Hanging wall garden
Try a modern take on traditional hanging baskets with a wall of these Woolly Pockets. Because they’re lined with moisture barriers, you don’t have to worry about any leaking. Best of all, this simple DIY garden project can be accomplished in an afternoon.
Ultimate DIY raised bed
Raised garden beds, essentially large planting boxes, are the ultimate problem solver—they offer perfect drainage, protection from pests, and easy access to crops. A raised bed is just the thing to turn your backyard into the farm of your dreams. Follow our directions you’ll be able to complete this easy project in one weekend.
Build a modified cabana
A white sailcloth roof over a simple square frame creates protection from overhead sun in this outdoor seating area. This straightforward DIY garden project also makes the space feel like a poolside resort. If you have multistory residences on either side of your home, as was the case here, a shade canopy adds privacy.
Decorate a deck
With a few versatile pieces you can create an outdoor living space that is comfortable and stylish. In this outdoor room, designed by Gena Sigala, a daybed and a coffee table transform a deck into a dreamy retreat.
Living cacti centerpiece
Here’s another dead-simple DIY garden project: plant a pretty tray of succulents. Baby barrel cactus paired with pale thimble cactus make a stylish duo planted in a low container. To hide the potting soil and create a more consistent look, top-dress the container with dark gravel.
Succulent birdhouse roof
Mounding sedums, knotweed, and dusty miller cover the roof of this rustic birdhouse, designed by DIG Gardens. This DIY garden project is definitely easier than converting a whole garage green roof!
DIY outdoor shower
This weekend project has three basic parts: two wing walls and a center pole with the plumbing attached. All materials are available at the Home Depot.
Time: One weekend (4 hours of labor, plus drying time for sealer)
Difficulty: 3 (on a scale of 1–10; requires modest woodworking skills)
Cost: About $170
Set your table
Insert a box with drainage holes into an old table. Fill your new planter with easy-care succulents. Now you have a centerpiece that will last the entire outdoor dining season. Don’t have an old table to sacrifice to the project? Build one out of shipping pallets. Use the pallets for the top and the sunken planter, and add legs—the more worn, the better. Coat the table with some natural wax stain for a bit of weather protection.
Living wall
Get inspired to create your own vertical garden, which can include a variety of plants like ferns, bromelaids, coral bells, spider plants, and elephant ears.
Carve out planting space
Don’t want to lose the use of your garage? Create a planter down the center of the driveway, and place in it creeping thyme, sedums, star creeper—anything short enough that cars can pass over it will work. Immediately the whole area looks softer. Now squeeze in some taller plants along both sides. If you’re really short on space, espalier—train plants to grow sideways. You’re greening up vertically as well as horizontally.
Plant a backdrop
No garden walls to train ivy on? Nothing this DIY garden project can’t solve. Plant between the slats of salvaged shutters. Staple weed cloth together to form pockets for soil, and attach the pockets to the back of the shutters. Plant with easy-care succulents.
Jazz up a pond
Anyone with access to a flea market can accomplish this DIY garden project. Glass balls floating in a small square pond add an instant dash of color and humor to this narrow, mostly green garden. Don’t have a pond? Float glass balls in a large bowl of water. This will have the same effect.
One-pot vegetable garden
Not everyone has the room or time for a big edible garden. But even if you’re limited to a lone container, you can still enjoy a summer’s worth of homegrown produce for pasta, Gazpacho, and even garden-fresh Bloody Marys. Place several of these tubs end to end to form an edible garden wall and the simplest DIY garden project ever.
Two-Day Path Project
You can install this pretty path in about a weekend. (The plantings take a little longer to mature; they’ll look like this in about nine months.)
The gently curving path invites you to stroll among the plants, and leads to a small circular patio.
Fake a border
Group planted pots in various sizes together to create a similar effect. For interest, choose a variety of sizes and shapes. Here, all the pots are metal. If you use different materials, keep them in the same color range; this DIY garden project will reward the discerni flea market shopper.
Easy brick patio
A small, detached patio like this one comes together quickly with minimal effort.
Think of the possible uses for this circle of bricks. You can tuck it into a perennial border. Or place it in a remote corner of your garden, where you can linger at day’s end over a glass of wine, or on Sunday morning with your coffee and magazines.
Small-space salad box
Having fresh greens at your fingertips is one of the best parts of the growing season. And with a raised planter right outside the kitchen door, you can have a continual supply of salad greens nearly year-round.
You can make one using a ready-made redwood window box from the nursery.
