Build Your Own Hanging Succulent Garden
This Hanging Succulent Garden is a stunning addition to any outdoor space, and while it's a little bit more time-consuming than most projects, it's rather quite simple to put together so long as you have a spare wood pallet, some tools, and patience!
Since this is a longer-than-usual DIY post, so we're going to cut right to it. Ready?
Building your DIY Hanging Succulent Garden
Supplies needed:
Large Wood Pallet, deconstructed
1-1 1/2" Screws, depending on thickness of wood
Small, double-holed metal plates (cabinet section)
Black ¼” Mesh, at least 30” wide
1"x2" Wood Strips, 6-10ft long
Tools needed:
Tape Measure
Screw Gun/Drill
Wood Glue
Jigsaw or Coping Saw
Miter Saw
Electric Sander, or 240 grit sandpaper
Staple Gun
Wire Snips or Sharp Scissors
(Optional) Nail Gun
Directions:
1. Figure out how big you want your succulent garden to be. Measurements you'll need include below; our measurements are in bold text:
- Width and height of the whole unit (39.5”W x 25.5”H)
- Height and depth of the planter box (11.25”H x 7”D, including back)
- Height of the area above the planter box, where the 'grass strip' is (7 ¼ ”H)
- Height of the area below the planter box, where the hooks go. (7 1/8” H)
All measurements mentioned here will be based on our unit’s dimensions above.
Backing Instructions
2. Cut your pallet wood boards to your desired width for the whole unit – 39.5”. Make sure you cut about 6 extra planks, that way you have enough to cover your planter box too. Next, cut your 1"x2" boards to the height of your entire unit – 25.5”; these will act as support beams on the back of your unit.
3. Lay your pallet wood boards out on the ground just like you’d like to see them displayed. Then, set your support beams directly above your wood boards, that way you can move your display board-by-board onto the support beams exactly as you arranged them. (If you have a Square tool, it would be helpful to make sure your support beams are perfectly parallel and evenly lines up.) You’ll need to make sure each support beam is about 6” from each side (left and right) of your boards.
4. Lay down a bead of wood glue on the support beams, making sure you don’t bump or move the beams after you square them up. Carefully move each plank of wood, in order, on top of the support beams. Allow the glue to dry for about 15-20 minutes. Then, using your nail gun, drive 2-3 nails through each board and into the support beams on each side.
Or, if you don’t have a nail gun, use a drill/screw gun, drill at least 2 holes into each pallet board and into each support beam, a total of 4 screws per board (6 if you have an extra large pallet board). Screw the boards to the support beams, making sure the screw tops are displayed on the front and the points are in the back. At this point, your backing should be done!
Planter Box Instructions
5. It's time to cut the wood for the planter box. Essentially what we’ve done here is created a “ceiling” and a “floor” of a planter box since the front side (and technically the back side too) is open. The only trick is that we’ve left a 4”-6” gap in the “ceiling” so that we could plant the grass-like succulents you see pictured above. We achieved this by building two support boxes out of 1”x2” lumber that we were able to use to attach the wood boards for the planter box to.
So in step-by-step fashion, you'll need:
1. To cut the 1"x2" boards like the below pictured. However, since these will be framing out your planter box, you need to make sure they are the exact depth and height that you’re going for, and make sure you account for the 1”x2”s and the width of your pallet boards too! Our squares ended up being about 6 ½” wide and 10 ¾” tall. If you have a Square tool, use it to make sure your support boxes turned out perfectly square – this will help a ton in the long run. If you don’t have a Square tool, try to find something else that has a perfect 90° angle to it and use that.
1. The two short pieces are 3 ½” tall.
2. The two long pieces are 10 ¾” tall.
2. Use wood glue to glue the pieces together as pictured and allow them to dry for 15-20 minutes.
3. On your backing, use a tape measure to figure out where you want your planter box to sit. For us, that was roughly 7 1/8” above the bottom edge and 7 ¼” below the top edge. Use a pencil to mark each side where your planter box sides (support boxes) will go, lining them up squarely with the outside edge of your backing.
4. Grab some of your remnant pallet wood pieces from cutting the wood for your backing earlier. You’ll need to create the visible side of the planter box with them. Line your end pieces up how you like them, and glue them to one side of each support box (see photo). Cut boards to size if needed. Make sure that you leave ½”-1” extra in length hanging over the edge of your boxes that won’t be glued to the backing (see photo).
5. Use wood glue to adhere them to your backing, and your nail gun or screw gun to attach them securely to the backing from behind. Have a friend help if you can.
6. After your planter box sides (support boxes) are adhered, use a large level to make sure they’re placed correctly. If they are, we can move on! If not, quickly unscrew them and correct their placement before the glue dries, then re-screw them back in.
6. Use your screw gun to screw 1-2 planks on the bottom side of your planter box, driving the screws into your support boxes. It’s important that you create a solid bottom that extends exactly ¼” (or the width of your pallet boards) over the edge of your support boxes.
7. On the top of your planter box, screw one board in on the very front of your box, leaving the same ¼” (or pallet board width) over the edge to match the bottom. Do not screw another plank to the top – you want to leave a good-sized gap running the length of the backing, against your backing, to plant your grassy succulents in. However, you may want to add little “end” pieces in the gap it leaves on the edges, that way it looks complete. (See photo.)
Back Panel Instructions
8. Okay, you need to create an opening in the back of your planter, that way you have easy access to the inside of your planter box after we staple the mesh on. To do that, flip your entire unit over so that backside of your backing is exposed. If possible, place it on something elevated that allows the planter box to hang down, such as on saw horses.
