How to use of pallets in the garden

Wooden pallets typically, from 3×3 ft to 4x4ft, consist of three or four stringers that support 10-12 1×4 deck boards.  These pallets are sometimes discarded by businesses that use them one time and have no way to dispose of them.  This is an opportunity too good to pass up for a foxy gardener!

These Flea Market Gardeners have found clever uses for ordinary wooden pallets in their gardens.  One way is a garden!

TammyJo Dallas pallet garden

TammyJo Dallas say, “A weekend project. My new pallet garden…now my mother in law wants one. I guess I know what I am doing next weekend!”

Carmen Whitehead’s tool pallet

Carmen Whitehead says, “Here is a pallet I picked up use it for my garden tools. It’s a great way to keep them organized since I don’t have a shed.  Someone asked if it was secured to the wall, but no, it’s not,…I’ve never had it tip over. It’s pretty heavy and I do place one hand on it while I pull out the tool. I didn’t want to attach it permanently to the house because this way I can move it if I wanted.

Carmen’s pallet shelf

Carmen also used this pallet to make a handy and decorative shelf, ” Picked up this pallet for free,” she says, “a little sanding, some spray paint and I now have a shelf on my patio for small pots and collectibles. I love the way it came out!”

Nell Stelzer’s father-in-law made this potting bench from ordinary pallets

Nell Stelzer’s father-in-law made this potting bench for her of pallet boards. She says, ” My potting bench is finished and in it’s new spot. My yard cart has a new parking spot! My father-in-law made this out of three oak pallets for me. My sister-in-law had the lattice, we added it in May and I painted it all one recent morning.”

Tami Williams’ pallet ‘door’

“I saved this pallet and repurposed it!”, Tami Williams says,  finding another use for a pallet in the garden.  She nailed it together in such a way that it gives the appearance of a real door, or a ladder, which she could then decorate.

Catharine Robertson-Lepage’s pallet garden

Catharine Robertson-Lepage, from Martintown, Ontario, Canada, says, “Awhile back I saw the photo of a veggie garden planted in pallets. I decided to give it a try alongside my traditional raised bed garden…It took about 5 bags of soil per pallet. This was a great idea……fabulous weed-free results!!  Thanks for sharing such unique and wonderful ideas!  This is a fantastic site…I love it!

When using edibles grown in pallets:

Pallets marked “MB” should never be used for gardening or fuel, while those with the letters “HT” (shown below) were heat treated or kiln dried and are safe to reuse.

Tip: How to find pallets

It may seem difficult to find pallets worth saving and using to build things, but it may be easier than you think.  Ask and you shall receive!  Ask at  independent hardware stores. Some pallets they reuse and some they can’t, simply because of the type they are. The ones they can’t use are perfectly good.  Try it!  ~~ Sue