Votive chandelier
Here’s a DIY garden project that doesn’t even require a garden. Create your own romantic lighting for an outdoor dinner party by suspending votives (we used mini recycled-glass tea light lanterns) at varying heights from low-hanging branches. Use clear fishing line and be sure to keep candles a safe distance from the leaves.
For a stained-glass version, cover chandelier lanterns with tissue paper and get a soft glow. Don’t be afraid to try different patterns, abstract shapes, and colors. We designed ours as a nod to artist Mark Rothko.
Supplies: Ruler, pencil, scissors, tissue paper, small foam brush, Yasutomo Nori or similar paste, and glass lanterns or jars
1. Measure and cut tissue paper into desired shapes and sizes (we used long strips for easy application).
2. Dip foam brush into paste. Holding a piece of tissue paper against the outside
of the lantern, paint an even coat of paste onto tissue paper and adhere to glass.
3. Repeat until lantern is covered. Let dry overnight, then hang.
Tip: Keep lanterns away from moisture.
Wavy picnic table project
The spaces between the boards of this picnic table look like lazy ripples in a slow-moving stream.
The unusual pattern is easy to create with a saber saw. We cut each of the boards freehand, then added readymade legs from Ikea.
Patchwork patio
In this affordable DIY garden project, an outdoor “area rug” of stained concrete pavers adds punch to a small backyard. Potted succulents cactus and a palm bring the look of a garden onto the finished product. Seek out samples and rejects from ceramic tile stores to make it even more budget-friendly.
Vertical garden tower
No room to garden? Grow up–as in towards the sky. A vertical garden tower will give you plenty of space for edibles, and takes up only a small footprint of the ground.
Build a home recycling center
It’s easy to close the back door and pretend that the jumble of recycling bins and garbage cans outside doesn’t exist–but that only works when you’re in the house. Building a short lean-to just big enough to hold everything solves the problem, and you can put it together in one weekend.
Billowy Bali retreat
Sit on this compact deck, pull the netting around you, and you’ll feel almost like you’re floating in a cloud above a jungle of exotic flowers.
Get the how-to for this gorgeous DIY garden project
Party Umbrella
Dress up a few lanterns with ribbon, add some sunny fabric, and your plain canvas umbrella is ready to party.
- Do it yourself: Get the how-to
The decorations aren’t permanent, so you can change the colors anytime you wish.
Step by step project: Planter umbrella stand
Strong wind is no friend to most patio umbrellas, but it would take a hurricane to budge this setup.
The umbrella rises from a sleeve centered in a flowerpot that’s filled with three layers of material: a bottom layer of lava rock to hold the sleeve in place, a center layer of concrete for extra rigidity, and a top layer of planting mix. When there’s no need for shade, just lift out the umbrella — the plants should mask the sleeve.
See how to make this umbrella stand planter your next weekend DIY garden project
Wire basket and mason jars become outdoor chandelier
See how to make this outdoor chandelier
Romantic outdoor lighting: With a wire basket, a few jars, and some tea lights and adornment, add a little handmade glow to your garden.
Shed-roof birdhouse
You don’t have to be a woodworking whiz to build this simple birdhouse: it requires only straight cuts that you can make with a handsaw, saber saw, circular saw, or table saw.
Wrens, chickadees, and bluebirds will appreciate its deep overhang and perchless entry.
Green-roofed bird feeders
One flat of ground-cover plants equals one bird-feeder roof: That’s the formula for the canopy on these easy-to-construct bird feeders.
Sturdy ground covers, such as moss, ivy, thyme, and small sedums, will grow in the shallow depth of the feeders’ roofs. They’re fun to look at while they shelter the seeds.
DIY Fountain
The soft splash of a fountain brings life and motion to the backyard. It attracts more birds than still water alone, and its soothing sound track transforms your space into a peaceful retreat.
We built the fountain pictured here for about $160 (not including stones), using two glazed pots (a shallow bowl nests snugly inside the larger pot), a bucket, and a small recirculating pump.
Step-by-step: Installing a flagstone path
A good path welcomes you into your garden and invites you to slow down and see what’s happening there.
This one features flagstones set in Salmon Bay gravel. As edging plants (here, blue fescue and petunias) grow, they’ll create a graceful, soft edge.
Backyard potting center
Gardeners will appreciate this sturdy, good-looking workbench: Perfect for the behind-the-scenes dirty work of potting young plants, it also contains storage space for hand tools and supplies.
Creative tool hideaway
Keep your garden tools where you need them—but out of sight—by converting a mailbox into a small storage space.
Place it within easy reach just off a garden path or outside the back door.
Succulent boat
Create a living centerpiece by planting a colorful mix of Echeveria, Sempervivum, and trailing Sedum in a narrow container. If you have the space, you could fill an old canoe or rowboat with planting medium and make a seaworthy succulent garden! Follow our video for step-by-step instructions.
Under-eaves storage shed
Attached to the outside of the house, this 15 ½-inch deep structure opens to reveal a spacious storage area to keep your garden tools dry and out of site.
Shady arbor bench
Imagine sipping your tea or wine in the dappled light of your own backyard arbor bench, your favorite vine overhead.
Building a bench and arbor combo is in some ways less complicated than building a standalone bench. The arbor provides the structure, and the bench comes along for the ride with no complex angles or fancy joinery.
Natural garden tipi
For a quick, inexpensive support for climbing plants, build a simple tipi of natural materials you may already have.
Not only does the structure put the veggies at a convenient height for harvesting, it creates a focal point on its own.
DIY garden obelisk
A garden tower with the crisp geometry of an obelisk adds a stunning focal point and a vertical dimension to your garden.
Once vines climb onto the obelisk, the contrast between natural and constructed elements only enhances its appeal.
DIY garden obelisk
A garden tower with the crisp geometry of an obelisk adds a stunning focal point and a vertical dimension to your garden.
Once vines climb onto the obelisk, the contrast between natural and constructed elements only enhances its appeal.
Plant a cool pot
Freshen up your porch or patio with a mix of white-flowered plants and bluish foliage.
DIY backyard adobe oven
Our backyard adobe oven is modeled after mud-brick ovens used around the world, from the Southwest to Mexico, Italy, and France.
Building it takes about two days of grubby work, but the reward: wonderfully rustic pizzas, roasts, vegetables, and crusty loaves of bread from your own backyard.
Get the complete how-to, plus heating guide and recipes
Barbecue bar
This barbecue bar is the perfect place to entertain friends and it offers enough space to prepare a large meal. The neautral color allows it to blend in naturally with the rest of the backyard.
Portable dining retreat
Here’s an easy way to create an intimate outdoor dining area in your own backyard.
The use of potted plants, PVC pipe, and mosquito netting make it a snap to assemble. Just add candles or string lights to make the space shine at night.
Modern planter bench
Instead of legs, this 10-foot-long bench sits on a pair of oversize ceramic pots. This makes it easier to build and more appealing than your average bench.
For the final touch, plant something stunning (we chose New Zealand flax).
Handsome storage bench
This inventive bench serves two purposes: it’s a comfortable place to sit and admire the garden and it can also hide one or two coiled hoses.
It can be built in just two days, but requires intermediate woodworking skills.
Free plans: Build a stylish dog house
Create a little hideaway for your furry family member, whether they’re looking for shade outside or you’re looking for fun, pet-friendly addition to the yard.
Tabletop garden
Brighten up an outdoor table by taking the centerpiece to a new level.
Whether the desired look is mod, delicate, or casual, floral moss can be used to create a unique and refreshing tabletop garden.
Framed succulents
If you don’t have the time to plant a living wall, you can get the same dramatic effect by framing a garden of succulents.
Build the frame yourself and plant your own cuttings or buy an all-in-one succulent garden kit.
Handsome garden trellis
Just add a few chairs, and a pergola becomes the perfect place to relax and enjoy views of the garden.
You can build a shady trellis yourself, or hire a contractor to build it for you.
Small backyard beach
If you love the beach but can’t find the time for regular visits, why not turn an unused corner of your backyard into a sandy retreat? This miniature beach can be put together over a weekend for less than $200. Decomposed granite, sand, driftwood, and grassy plants complete the seaside look.
Tap-light luminarias
Here’s another DIY garden project idea that doesn’t require a garden: put your own spin on the classic luminaria using battery-run tap lights.
These simple fixtures ― flat, battery-operated lights that turn on when tapped on top ― are sold in packages of six for about $20 at hardware stores and general merchandise stores.
Add your own embellishment by wrapping a piece of translucent rice paper around the base and taping the ends of the paper together with double-sided tape to form a cylinder.
Mini beach garden
If you love the beach, use a pot to bring a bit of it home with you with this dead-simple DIY garden project. A little sand, a few beachy plants, and a bit of driftwood is all you’ll need.
Alaska-style coldframe
Get an early start on your plantings with an Alaskan-style coldframe. This one is built with pressure-treated 2-by-4s and fiberglass sheeting. Pulley-drawn cords make it easier to open for ventilation.
A garden journal
One way to improve your garden year after year is to keep a garden journal. Use a simple three ring binder to track what happens in your yard during each season. You’ll know what worked and what didn’t and what you should be planting now.
