Raised Planters with Integrated Watering
A system of raised and ground-level planters created out of reclaimed fence pickets and cheap used lumber. Watered via a system of PVC pipes and hoses that ran through and around the planters connected to a used sprinkler timer.
Skills:
Woodworking, Optimization of Materials, Fluid Routing / Passive Irrigation, Material Sourcing
Design Considerations & Decisions
The biggest constraint on this project was cost, as lumber can get expensive fast. In the aftermath of COVID, lumber prices skyrocketed, and as a result, sourcing for this project and working around material constraints became very important. Listed below were additional constraints
- Must be at least 6' x 2'
- Must be at least 48" tall
- Planting space must be at least 2' deep
- Must have proper drainage to prevent rotting
- Must be water proof & UV Resistant
- Caster Mounted
With these constraints in place and cost a significant consideration, lightly used cedar fence pickets were selected as the primary material, with pressure-treated dimensional lumber used for framing and handling much of the loading. This was selected as cedar is naturally rot-resistant; these boards were almost brand new, dirt cheap, and thick enough.
To handle weatherproofing, five coats of varnish were applied with sanding between each coating to both the inside and outside of the planter. And drainage was achieved through the combination of a semi-permeable pond liner with a rocky bottom reminiscent of a French drain system.
Later, after more planters were added, a system of PVC sprayers and drip lines was added, being fed off an outdoor water line and controlled via an off-the-shelf sprinkler timer. To ensure plants were not being overwatered, each line was run in parallel with a valve on each, moderating flow rate dictated based on plant needs.