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Patio Planter Box[8/4 · 4ft · 5-Pack]
One pack. One build. All 5 boards used. • Makes 1 patio planter
Shop Black Walnut 8/4 · 4ft Pack Shop All Speciesselect 4' Lengths / 4-6"
How it goes together
Black Walnut
Hard Maple
Cherry
White Oak
Red Oak
Ash
Hickory
Ambrosia Maple
Sapele*
Padauk*
Purpleheart*
*Exotic — not available for shipment to US customers.
A heavy, thick-walled planter for herbs, flowers or a small shrub on the patio or deck. The 1¾" hardwood walls insulate the roots from hot sun, the slatted floor drains freely, and the cleats and feet lift it off the deck so nothing rots underneath. Everything is screwed together except the panel glue-ups, so it is a simple weekend build.
Quick Build — for experienced woodworkers
| Part | Qty | From | S4S size | S2S size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Side pieces | 4 | Boards 1–2, two each | 22" × 4" × 1¾" | 22" × 3½" × 1¾" |
| End pieces | 4 | Board 3 | 5¾" × 4" × 1¾" | 4¾" × 3½" × 1¾" |
| Cleats | 2 | Board 3 | 9¼" × 4" × 1¾" | 8¼" × 3½" × 1¾" |
| Floor slats | 4 | Board 4, ripped in half | 22" × 1 15/16" × 1¾" | 22" × 1 11/16" × 1¾" |
| Feet | 4 | Board 5 | 4" × 4" × 1¾" | 4" × 3½" × 1¾" |
Sides and ends: two pieces each edge-glued with exterior glue, grain running side to side. Ends fit between the sides.
Corners: no glue (cross grain). Four #10 × 3" exterior screws per corner through the side into the end.
Floor: four 22" slats with ½" gaps, screwed up into the bottom edges of the walls. Two cleats across underneath, one screw per slat, no glue.
Feet: 4" blocks glued and screwed under the cleat ends — same grain direction, so long grain to long grain.
Finished size: S4S 22" L × 9¼" W × 13¼" H, soil space 18½" × 5¾" × 8" deep · S2S 22" × 8¼" × 12¼" H, soil space 18½" × 4¾" × 7" deep.
Before You Start
Shopping List
- 1 lumber pack — 8/4 · 4ft (S4S or S2S) — white oak is the best choice outdoors
- Exterior wood glue (Titebond III)
- About 45 × #10 × 3" exterior-rated (coated or stainless) flat-head screws
- Landscape fabric or a plastic liner
- Stainless staples
- Sandpaper 120 / 180 / 220
- Exterior oil finish (penetrating deck or teak oil)
Tools
- Saw for crosscuts (mitre saw or circular saw with a speed square) — with a stop block
- Saw for rips (table saw, or circular/track saw with a guide), push stick and splitter
- Drill/driver, countersink bit, pilot bits
- 4 bar clamps, 24" or longer
- Staple gun
- Tape measure, combination square, pencil
- Random-orbit sander or sanding block
- S2S only: jointer, straight-line rip jig or hand plane
S4S or S2S? S4S boards arrive flat and square on all four sides — cut and build. S2S boards have rough edges you straighten first. No jointer? Choose S4S.
Our sizing assumptions: ⅛" per saw cut · S4S boards 1¾" × 4", ¼" to square an end · S2S boards trimmed ½" each end and ¼" off each rough edge (3½" clean); we plan S2S at 1¾" thick · sizes drawn for the narrowest board in the pack. Wider boards give you a bigger offcut or a wider part — never a shortage.
Step-by-Step
S4S Lumber Pack
Surfaced 4 sides — no jointing
- 1 Cut the parts. Square one end of each board and use a stop block for matching lengths. Boards 1 and 2: two 22" side pieces each. Board 3: four 5¾" end pieces and two 9¼" cleats. Board 5: four 4" feet.
- 2 Rip the slats. Rip board 4 down the middle with a push stick and splitter — two strips about 1 15/16" wide. Crosscut two 22" slats from each strip.
- 3 Glue up the sides and ends. Edge-glue the side pieces in pairs into two panels 22" × 8", and the end pieces into two panels 5¾" × 8". Use Titebond III, grain running side to side. Clamp and leave overnight. This is the only glue in the box.
- 4 Sand and seal the end grain. Sand every part 120 → 180 and round the edges. Brush a first coat of exterior oil on all the end grain now — it soaks up water fastest.
- 5 Build the box. Stand the ends between the sides, flush at the corners. Pre-drill and drive four #10 × 3" exterior screws through each side into each end, two into each end piece. No glue at the corners — the grain crosses there.
- 6 Fit the floor. Turn the box upside down. Lay the four slats across its bottom edges, the outer two flush with the outside, with ½" spacers between them. Pre-drill and screw through the slats into the walls: three screws into each side, one into each end.
