TRY YOUR HAND AT BUILDING A FLOWER BOX

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, March 7, 1993                   TAG: 9303080776
SECTION: HOMES                    PAGE: E-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: CURT RICHERT
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
TRY YOUR HAND AT BUILDING A FLOWER BOX
Ever passed by a home with flower boxes and thought they would look good at your home? Buying a flower box is one way to get what you want; building your own can be more creative and fun!
A few tools, wood and paint are all you need for this project.
Begin by deciding how big you'd like your box to be. You might want to stick with common-sized boards so you won't have to do too much cutting.
One-inch thick pressure-treated boards are fairly common and are easy to work with. Design the box about 8 or more inches deep and 10 inches wide to accommodate plants and their expected growth. Length is up to the space you have, but 2 to 3 feet is common.
For convenience, buy two 6-foot long boards and cut them in half. Use one of the boards as the bottom of your box. Nail one of the other board's long edges perpendicular to the long edge of the bottom of the box. Repeat on the other side. When done, you will have a "U" shape.
Build the ends from scraps from the sides. Measure the distance between the uprights of the "U" and the depth of the box. Cut and nail the ends to the box.
For added strength, use wood or carpenter's glue between each board.
The board sizes listed here are only a guide, so if they don't work for you, adjust them to fit your needs.
To keep the box from rotting and possibly leaking, line the it with a plastic sheet. Use tacks to hold the edges.
Drill holes in the side or bottom to allow excess water to drain.
Using a paint primer will help resist peeling. Allow primer to dry and then apply the paint. Use any color you'd like.
Let the paint dry for a day or so, then add any detailing or additional colors you want.
For the plants, put a layer of gravel in the bottom about 2 inches deep and add soil. Leave about an inch below the edge so that rain won't splash the soil out of the box.
You may want to add supports to the flower box to prevent tipping.
Plant your seedlings or transplants and enjoy.
Remember: some plants may require deeper boxes than others, so check the seed package for depth requirements.

Curt Richert is a staff writer at this newspaper.

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB