A trip to the hardware store is all it takes for a weekend DIYer to build a outdoor garden box. Whether you are looking to plant a small herb garden or want to start to growing your own vegetables, the steps are basically the same for any size box, big or small.
The following tutorial will show you how to make a simple 4-by-4, bottomless outdoor garden box, 1 foot deep. For a bigger or smaller box, adjust material and cuts dimensions as necessary.
Tip: Although the look of attached boards is more traditional in outdoor garden boxes, if available, two 8-foot common cedar one-by-12s can be used. In that case, the previous process should be done only one time.
Tip: When attaching the brace, drill six holes: two (top and bottom) on the 2-inch side of the brace board and four (two on top and two on the bottom) on the 4-inch side of the brace board.
If placing outdoor garden box directly on soil, you can deter pest (such as gophers) to get through it by adding a layer of hardware lining such as chicken wire at the bottom of the bed before filling with soil.
If placing outdoor garden box on a concrete slab or patio, turn garden box upside down and attach fencing slats to the bottom of it. The cracks between the slats will permit the water to drain.