Box on a stick.

The Tucson Gardener

Snail vine.
Snail vine blooms.

Current Cultivations

Garden Clubs

Garden Books

In the Garden Calendar

Tucson's Wildlife

Iceland poppies.

Local Garden Links

Links for Special Needs

The Archive

The Tool Shed

Golden barrel cactus bloom.

FAQ

Glossary

Search

Site Index

You're visiting Tucsongardener.com

Box On a Stick
On a trip along the Oregon coast one fall I spent a couple days at Cannon Beach to enjoy the cloudy skies, rain and picturesque coast. A pleasant change from all the Tucson sunshine. While out for an early morning stroll my wife and I walked into town in search of a hot cup of good coffee and ended up in a small shopping center with a cluster of small stores and lots of landscaping.

In the distance, picturesque Cannon beach with the often photographed Haystack rock formation off the coast.

While my better half went to grab a couple cups of coffee I admired all the fuchsias and other plants that liked the moist, cool, coastal weather. Scattered around the complex were a few planters sitting on top of posts embedded in the ground. Basically they were a box on a stick. A wooden planter box mounted to a weathered 4 by 4. Petunias and other cascading plants hung over the sides. It would take someone with a long handled watering wand to water the plants during dry conditions.

The memory of the planters stuck in the back of my head as one of those things I might give a try in my Tucson garden. Certainly The Tucson Gardener isn't adverse to displaying plants on a post as illustrated in Simple Pot Tree and Best Laid Plans....

Simple 21 - inch long 2 by 4 legs held in place with three inch screws.
Two by two collar lets the planter box slide over the column. The potting soil's weight holds the planter in place.
Inexpensive square plastic pot sits inside the planter box once the plastic container is filled with plants.

I used a 5-foot redwood 4 by 4 and added legs that were crafted from 2 by 4's each 21 inches long. Once the post stood on its own I needed to make a wood planter to rest on top. I had a square plastic pot that was about the size of the planter I wanted to sit on the "stick" so I built my box so the plastic planter could easily fit inside. Using pieces of cedar fencing, 2 by 2s, and 1 by 3s I came up with a box that would slide over the post. It wasn't very pretty when it was empty but I had witnessed what it could look like once plants draped over the side.

The five feet of post looked a bit naked so I nailed on a couple strips of lattice work as a decorative touch. I also added two pot clips to support painted clay pots.

Freshly made, and planted box on a stick. Petunias, Vinca and Silver Falls Dichondra drape over the side. Post pots hold geraniums.
Petunias begin to drape over the planter box. The clay pots on the post hold sweet potato vine, 'Blackie'.
Weathered planter box holds trailing verbena and an errant morning glory. Post pots hold newly planted white and purple Calibrachoa.

I didn't bother to paint or preserve the redwood and cedar allowing it to weather naturally. Over time the wood box did separate, and split as it dried out. Since the plastic pot inside held the soil and plants in didn't make any difference in the planter's function.

For easy transition, from season to season, it pays to have two of the plastic insert pots. With a replacement pot already planted it can quickly take the place of the original when it begins to show signs of decline.(2007)