Pallet Project

Small Space Garden

Update: Below, here is how it looks today!

See the Pallet Garden update here!

As you may remember, I’ve been updating my small back deck this summer. Because our yard is still unlandscaped, the deck off the kitchen feels exposed and lacks privacy.

Sitting on a deck in pajamas with neighbors watching doesn’t appeal to me, so I looked for simple, inexpensive, creative ways to add privacy.

One day my husband and I found a free pallet by the side of the road and brought it home. It seemed like the perfect base for a low-cost privacy screen that could also hold plants.

I wanted a bit of color and personality, so I used exterior Valspar paint in a cheerful yellow to give the pallet a rough, rustic coat. I didn’t sand, prime, or do any prep work on purpose — the worn look fit the project.

I considered turning the pallet into a hanging herb or vegetable garden, but I had some French-style metal buckets leftover from a wedding and thought they would look great as planters. Since I wasn’t sure about planting edibles in those buckets, I chose flowers instead.

The result was a charming, compact pallet garden that adds privacy and a splash of color to the deck.

I found inexpensive pansies on discount at a local garden center. They were slightly imperfect but still lovely, and affordable enough that I won’t mind replacing them later. Changing the flowers seasonally will keep the display fresh. Small ferns or succulents would also work well in this format.

This pallet garden could easily be adapted for indoor use during winter.

I added a layer of moss around each bucket to hide the soil and add texture and color. The moss gave the arrangement a finished look that I really liked.

Thanks to Lowe’s for providing the Valspar paint used in this pallet project.

One more tip: check my earlier post for a bit of advice on tackling projects like this—you might spot a helpful suggestion or two.

More of my porch makeover is on the way!