Add Life to Your Outdoor Space: the DIY Flower Box
Make your exterior pop with color and curb appeal.
Flower boxes bursting with colorful potted perennials and small flower-producing shrubs are a great addition to your exterior space. Sure, you could spend up to $100 for a ready-made flower box. Or you could experience the priceless satisfaction of building your own.
Here’s how to accomplish the latter using PVC trim from Royal® Building Products. It’s as easy to work with as wood, and there’s no need to paint it. Plus, it’s low-maintenance and weather- and bug-resistant, making it a perfect material for outdoor projects. You can find it in home improvement stores like Lowe’s® and The Home Depot®.
Here is what you need.
- PVC board 1” width
- Table saw
- Safety goggles
- 20 trim screws 2”
- Electric screwdriver
- Potting soil
- Potted flowers
- Gardening shovel
- Pencil
- Tape measure
- PVC plugs
Step One
Gather, measure and cut your PVC trimboards with a circular table saw. Follow these dimensions:
- Base (8×22 ½”)
- Short Sides A (2) 8×7 ¼”
- Long Sides B (2) 8×24”
- Top C (2): 2×7 3/8”
- Top D (2): 2×26”
Step Two
Assemble the sides to the base, starting with the short sides. Lay the base on a flat surface and use four 2” screws to connect short sides A (8×7 ¼”) to the shorter sides of the base. Then use five 2” screws to join long sides B (8×24”) to the long sides of the base (one per corner and in the middle).
Step Three
Create the borders along the top of the planter. Use three to four 2” screws to connect the long tops to the long sides and two 2” screws to join the short tops to the short sides. Place the screws .5 – 1” in from the ends and in the center of the top pieces.
Step Four
Cover holes with PVC plugs.
Step Five
Drill three holes into base to allow for soil drainage and air circulation around roots.
Step Six
Add planting soil and flowers. Fill with perennials and flowering foliage. Yellow, purple, red and white make a great color combination.
Creating your own flower box only takes an hour or two. The best part? It will last season after season.