Vertical Garden DIY Ideas Using a Wooden Pallet (Plus, a Tutorial!)

Vertical gardens are an exciting outdoor project because they show off your flowers and plants beautifully and aren’t difficult or expensive to make. In fact, they can easily be made out of mostly recycled (and recyclable) materials. Vertical gardens are also especially well-suited to small outdoor spaces so no worries if you don’t have a whole yard or deck to work with.

Below are the basic instructions for how to make a vertical garden planter using scrap wood and a pallet. You can easily customize the plan to suit your needs or aesthetics. I found a discarded pallet and got the rest of my wood from the scrap bin at Home Depot

1. Free pallets are fairly easy to come by! Ask around at stores near you, or find one through websites like Repalletize.com. Make sure your pallet is in good condition (no cracks, etc.).
2. Attach three 2×4 pieces of wood of your desired length to the bottom of the pallet. Space evenly. These are what your planter will sit on.
3. Measure and cut scrap wood to match the width of your pallet. Screw the bottom piece to the top of the 2x4s. Screw the remaining sides together and attach to the pallet. Remember to drill two drainage holes in the bottom!
4. Use scrap wood wedges or shims to level the planter so it stands straight and water spreads evenly throughout.
5. Fill with soil and plants!