Planter

[Chris J Dixon]

I want to make a simple rectangular planter (1), and don't want it finished in any of the available garish preservative colours.

I thought I might use Wikes treated sawn gravel boards, with fence posts for the corner pillars. I'm happy to go with a rough sawn appearance.

I see that planters on sale seem to come with a plastic sheet liner, though some of them are made of surprisingly thin timber.

Should I add a clear preservative, do I need a liner, or is it probably better (and cheaper) to simply use substantial timber, and replace when it decays?

(1) 600 mm x 800 mm, to match the concrete surround on a manhole cover.

Chris

[harry]

The purpose of the liner is two fold. It keeps the timber dry and stops the plants from drying out. Just use a bit of polythene or similar. You'll need drainage holes in the bottom.

[Chris Hogg]

Amen to all that. I would just add to stand the finished planter on bricks or bits of broken paving slab, to keep the wood off the ground and out of the wet, otherwise it'll rot sooner.

[ss]

I would add when I did this the polythene exposed to sunlight disintigrated within 18 months, I hope the parts not exposed are doing their job.

[Bob Hobden]

"Chris J Dixon" wrote

You can get galvanised manhole covers made to take paving bricks so a few inches deep with key holes so they can be lifted should the need arise. No reason you could not fill with soil and plant in those, for example....

[GMM]

Sometimes (perhaps at this time of year?) the sheds seem to sell decking boards off so cheap that they'd cost less than gravel board, and they're more robust.