Garden planters | Build planter | Landscape design ideas : Gardening

Helping You Become a More Successful Gardener

If you have the space in your yard and want better control over the soil mix surrounding your trees and shrubs, structural landscape planters are the perfect hybrid between a container garden and open ground. Like the plants they hold, these structural containers serve many purposes, from providing plenty of space for large-root plants (or several plants in the same planting) to serving double duty as extra seating, flanking an entry or helping to define areas of a larger garden or yard.

Landscape planters are great for defining walkways. Matching the material to the home’s façade – in this case, traditional brick – gives the entire property a unified appearance.

When choosing plants or trees for an existing landscape planter (or for one you plan to construct), determine their size at maturity to achieve a harmonious balance between the planter and the planted.

Landscape containers have all the advantages of any container, but they offer more gardening room. In addition to being a part of a larger open garden plan, you can build them into the structure of a raised wood deck or concrete patio, providing dimension and focus to otherwise flat, geometric surfaces. Small or dwarf-variety trees are obvious choices for these large containers, and their volume will support just about any planting your USDA hardiness zone can handle.

You can find large landscape containers in a variety of materials and styles from garden centers and nurseries, or check out salvage yards for large tubs and cisterns that can be converted into interesting or whimsical containers. Just be sure to plan for adequate drainage by choosing those with drainage holes – or drill some after acquiring your treasure.

Of course, building your own landscape container is an option, too. Most basic construction materials are appropriate, including wood, stone, brick and concrete masonry units (also called blocks or CMUs). The choice you make depends on your comfort level with your building skills and the project’s budget, as well as the desired look of the finished planter in your landscape.

Compared with raised beds, building a structural landscape planter takes a bit more skill and requires more extensive materials and tools. To build a masonry planter, for example, you need a basic understanding of building forms, installing reinforcement rods and pouring a concrete footing. You also need to know how to build a concrete-block wall construction using mortar and preformed block units, as well as how to apply stucco or attach facings and stone to enhance the outer appearance of the planter.

If you lack the necessary skills to do it yourself, many building contractors can help you design and complete your landscape-planter project. Regardless of whether you construct the planter personally or hire a professional, understanding the steps employed for construction will help you make informed decisions and keep the project within your budget.

Structural planters have all kinds of uses in the garden. While it can take several weeks of planning and work to get it right, the end result is well-worth it. To get started, just take the general steps shown in the following pictures and described in their captions. Then get building!

Landscape Planter

Landscape Planter - Step 1

Carefully mark the site and build forms for the masonry footing. It should be at least 6 inches deep and 12 inches wide.

Landscape Planter - Step 2

Pour concrete into the footing’s forms, leveling and steel troweling the surface as it dries to obtain a flat, level surface for block construction.

Landscape Planter - Step 3

Apply concrete bonding mixture to the footing starting at the corners, proceeding to fill in between them. Next, trowel on a bed of mortar, then set construction blocks in the mortar around the perimeter to create the planter’s sidewall. As you build the wall, reinforce it with rebar. Fill in the hollows of the construction blocks with mortar.

Landscape Planter - Step 4

Once your planter is near completion, you can add the plants. Installing a large tree (here, a 5-foot-square box with a specimen maple) into the partially completed planter requires some heavy-lifting equipment or a tree-moving specialist. Install smaller plants using the same methods as for your other container plantings.

Landscape Planter - Step 5

For a more attractive look, finish off the planter with a facing of brick or synthetic stone fastened with mortar.

Facts

Landscape planters and raised beds wonderfully accommodate gardeners of all ages and physical abilities. Children, the elderly and people with limited mobility benefit from the easier access to plants, flowers and vegetables offered by raised plantings.
Concrete-block planters offer many finishing options. They can be left unfinished (especially if it has a textured-block face) or given a stucco façade or a thin layer of smooth or textured masonry. Veneer finishes, like stone or brick, add dimension and help blend the planter with other architectural features on your property. Similarly, a redwood or cedar container could echo a raised deck made of similar materials.

Tips

Plan for your landscape planters to be at seating height, and build them deep enough to accommodate a seated person. Not only does this offer extra room to sit in your garden, it gives you a place to garden from.

Faqs

Q: Should I plant a large specimen or a smaller tree in my planter?
A: There’s no quibbling about the impact a large specimen can bring to a site, but such trees can suffer transplant shock for years following installation and may never achieve their full stature. A smaller tree will quickly overtake them in growth, sometimes in 5-7 years, and then shoot skyward while the specimen lags behind. If you can hold off on that “instant” look, a smaller tree would be better – and less expensive.

Next Steps

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