planting at the top.

Once you’re done, water each section to help the plants establish. Also check that each section is draining correctly to avoid waterlogging. 

Care

Just like any garden, a pallet garden needs regular care. 

Water at least three times a week in hot weather and reduce watering in the colder seasons. Water from the top and allow the water to trickle through to the bottom of the planter. You can also set up an irrigation system to self-water your planter.

For the best results, feed herbs and flowers regularly with liquid plant food, ideal every two weeks. Regular harvesting of herbs and leaves, such as lettuce, will keep the garden neat and encourage new growth. Remove any dead or dying plants and replace them with new annuals.

There are many projects you can try using a wooden pallet, including furniture, potting benches, shelving, composters, and more. But if you need more garden space, this project is the answer.