Large garden planter design

[johnnyb]

Has anyone got any sage advice or nice designs for planters of the single large shrub type maybe 550-600 squareish. Also how best to stop them rotting from the inside. The last ones lasted 15 or 20 years with lorry tarp lining. I'm gonna use tropical hardwood but I don't have any 3 or 4 inch bits upto 2 inch slabs.

 

[recipio]

I've built a few so called Versailles Planters by lining them with damp proof coursing membrane. So far so good . Next time I think I would try and find a plastic water tank to size and build the planter box around that. They consume a lot of wood and you really can't skimp on the dimensions. Also they look better with a turned sphere on top of 3x3 or 4x4 corner posts. Some of the cheap boxes have door knobs stuck on their tops. !
Can't point to a specific design but they need sturdy construction as the weight of the soil is considerable. Don't forget the drainage holes in the bottom.

 

[Sachakins]

+1for the tub liner and build around it.

 

[johnnyb]

Thanks for your replies. That's a great tip. Have to have a look around.

 

[ScottyT]

I made loads of planters at the start of my apprenticeship, ranging from small to massive and square to totally round.
We used fibreglass to line them mainly, but also heavy gauge plastic seemed to work ok over the top of 1/4 ply.
On the particularly large ones we used to make up a simple slatted frame that neatly sat inside and had its own legs (only 2” or so in height) and the liner sat on that, the actual planter was then placed over the lot bearing no weight what so ever. Last for donkey years like that.

Scotty

 

[Bingy man]

I’ve got some to make for friends of mine , I’ve given them 3 choices. In order of longevity I’ve suggested 1 new sleepers 2 joists 3 decking boards . They will be approximately 4.8 mtrs long x 1 mtr wide x 900 high . I plan to line the inside with dpm or something similar and there will not have a bottom, I’m also planning to raise them off the ground slightly..

 

[MikeJhn]

Made out of decking boards, lined with a folded pond liner, holes drilled through the bottom and hot glued plastic tubes to allow drainage and prevent root rot.

 

[rs6mra]

made with 12mm plywood and the pot is on the floor.
I am unable to load the second photograph. The planter is 3x longer but I lined the inside with thick plastic sheeting and then I inserted 30mm long plastic pipes to allow the water to drain and sealed around this with silicone.

 

[ColinDeVelen]

I made these, based around a 40cm by 40cm tub. I put cross braces in the bottom so that the tub base was not visible. The cross pieces are a shallow mortise, no glue, just pocket screws so they can be disassembled in case you need to. (I also put a small solar powered fountain in one instead of a plant, which was quite pleasant.) I wanted to add a trellis, but SWMBO denied this request.

 

[Inspector]

I made 6 veggie planters 4'x8'x2' high out of treated 2"x4" and 3/4" treated plywood, open to the ground. To line the planters and keep the pressure treatment away from our food I lined them with the Dimplex plastic used around foundations which keeps them dry by allowing the water to drain away. Not pretty but made them all 6 in a day. Someday I may clad them with siding to hide the 2"x4"s to make them pretty. No pictures because they are under snow drifts.

Pete

 

[rob1693]

I made 6 of these out of old studding and pallet boards for cladding, mortice and tenon

construction with rebates for cladding sides lined with visqueen then a water permeable membrane over that

 

[johnnyb]

I managed to get something together without spending anything at all! It's just to try the design before committing expensive materials. Pretty big though and I never found a suitable plastic liner(I will though)

 

[Sachakins]

How about a used plastic barrel, cut down to suit height.

Eg, smaller 30litre size here, but loads on flea bay
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/15556443..._TECSIwRW6&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

[johnnyb]

I'll try a search later

 

[phil p]

I made these a few years ago for a friend, went a bit OTT with them as I machined 3x2 for a fine finish for the frame and added 2 plastic oblong boxes and the lipping 3x2 could be lifted off to remove the boxes for emptying/replanting.

They requested the white finish.

 

[phil p]

Sorry, I forgot to add pics!

 

[TheTiddles]

I have western red cedar planters, cost a fortune in wood so used square plastic pots initially inside but they were a bit small then 2 years ago made aluminium boxes to go inside that fit perfectly and drain out holes away from the wood. All material was delivered pre-cut which was cheaper than buying whole sheets/lengths, so it was just drill and rivet to complete

 

[johnnyb]

I made some lead caps but struggled a bit with the welding. The lead was old worked OK though. Also there must be a better way to make the mushroom cap.
I began thinking maybe roofing rubber could make a decent liner. It's sticking it to something that'll last. I like the aluminium idea but can't be cheap can it?

 

[recipio]

I made a few with pressure treated softwood but they now look a bit 'scruffy ' If you are going to look at them all year round they should probably be painted so a cheapish hardwood like Iroko is probably optimum. Back in the days of Versailles the gardener mounted them on castors so the orange trees could be moved inside in the winter. Period correct castors are available if you have use of an orangery.

 

[johnnyb]

Gave this a lick of sadolin garden colours today. As always with brushing it takes an eternity! But the details are what make it's last. Creating a design that can be assembled after it's painted is of huge importance. Also the tops of the t and g is in a groove and the bottom in a 15 degree angled rebate(the t and g is also angled)