I built a traditional flower box at my old house. Over the seven years I lived there, I had to mend it at least three times. By the time we moved, it was so rotten that I simply threw it away. I wanted to make a new kind of flower box that would segregate the organic matter from the lumber.
I’ve always liked the look of my front porch planter boxes, so I decided to build something similar for the window box. The design is not so different from the pot rack that I built to hang over the kitchen island at my last house. Here’s how I did it.
I bought four 1″ x 8″ x 6′ pieces of pine. I wanted to use cedar for its weathering properties, but I couldn’t find straight enough boards. I cut the lumber to the same length as the window sash. I also bought three terracotta pots and measured the diameter just below the rim. Then I used a compass to draw three circles in two of the pieces of pine. Finally, I used a jigsaw to cut the holes.
I used some 1″ x 2″ lumber to frame and strengthen the shelf. Everything was glued and then screwed into place. I should add that I made some shutters for the front of the house last weekend. So when I made the backer board for the flower box, I routed it to mimic the styling of the shutters. I attached the two boards together with some metal braces on the back.
Finally I painted the whole thing with a few coats of white exterior paint.
I had some old corner brackets that I got from my mother several years ago. I think it’s cool that people give me building supplies. I attached the flower box to the front of the house beneath the window. Then I added the brackets to brace the shelf, covering the previous screw holes.
I think this project came out pretty good. I originally wanted to use bigger pots, but that would have added a lot more weight than I was comfortable with. The wife planted some perennials and they should get rainwater. So this thing should be pretty maintenance-free. We planted some creeping jenny in the front of each pot. In a few years, it should grow and hang down over the edge of the shelf.
I think this flower box, combined with the new shutters and electric candle sconces, makes the front of the house look pretty good. Now I just need to build the front porch railing and I’ll be close to being done.
