On a recent Saturday morning, Blake and I decided that we would like to add some planters in back of our house. We were able to buy the materials and put them together in just a few hours using a galvanized metal fire ring and trough. Both planters cost less than $100.00 for the two.
The larger of the two planters was made using the fire ring.
For the fire ring, we broke up the soil under the spot we placed it This can be easily done using any number of garden tools, but a Long Grub Hoe from or a Long Fork and Mattock make easy work of the job. If you don't like to work standing, these tools also come in hand versions.
Then you just add soil to the ring and you're ready to plant. We chose a Mexican Red Bird of Paradise and several colors of Salvia, because they are both deer resistant, drought tolerant and attract hummingbirds.
When planting, you have even more choices when it comes to garden tools. One factor in deciding is whether you prefer to stand or kneel when planting. For the larger plants, like the Caesalpinia, I prefer to stand up and use a spade. One of the many great spades available is the Ladies Spade (left). For the smaller plants, I've always preferred a trowel, such as the Half Round Transplanting Trowel from (right), but the lengths and variety available are abundant.
We chose a galvanized metal trough for the smaller planter. For good drainage, you can drill holes in the bottom or even cut it out completely.
It's even simpler to plant. We just added a base layer of soil, placed the plants and filled the remaining space with soil. You could also fill it completely and then dig holes for the plants if you prefer. We chose Lavender and Mexican Oregano which are both pretty and smell great.
Here are the finished products.
