WALL PLANTER

Upcycle an old pallet into an attractive wall planter – they’re robust and rustic so they’re perfect for the job

Upcycling is such a great way to create new pieces for your garden. Pallets are often found lying around abandoned and it’s easy enough to give them a new purpose in life. They can be mounted on walls, creating delightful spacesaving displays – especially good for trailing greenery.

YOU WILL NEED

MATERIALS Wooden pallet Nails Reusable bags (optional) 3 wooden boards the same width as the pallet Clay pebbles (optional) Soil (optional)

Sandpaper (optional) Paint (optional) PLANTS

A selection of small potted plants that fit in the planter. We recommend building it first so you know exactly how much space you need to fill. EQUIPMENT Hammer Heavy-duty stapler (optional)

PROTECT THE WOOD

If you want to paint the pallet, sand it first, using an electric sander if you have one. Otherwise, wrap the sandpaper around a block of wood and make sure you wear gloves to protect yourself from splinters. Paint with an outdoor paint such as Ronseal Weatherproof Wood Paint (£25 for 750ml, B&Q).

SECURE LOOSE NAILS

For safety, look out for any nails that are sticking out of the pallet and make sure you hammer them flat. If necessary, reinforce the joints with some extra nails. Now turn the pallet upside-down.

A standard pallet has three cross-beams, which you’ll be using to form the basis of your three display shelves.

ADD THE SHELVES

Position the three boards to sit on top of the crossbeams to form contained shelves, and attach them with a few nails. This completes the basic project, ready for placing your plants. However, if you’re feeling ambitious, you can take things a little further…

CREATE FLOWER BOXES

Instead of putting loose pots on the shelves, you can fix them more permanently. Here’s how: To create flower boxes, line the shelves with reusable bags, staple them

STACK & STORE

This pretty window display is also a handy space for neatly stacked spare pots in place and pierce them to facilitate drainage.

USE A MIXTURE OF TRAILING PLANTS, SUCH AS SILVER INCH AND OXALIS MIXED IN WITH SOME SUCCULENTS

FILL YOUR PLANTER

Place a layer of clay pebbles (or broken clay pots) in the bottom of the boxes, then soil and, lastly, your plants. Succulents like echeveria and alpine varieties are great choices as they don’t require very much care.

ALL CHANGE

Using pots like here means you can easily swap in other plants if you fancy a change