Pallet Project

Small Space Garden

Update: Below is how it looks today!

See the Pallet Garden update here!

As you might remember, I’ve been making simple updates to my small back deck this summer. Because our yard hasn’t been landscaped yet, the deck off the kitchen feels exposed to the neighbors and lacks privacy.

Sitting on a deck in my pajamas while neighbors can see in isn’t exactly relaxing, so I looked for an inexpensive, creative way to add some privacy and personality.

A few weeks ago my husband and I found a free wooden pallet on the side of the road. We brought it home and I decided it would be a great, low-cost solution to create a bit of screening for the deck.

I wanted the pallet to feel cheerful and not too plain, so I bought exterior Valspar paint and gave it a rough coat of sunny yellow. I purposely skipped priming and sanding to keep a rustic, weathered look.

Initially I considered turning the pallet into a hanging herb or vegetable garden, but I had some French-style metal buckets left over from a wedding that I wanted to use. Because I was unsure about planting edible herbs directly in those buckets, I opted for flowers instead.

The result is a simple, charming pallet flower garden. The pansies I used were discounted at a local garden center. They were a bit imperfect, which made them appealing and affordable. Using inexpensive plants means I won’t feel guilty replacing them seasonally, and it’s fun to change the display—small ferns or succulents would work well too.

This pallet garden would even work indoors during winter months.

I finished each bucket with a layer of moss to hide the soil and add texture and color. I really like how the arrangement turned out and how the yellow pallet brightens the deck while providing privacy.

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

Also, you might want to check my earlier post for a quick tip I learned the hard way—just a friendly heads-up.

More of my porch makeover is on the way!