Planters on wheels

Craft your own versatile garden with mobile planter boxes on wheels, personalised to fit your gardening needs and easily movable to any desired location.

Planter boxes on wheels are pretty handy. They create a portable garden that you can move around to wherever you want. And by building them yourself, you can make them to a size that suits you.

First, decide the dimensions of the planter box. They can be designed to suit what you will be planting and where it will be placed. This box will be one long single-level box approximately 1200mm x 600mm, with a smaller square 600mm x 600mm single-level box on top, and a single-layered 600mm x 600mm box fixed to the side.

The planter box will then be placed on castors so it can be easily moved around.

Choose timber

Decide what timber to construct your planter box out of. There are a few options:

200x50mm tongue and groove retaining timber

200x50mm macrocarpa retaining timber. This has a high oil content and will last well outdoors.

There are also treated timber options.

Cut timber

Measure and cut timber to length as per your plan.

Assemble bottom layer

Lay the timber out for the first level, and mark a line 25mm in from each end for the screws. For a tidier look, measure up from the top and bottom 35mm, and mark, so the screws are placed consistently.

Pre-drill the timber where marked.

Make sure the edges are flush and screw the timber together.

Check the planter box is square by measuring its diagonals.

Lay the base on the first layer, mark a line for the screws 25mm in from each side and screw in place. Make sure to position the screws so they don’t hit any others. Use two screws on the end of each board. Place three screws, evenly spaced, down the long edge.

Attach castor wheels

If using castor wheels, attach them now using 30mm hex head screws. It’s a good idea to get at least two locking castor wheels, so the planter box won’t move around. When placing them, make sure the locking device can be accessed.

Assemble top layer

Now assemble the sides of the top layer of the planter box using the same techniques as the bottom layer.

Fix layers together

Sit the layers on top of each other, and fix them together using batons slightly shorter than the height of the two layers. Our height is 400mm, so 300mm x 15mm batons have been cut from an off-cut of the macrocarpa.

Attach them to the inside on three sides with 30mm hex head screws.

Use a block plane to arris the edges to take off any rough edges.

Assemble side box

Assemble the sides of the 600x600mm box

as per the techniques above.

Screw on the base.

Attach the castor wheels.

Screw it to the side of the longer planter box.

Line with polythene

Line the planter box with polythene. This is a good idea if you are planting edible plants and using treated timber. It will also prevent timber like macrocarpa from rotting out too early.

Drill holes into the bottom to allow for drainage.

Stain

Stain your planter box to suit. There are a variety of colours to choose from.

Plant

Now you’re ready for planting. Fill the box with some container mix and your choice of plants.

— Courtesy of Mitre10