DIY Network

Farmers' Market How you gonna keep 'em down on the farm after they see all these cool farm-inspired gadgets? From "Creative Juice" episode DCRJ-703

Stick out your green thumb: Cathie Filian and Steve Piacenza are full of great ideas for the garden. They design a playful planter box that won’t fence you in, mark territory with wooden stakes and transform basic gardening gear into fashionable tools of the trade.

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Picket Fence Planter Box With Mint

Picket Fence Planter Box With Mint

You don’t need a backyard to grow fresh herbs. This picket fence planter box turns windows and balconies into personal farmers’ markets.

Materials:

planter box (we used a 24" x 6" x 7" box)
30 paint stir sticks
cream craft paint
DecoArt Antiquing Stain medium
paint brushes
¾" finishing nails
hammer
pencil
ruler
potting soil
mint plants

1. Measure the box to determine how many paint stir sticks will be needed, assuming they are placed approximately 1" apart. Mark the placement of each stick on the box using a ruler and pencil.

2. Paint the planter and the sticks with a mixture of equal parts DecoArt Antiquing Stain medium and cream craft paint (figure A).

3. Place a stick flush against the work surface and against the planter (figure B). Mark the points on each stick where they will be nailed to the planter. We marked each stick at the 1-1/2" and the 5" mark (figure C).

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C

4. Use a hammer to tap a finishing nail into each stick at the designated points.

5. Line up each stick with the marks on the planter and finish pounding the nail through, attaching the sticks to the planter. To line the ends up easily, place the end and center piece sticks first and fill in with the remaining sticks (figure D).

6. Fill the planter with potting soil and plant the mint. Water and enjoy watching your mint garden grow (figure E).

Figure D

Figure E

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