DIY Garden Series: Raised Garden Box

 Ever since my husband and I have become homeowners, we have been looking forward to growing our own herbs, fruits, & vegetables. After having built our herb garden using a reclaimed pallet (tutorial here), the next phase of our growing garden was to build a raised garden box to plant fruits & vegetables. This project will only take you one afternoon (an hour if you decide to skip on the cement) & WILL ONLY COST YOU $25 to make! Now that is a steal compared to the prices of the pre-made raised garden beds we saw at The Home Depot - like this one >>  $45 for a 2ft x 2ft - Something that is a third of the size of the one we built & uses the same exact cedar material for nearly double the price?! Ridiculous!!

Lets get started :) You will need the following materials:

Safety glasses

Power drill

Power saw or hand saw

Gloves

Clamp
Level
 Screws of your choice

8 - 5/8" x 5-1/2" x 6' cedar wood fence panels - $2.55 each >> Link Here
2" x 4" x 10' plank of wood - $4.27 >> Link Here

Optional materials:
a) Cement to set the posts for additional added strength >> Link Here
b) Deck nails to resist rust

Link Here

c) Wood Waterproofing Stain to resist rot >> Example Link Here

Before starting, please keep in mind the area in which you plan to place your raised garden box - how much sun does it get? (morning sun vs. evening sun) >> Thus, what type of fruits & veggies will thrive there vs. what you want to grow? How do you plan to irrigate your box - by hand or via your sprinkler system?

Step 1: Take 4 of the 8 cedar wood fence panels and trim the tops off - these will be the front and back portions of your raised garden bed.
Then take the remaining 4 fence panels and cut each into 32.5 inch lengths - these will be the side portions of your raise garden bed.

Step 2: Taking your 2x4x10, cut into four, 1.5 ft pieces. These pieces will be the support posts.

Step 3 (optional): Since these posts are crucial to maintaining the garden's overall structure, they need to be able to resist rot over time. Therefore, I decided to paint them with this waterproofing wood protection stain. Now this was such a steal for us to find! The original price is $17.97, but it was on clearance for $6.83!! Follow the directions as stated on the back. I applied just one coat, and don't worry about painting them like an artist - they are going underground anyway ;)

Step 4: Place 2-6ft cedar pieces and 2-1.5ft support legs pieces on the ground, as shown. Drill 2 screws on each side of each cedar plank into the support posts. This will form the front panel. Repeat to form the back panel.
[**During our initial planning, we wanted to make our raised bed 3 wood panel pieces high, but when we placed it in the ground, we found that it was unnecessarily deep. So, we removed one panel. Thus, why you see 3 panels here despite my instructions saying 2 - you'll see at the end ;) ]

Step 5: Prop up your front panel. Then, taking one of the 32.5" side pieces - clamp & drill 2 screws through the support post, as shown.

Helpful tip: Before connecting the sides, use a triangle square to ensure the corners form 90 degree angles!

Step 6: Prop up your back panel as shown. Repeat step 5.

Step 7: Drill the remaining side pieces into the support posts.

Step 8: Start digging! Use a level to ensure everything is straight.

Step 9 (optional): Add cement.

Step 10: Set up your irrigation, plant your veggies, and you are done!

**Helpful hint** - We had a problem the first week after placement of stray cats using it as a litter box. We tried spices, coffee grounds, & essential oils to no avail. We also didn't want to resort to using chicken wire - so ugly!  So we placed mulch and rocks on top and it definitely works!!!

Close-up of irrigation

We loved it so much that we decided to build another :)

One month later...

I hope you guys enjoyed this tutorial & found it easy to follow! Please feel free to comment below with any questions & re-creations, and I'll see you in my next DIY adventure!

Geranium-Inspired Summer Wreath Tutorial

Summer is here in full force & that means it's time to update your seasonal entryway wreath! For me, the warmer the temperature gets from Spring to Summer, the more my seasonal decor transitions from cool to warm undertones. As stated in my Hydrangea Wreath Tutorial, artificial summer flowers can sometimes be hard to work with. Most of the ones in various crafting stores are too saturated. To me, that actually makes it look too fake & can come off a bit tacky if not styled properly. So I focused on subtle pops of warm colors in combination with neutral undertones throughout to avoid this dilemma. 

You will need the following materials:

Grapevine wreath

Wire cutters

High-temp glue gun

Flowers of course

All purchased at Michael's Craft Store

Simply take each flower & start trimming. Leave 1/2 an inch to 1 inch of stem so that you can insert each piece within the grapevine securely. Next is placement. I tend to go clockwise in a pattern when placing the flowers, which you can tell in the images below. It makes it more fluid & put together. 

Once you have filled your wreath, go back & fill in addition spares areas. This will make your wreath look more full & lush. It will also give the illusion of a bigger wreath. From here, glue each piece at the top-base of each stem & you are done!

Close-ups for more detail:

I hope you enjoyed this first official tutorial for the Summer season! It's the perfect, bright pop of Summer color to add inside or outside your home :)