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Raised timber planter boxes with built-in seating turned a bare backyard into a lush, inviting outdoor space.
The project
I started with a bare, desolate space and turned it into our little piece of paradise. It took me about six weekends to complete all the planter boxes, juggling kids and other commitments.
I was a bit slow as I have never done anything like this before. All the soil and mulch had to be brought in by buckets as the side access was limited. It took some time!
Getting the boxes level caused a few headaches, and getting the angles on the all the cuts was a massive challenge as it was all new to me. It was also a bit scary using a drop saw for the first time.
The knowledge I got from the Bunnings team was so valuable. They must have been sick of the sight of me!
The soil goes all the way to the ground. To keep the weeds away I put a layer of cardboard at the bottom.
I also used some polycarbonate roof sheets to line the sides of the boxes to to keep the soil from contacting the wood and prolong the life of the boxes. I only used these as I had them left over from the old roof I took down. I also painted the wood.
On the seating area I used MicroPro-treated sienna Pine as there were going to young kids sitting here eating at times.
How to build a planter box
Experienced Bunnings Workshop member Adam Woodhams has put together this brilliant step-by-step guide and video tutorial: How to build a planter box with bench seats.
Workshop member Rob gets right down to basics in his guide: How to build a simple planter box. Resident D.I.Y. expert Mitchell also created this handy guide: How to build a raised garden bed using pallets.
More project inspiration for your outdoor areas
Workshop member Jimi carried out a stunning front-yard transformation involving a curving stone retaining wall and crazy paving complemented by thoughtful garden planting.
Workshop member Rufaro's complete backyard makeover turned a tired yard into an attractive and functional outdoor living area.
There are also plenty of great ideas in our collection of Paving ideas for outdoor entertaining areas, our Top 10 most popular garden makeovers and our collection of Ideas to revamp your side yard.
Let us know if you need a hand with your project – we're here to help.
This is awesome @Nidge , the night feature is fantastic and I love the seating. I may need to steal this for our own project 
Well done.
Hi @Sperske,
A warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community and thank you for your question.
I can't say for sure how @Nidge has done it, but a simple and easy way is to cut some blocks out of your sleepers to act as a support, as a joist does in a deck
They should be spaced at 450mm intervals and be fixed through the outside of the sleepers with 2 long batten screws, such as these ZENITH 14G - 8 x 150mm Class 3 Galvanised Bugle Batten Screws, on each end of the block.
You can then attach the decking boards to these blocks using decking screws.
See the below renders as an example of what I mean.
Let me know what you think and if you have further questions, don't hesitate to ask.
Jacob
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