Don’t throw away that cardbox box!

Turn it into an eco-friendly planter instead. I purchased a new patio umbrella and couldn’t help but notice that the box it came in was pretty sturdy. I immediately had the vision to create a plant box. As far as knowing how to actually make one, I wouldn’t say I was an expert! Because of my obsession with succulents and cacti, I signed up for a Home Depot DIY workshop (pre-pandemic, of course) on how to build a succulent wall planter. With determination and my basic skills, I got started building my own version. Lowe’s provided a great selection of succulents! I grabbed a bit of everything, including portulaca, aloe vera, and Portulacaria Afra also known as Elephant Bush. I also used a few cacti that I already had around the house.

Designing the box proved to be the easiest part. I used matte black generic spray paint as the base. A few months back I found a few packs of beautiful tile in mosaic patterns. At under 2 bucks each, I had to have them. Maybe not so surprisingly, they ended up collecting dust in my garage until I figured out what I was going to use them for. The time has come…mosaic tile, Suit up!

I used E6000 glue for the tile. Halfway through I switched to Gorilla wood glue-I just preferred it better. I also tiled the sides of the box but didn’t have enough out of the 3 packs to tile the back. After letting it dry overnight, it was time to cut the plant holes. Let me start by saying there was no strategy. I figured creating one huge hole would cause the box to lose support, so I opted for multiple, smaller versions. I also added wood sticks on the inside of the box, opposite the tiled side, for extra support. For some reason, I was most excited about the next step-adding the soil! Pouring the soil into the box was my most favorite part. Maybe because soil and plants are what makes it an actual planter. Now came the tough part.

I had no idea that designing cacti was so difficult! I mean, I guess floral arrangement is a special talent for a reason. It took a while to figure out which pieces would like cute paired with the other. Should I place the Portulaca next to the Aloe vera or the Ferocactus? Shrugs shoulders. In the end, I went with my gut and every plant had a home.