Gardening season is in full swing, and the warmer weather is finally here to stay. In today’s Paint School lesson, we’re sharing how to build a stylish vertical garden with wooden birdhouses to celebrate the warmer temps and bring in some pops of colour. This DIY is a great way to maximize your smaller outdoor space so you can grow your favourite plants, flowers and herbs in a single spot. Follow these steps to get started!
Materials Required:
- BEHR PREMIUM® Solid Colour Waterproofing Stain & Sealer in Pinto White
- BEHR PREMIUM™ Spray Paint in Adored Blue, Amazon Moss & Sweetheart
- Paint brushes
- 150 grit sandpaper
- Cleaning cloth
- Drill
- Brad Nailer
- Drop cloth
- Safety glasses
- Gloves
- Respirator or mask
- Decorative green moss
- Variety of flowers, plants and herbs
- 3/4”x 4 x 8 MDF slotwall
- Two 3/16”x 1 x 7 MDF boards
- Two 1/2”x 2 1/2” MDF baseboards
- 1” corner braces
- Wood screws
Step 1: Build Your Garden Boxes
Start by building three garden boxes where you can plant your favourite flowers and herbs. You’ll need two 3/16”x 1 x 7 MDF boards and two 1/2”x 2 1/2” MDF baseboards to make three garden boxes of the following measurements:
– One of 24 x 40 inches
– Two of 20 x 20 inches
Cut the MDF board that will be the base to size and the baseboard for the sides with a jigsaw. Now, let’s nail them using a brad nailer to connect all the sides forming a box.
Step 2: Stain the Vertical Garden Base
Start by staining the 3/4”x 4 x 8 MDF slotwall that will be your vertical garden base with BEHR PREMIUM Solid Colour Waterproofing Stain & Sealer in the beautiful Pinto White shade. This product has a 100% percent acrylic formula that provides all-weather protection and seals out the elements, making it an excellent choice for Canadian weather.
Apply two thin coats of the stain to the MDF board of the vertical garden base and let each coat dry for two hours before applying the next. After the second coat, allow 72 hours for a full cure to avoid any potential peeling or cracks in the future.
While our base dries, let’s jump into the garden boxes and apply two thin coats of stain This will help conceal any wood imperfections while allowing the natural texture to shine through. To achieve an even application of the stain, use a synthetic bristle brush and apply it smoothly and evenly from one end of the surface to the other. Remember to avoid applying the stain too heavily.
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Step 3: Add a Cute Touch to Your Vertical Garden
Adding a cute touch to your outdoor projects is always a great idea. These wooden birdhouses make the perfect addition to this DIY.
To give the vertical garden some pops of colour, we’ll use BEHR PREMIUM Spray Paint, which adheres well to many different surfaces. We picked three colours: Adored Blue, Amazon Moss, and Sweetheart.
Lightly sand the birdhouses with 150-grit sandpaper, then remove dust with a clean cloth. Shake the spray paint can for at least one minute, and then add up to three coats. Once dry, you’re ready to move on to gardening and assembling the vertical garden.
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Step 4: Set Up the Vertical Garden
Make sure everything is completely dry before screwing the boxes onto the wall. Start by adding your new vertical garden base to a wall and then once secured, add the plants and flowers to your garden boxes by screwing the plant pots on. Attach the filled garden boxes to the garden base using four corner braces and finish off adding the spray painted birdhouses.
And that’s it – style your beautiful outdoor space with furniture and your favourite rug, and immerse yourself in the beauty of your very own vertical garden!
Check out Paint School for more fun DIY ideas.
