Whether you’ve got a shady nook in the back yard that could use some instant color or a sunny spot you’d like to highlight with some container plants, consider adding a plant post with shelves and hangers to display your potted favorites.
Many annuals need consistent sunlight to bloom and show off their colors. Planting them in containers and showing them off on a plant post lets you to control the amount of sunlight and shade exposure they receive.
Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
A simple plant post provides a stable support for potted plants and hanging baskets in sun or shade. Even better: It’s an affordable garden feature you can build in a few hours.
Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/Hildebrand Design
Plant posts provide an attractive focal point in nearly any part of the landscape, as well as offer a unique and beautiful way to display your container garden without breaking the bank. Because these displays raise containers and hanging baskets above the surrounding foliage, the planters appear to be framed by taller shrubs and the lower branches of trees. Constructing and installing a plant post is a quick, simple and relatively inexpensive project, requiring only a drill, saw, some construction materials and a few hours of your weekend. (Allow a couple of hours for construction and another for installing the post.)
Materials Needed
- 1 6-foot-tall 4x4 post
- 4 12-inch 1x8 shelves
- 2 18-inch ¾-inch dowels
- 1 sack of fence-post concrete mix
- 1 bottle of woodworker’s glue (waterproof)
- 4 L-bracket shelf supports and fasteners
- 1 quart of exterior sealer or paint
Just take the easy steps shown in the following pictures and described in their captions for a beautiful new way to jazz up your sunny or shady container garden.
Plant Post - Step 1
Drill two ¾-inch holes through the post, one 6 inches from the top and the other on the perpendicular side, 24 inches from the top.
Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Plant Post - Step 2
Thread the dowels through the post and center them, gluing them into place with exterior waterproof glue.
Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Plant Post - Step 3
Install shelves to the shelf brackets, then to the post. Position each shelf 18 inches below the dowel above it. Prime the entire assembly with wood preservative and clear exterior sealer, stain or paint before installing it in the garden.
Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Plant Post - Step 4
Dig a footing 18 inches deep, then level and brace the post. Fill the hole with concrete, carefully reading and following all instructions on the bag. Let it completely dry – then display your container plants and enjoy the view.
Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