1. You will need to cut 2 more support pieces from your 1”x2” lumber, and their length will depend on the length of the panel. The size of the panel that opens up to the interior of the planter box will completely depend on the placement of your pallet wood boards and your planter box, so essentially, figure out how big you want your opening to be first. 2 boards’ worth? 3 boards’ worth? (We recommend choosing 3 boards to cut out.) Make sure that the opening you’re about to cut is NOT visible from the front of your unit, and that you are only cutting an opening to the inside of your planter box.
2. You will be making only two vertical cuts on the backside of your unit. Measure 1”-1 ½” from the inside of the support beams on the back, using a pencil to mark where you’ll be making your cuts.
3. Once you’ve measured the length of your two cuts, you can cut your two support pieces to be long enough to securely fasten together all the boards you will be cutting out. Just like we did with the entire backing, glue your support pieces to your soon-to-be panel. Make sure they’re an inch or so from where you’re going to make your cuts, then cut away!
4. Your new panel should fit snuggly into your backside. Use the small metal plates and 4 screws to create “latches”, that attach to your main unit and swivel over the edges of your panel, holding it securely in place. You’re done!
Finishing Touches
9. Lightly sand your entire wall planter down, making sure there aren’t any rough edges or splinters waiting to happen. Don’t sand it too much though – you want that rustic look!
10. It’s time to staple your black mesh to your planter box. Grab a sharp pair of scissors (or a cutting knife) and, laying the mesh over the front of the planter box, cut a rectangle that has 2”-3” extra mesh on each of the long sides. The short sides don’t matter, so long as the mesh is long enough to cover them.
11. You will be stapling the long sides of the mesh to the INSIDE of the planter box, and the short sides of the mesh to the part of the support boxes you made earlier that are still exposed on the front. We recommend starting with one short side, trimming the mesh cleanly so that it sits snuggly against the pallet wood sides of the support boxes. Make sure you use plenty of staples!
12. Next, have a fried pull the mesh tightly over to the other short side, getting it as tight as they can over the top of your planter box. Trim the other short side cleanly and staple in place while your friend holds it taught.
13. Tuck the loose edges of the mesh into the inside of the planter box, then flip the unit over again. Use your staple gun to staple the mesh close to the front of the box, pulling it tight as you go. If some of your staples don’t go in all the way, use a hammer to tighten them in. At this point, you’re finished building your main unit – congratulations! It’s time to PLANT!
Planting Your Succulents
Supplies needed:
15-20 different 3”-6”succulent plants, varying in color and texture
8-10 different grassy-looking succulent plants, for the top
2 large bags of Cactus, Palm and Citrus Potting Mix (It’s very well-draining)
Optional: 2-3 Bags of green Spanish moss
Gloves
1 extra pallet wood board
Water spray bottle
Adorable hooks
Hanging plant buckets
3 different flowers you like
(In the photos following, you’ll notice our unit isn’t filled with dirt and is tipped up, not laying down. This is just so we could get better photos for you – follow the written instructions below!)
1. Lay your succulent garden on its backside, so the mesh is facing skywards. Place your extra wood board across the opening on the top of your planter box, and place something heavy against it to hold it in place, like your extra soil bag. Pour soil through the mesh until the planter box is full. Make sure you tap, shake, and move your unit so that the soil fills all the corners, and press lightly on top of the mesh/soil to pack it lightly. Add more soil if needed.
2. Using your sharp scissors, begin cutting holes in the mesh where you’re going to plant a succulent. We recommend planning this out in advance; look up tutorials on how to design your succulents. We did diagonal stripes of similarly-colored plants. As you cut holes, plant succulents in them as you go. Be careful, as the mesh can be jagged or sharp sometimes. Make sure there is plenty of soil packed around the roots of each succulent, that way they are held firmly in place.
3. Once your planter face is completely planted, pack the soil down around your succulents and gently water. Allow the planter to sit for 5-10 minutes so that excess water can run off. This is to pack the soil down and make it ‘stick’ to itself better, since the next step is a little risky.
4. If there are any areas that look like they need more soil, add it a little at a time and wet it lightly. Then, temporarily lean the entire unit up against a wall, watching your newly-planted succulents carefully to make sure they stay in. Working in the top of your planter box, plant your grass-like succulents, evenly spaced out so they fill the backboard area nicely. Water them a little, fill any holes with soil and moisten again, then lay your entire unit back on its backside.
5. Allow your succulents to take root for at least 4-6 weeks in a spot where they’ll receive direct sunlight for 8-12 hours. Water them once every 3 days for the first week, then only once a week for the remainder of the time. If you see them wither a little, give them more water, but be very careful not to overwater them.
6. After your succulents have rooted, it’s time to hang it! One of the easiest ways to hang this succulent garden, which weighs well over 60 pounds when dry, is with a picture hanging cleat such as this one. (This particular cleat can hold up to 200 pounds!) Follow the instructions on the package and phone a friend to help you lift and hang your garden. Or, use 4” drywall screws and heavy-duty Molly’s to hang from stucco or drywall, and screw at least 6 into each side (left and right) of your garden, taking care that you’re screwing through the support beams on the backside of your backboard.
7. The final step is to screw your hooks into the bottom part of your succulent garden, plant your flowers in your hanging buckets (we got ours from Hobby Lobby), and hang them. When you need to water, use a hose with a gentle stream of water or a watering can, and soak your succulent garden from the top where your grassy succulents are planted.
We know this project takes a lot of patience and time, but the payoff is so very worth it. Succulents are a hardy, water-wise plant that are easy to take care of, and still provide lots of life and color to your wall. This Hanging Succulent Garden is great for front porches, backyard fences, and even certain indoor areas that can’t be damaged by runoff water on the floors.
What do you think? We’d love to hear your thoughts, or see your builds! Share with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram – links below!
