Have you always wanted a garden to grow your own fruits and vegetables? Do you have a pallet just laying around?
If you answered “yes” to both of these questions, then this is a DIY project for you! Here’s how to turn a pallet into a luscious garden:
Step #1 – Procure a Pallet
First, we need to find you a pallet. If you don’t have a pallet at the ready, they can commonly be found behind convenience stores near dumpsters. Not just any pallet will do however. Try to find a pallet with all of its boards intact.
Step #2 – Gather Supplies
Once you have your pallet, it’s time to gather all of the supplies to build your beautiful garden. In addition to your pallet, you will need two large bags of potting soil, 16 six-packs of annual flowers (one six pack per opening on the face of the pallet, and two six packs per opening on the top of the completed pallet garden), a small roll of landscape fabric, staple gun with staples, and sand paper.
Step #3 – Shape Your Pallet
Secure any loose boards and use sand paper to smooth down any rough spots. The goal is to clean up the pallet as much as possible to look presentable as well as safe to work around!
Step #4 – Staple, Staple, Staple!
To create your garden, you need to cover the bottom, back, and sides with landscape fabric, while leaving the space between the slats and the top uncovered – this space is where the flowers will go.
Place your pallet face down. Cut two identically sized pieces that are long enough to cover the top edge of the back of the pallet and wrap all the way around the bottom, plus a few extra inches.
Hold the two pieces of landscape fabric together and fold over the top edge by at least one inch. Center it on the top board in the back of the pallet. Staple the fabric into place on the top edge of the top board. Smooth out the fabric then pull it taut. Staple the fabric on the top, right edge of the top board. Repeat this on the left side as well. Fill in the staples until there is one staple every two inches along the top edge of the top board.
With the top of the landscape fabric securely attached to the top, back board, smooth the fabric down again and repeat the process along the bottom edge of the bottom board, but this time do not don’t fold the fabric under, but rather leave a long flap on the bottom.
Fold the cut edge under and staple the fabric along the front edge of the bottom. Smooth fabric again and continue to staple every two inches along the front edge of the bottom.
Once this is completed, it is time for the sides. Begin on the the bottom by folding the excess fabric inwards. Fold the cut edge of the fabric under and staple it down near the front, bottom edge. Smooth the fabric and staple every two inches on the front edge of the side of the pallet. The fabric should find a balance between being taut but not in danger of tearing. Repeat on the other side of the pallet.
When all of this is completed, you should be left with a pallet that has landscape fabric wrapped around the sides, back, and bottom. Continue to add anywhere else to secure the fabric in order to keep soil from creeping out.
Step #5 – Get Planting
Now comes the really fun part: Place your pallet in whatever location you’d like your garden to be. Make sure to lay it flat and face up. The garden will rest vertically when it is finished, but it’s easiest to plant everything while the pallet is laying flat on the ground.
Take your plants an slide them into what will become the top of your garden. Do not jam anything in, but rather plant everything lightly. 
Once all of your plants are in the top, pour the contents of the entire first bag of potting soil on top of your pallet. Push soil in between the slats and smooth it out with your hand so that the soil is level. Do the same with the second bag of potting soil.
Next, push potting soil into the bottom cavity, creating a trench below one of the bottom openings. Plant six plants in the trench, so that each fil very tightly into the opening. Repeat this process with the other bottom opening. Then, use the potting soil as a brace against the flowers you just planted, making a trench beneath one of the openings in the second row. Plant your flowers tightly in that opening. Continue to repeat for all the remaining openings.
When you are finally done planting, every opening on your pallet should have plants coming out of them. The plants should fit so tightly that no soil should fall from between plants.
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