- 7 Add the cleats. Lay a cleat across the slats 2½" in from each end, flush with the outside. Drive one pre-drilled #10 × 3" screw through the cleat into each slat. No glue — the cleat crosses the slats.
- 8 Add the feet. Glue a foot under each end of each cleat, flush with the cleat's ends and edges. The grain runs the same way, so the glue holds. Add two pre-drilled #10 × 3" screws through each foot.
- 9 Finish and plant. Give every face two coats of exterior oil. Staple landscape fabric inside, or drop in a plastic liner with holes in the bottom. Add a layer of gravel, fill with potting mix and plant.
S2S Lumber Pack
Surfaced 2 sides — straighten edges first
- 1 Prep the boards. Trim ½" off each end to remove any end checks. Joint one edge straight, then rip the other edge parallel (¼" off each rough edge is our planning allowance). S2S boards finish 1¾" thick, so screws and some sizes change — use the sizes in this column.
- 2 Cut the parts. Square one end of each board and use a stop block for matching lengths. Boards 1 and 2: two 22" side pieces each. Board 3: four 4¾" end pieces and two 8¼" cleats. Board 5: four 4" feet.
- 3 Rip the slats. Rip board 4 down the middle with a push stick and splitter — two strips about 1 11/16" wide. Crosscut two 22" slats from each strip.
- 4 Glue up the sides and ends. Edge-glue the side pieces in pairs into two panels 22" × 7", and the end pieces into two panels 4¾" × 7". Use Titebond III, grain running side to side. Clamp and leave overnight. This is the only glue in the box.
- 5 Sand and seal the end grain. Sand every part 120 → 180 and round the edges. Brush a first coat of exterior oil on all the end grain now — it soaks up water fastest.
- 6 Build the box. Stand the ends between the sides, flush at the corners. Pre-drill and drive four #10 × 3" exterior screws through each side into each end, two into each end piece. No glue at the corners — the grain crosses there.
- 7 Fit the floor. Turn the box upside down. Lay the four slats across its bottom edges, the outer two flush with the outside, with ½" spacers between them. Pre-drill and screw through the slats into the walls: three screws into each side, one into each end.
- 8 Add the cleats. Lay a cleat across the slats 2½" in from each end, flush with the outside. Drive one pre-drilled #10 × 3" screw through the cleat into each slat. No glue — the cleat crosses the slats.
- 9 Add the feet. Glue a foot under each end of each cleat, flush with the cleat's ends and edges. The grain runs the same way, so the glue holds. Add two pre-drilled #10 × 3" screws through each foot.
- 10 Finish and plant. Give every face two coats of exterior oil. Staple landscape fabric inside, or drop in a plastic liner with holes in the bottom. Add a layer of gravel, fill with potting mix and plant.
Why no glue at the corners? The ends' grain runs across the box, the sides' grain runs along it. Outdoors the wood swells and shrinks a lot, and a cross-grain glue joint would crack. Screws hold the corner and let the parts move.
Why put the slats under the walls? The walls stand on the floor, so the weight of wet soil pushes down onto the slats and cleats instead of hanging off screws. The ½" gaps drain water straight through.
Why lift it on feet? Wood that sits on a wet deck stays wet and rots, and it stains the deck. The cleats and feet lift the planter 3½" so air dries the bottom.
Why pre-drill? Maple, oak and hickory split if you drive a screw without a pilot hole. Pre-drill every screw and countersink so the heads sit flush.
Make It Yours
- Cap rail: use the long offcut from board 5 for a 1¼" cap around the top edge to shed rain.
- Herb box: set it on a sunny step by the kitchen door and plant basil, thyme and chives.
- Casters: swap the feet for four locking outdoor casters so you can roll it into the sun.
Safety and Care
- Wear eye and hearing protection. Use a push stick for every rip under 4" wide.
- Rip the slats with a push stick and a splitter. Cut the short ends and feet with a stop block on the mitre saw.
- Use exterior-rated screws only — plain steel stains oak black. Wear gloves and a dust mask when sanding and when handling potting mix.
- Pre-drill every screw — hardwoods split without a pilot hole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not for S4S boards — they arrive flat and square on all four sides. S2S boards need their edges straightened: a jointer, a table saw with a straight-line jig, or a hand plane all work. No jointer? Choose the S4S pack.
White oak is the best choice in the pack — it resists rot and moisture well. Ash, maple and red oak work too but need a liner and a fresh coat of oil every spring.
A liner or landscape fabric keeps soil in the slat gaps and keeps wet soil off the wood, so the box lasts years longer. Make sure the liner has drain holes.
The box is solid hardwood and wet soil is heavy — 40 lb or more when planted. Set it in place before you fill it.
Planned offcuts only: about 5" off board 3 and about 30" off board 5 — enough for a cap rail (see Make It Yours). All 5 boards go into the planter.
No. A 2ft board only gives one 22" part, and the sides and slats need eight of them. A 2ft 8/4 pack suits our plant risers instead.
