View ChannelsFeatured: Finance
View ShowroomsFeatured: Radiantec - Radiant Solar Heating

BobVila.com

Home

How to Build a Flower Box

Western red cedar was used to construct this window flower box project in one day. The naturally weather- and insect-resistant qualities of western red cedar wood make it an ideal choice for outdoor use. Download PDF Plans

DIFFICULTY RATING:

Get Adobe Flash Player to see this content.

View text version of this Step-by-Step

Download for iPod

What materials were used in this video?

1 1/2-Inch brass screws Band saw Brad nails Clamps Countersink bit Drill L-brackets Miter saw Nailer Pencil Router table Spacer Western red cedar stock

Clip Transcript For:

How to Build a Flower Box

computer-generated transcript - may not be 100% accurate

" This western red cedar window box can be built in a day. Cedars' natural preservatives make it perfect for outdoor projects. Here's how to build it. The bottom of the window box is cut from 1 x 8-inch stock. Cut to whatever length you want your window box to be. The front and back of the window box are made from 1 x 6-inch boards. The supports in the end the boxes are made with 2 x 6's. And finally, there's trim for the front and the sides of the window box, which are ripped from 1 x 6-inch stock. This dramatic molding is assembled from just three pieces; cove molding of 3/4 inch by 1-1/2 inches, a band molding 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch, and a 2-3/4 by 3/4 inch cap. Lastly, we'll make up four sets of corbel made from 2 x 6-inch stock glued together and cut to shape. Let's get started. Assembly is straightforward. Cut the pieces to your desired length and temporarily clamp the bottom sides and ribs together. Using the spacer block, mark the location of each cross brace including the ends. Using a tapered countersinking drill bit, drill one pilot hole for each screw. Drill two evenly spaced holes for each sides of each cross frame. Using 1-1/2-inch brass screws, fasten the box together. Continue along drilling countersinking a hole for each screw and then setting the screw in place. With the sides assembled, flip over the window box and we'll attach the trim. For the lower trim, you'll need to make some cove molding out of the length of 1-1/2 by 3/4 inch cedar stock. Using a router table or a router, cut enough cove molding to cover the front and sides of the window box. You'll enjoy how easy cedar is to work with. Cut a 45-degree miter in both ends of the cove molding and fasten the molding in place using stainless steel 1-3/4-inch brads spaced about 5 inches apart. In the same manner measure and mark the 1/2 x 1/2-inch stock to go along the top edge of the cove moulding; and making 45-degree cuts in both ends, fasten the half-inch square trim to the cove molding and nail it in place. Next, move to the side moldings or return and measure and then cut the cove molding to fit. Fasten the cove molding in place. Now fit the half-inch square trim to the top of the cove molding and fasten it in place. Finish by attaching the 2-1/4 by 3/4 inch cap pieces in place along the front of the window box and finally along the return. The corbels are braces are made from pairs of 2 x 6-cedar stock. With the pattern transferred from one corbel to another. The corbels add a classic degree of elegance to the window box. And so, in less than a day, you're red cedar window box is finished and ready for installation. We're"

" will assure many years of carefree enjoyment."

[-]

More Videos »Related Videos

Planting a Perennial Flower Garden

Ruth Foster, a landscape consultant, oversees the planting of the perennial flower border in the yard. Smaller plants fill in the front, moving to the tallest flowering plants in back. Foster has chosen deer-resistant plants like summer asters for the front, with echinacea or cone flowers behind. Foster has also selected a vivid, neon autumn joy for the garden. She and Bob look at the early blooming magnolias that have been planted in the yard and the euonomous hedge that will grow to eight or ten feet and turn red in the fall.

Selecting Flowers for the Garden

Bob continues his tour of the exterior with landscape designer Ruth Foster. In the Elizabethan-inspired garden in the front of the house she explains the various flowers she has chosen for the outer border and how they are appropriate for Colonial theme. Over near the side of the house we learn more about the more naturalistic garden, a style that dates back to the American Revolution.

Mulch Options

Here s another great tip from BobVila.com. Mulch is probably the best tool you have to keep your garden healthy and green this summer. There are lots of different kinds of mulch to choose from, depending on what s in your garden and what s available where you live. Wood or bark chips, compost, straw, salt hay, cocoa husks, shredded leaves, plastic sheeting and even gravel can all make good mulch for different reasons. In the right quantities, they serve as a shield for the soil so it can do its best work. Mulch protects the soil from erosion and helps it retain its moisture so you can water less frequently and roots grow deeper and healthier. It also keeps weeds down, reserving precious nutrients for your vegetables, flowers and shrubs so you don t have to add as much fertilizer. You spend less time and energy weed whacking and don t need to use poisonous herbicides. After you ve mulched everything once, you don t necessarily have to spend a fortune every season on new bags of commercial mulch. As a matter of fact, be careful of mulching your garden with anything that attracts pests or contains dangerous chemicals, especially on vegetable gardens. Adding some organic material might be enough. Autumn leaves are a gift to your garden that literally just falls out of the trees. Instead of getting rid of them all, put them through a leaf shredder or just run over them a few times with the lawnmower, rake them up and use them as fall mulch on flower or vegetable beds with a little fertilizer. You can add compost to them and turn them into the soil in the spring. In play areas or anywhere you don t want to maintain a lawn, try a recycled mulch like rubber chunks from used tires that would otherwise sit in landfills. Find out more at BobVila.com: the ultimate home improvement web site! 2008 BobVila.com

Burpee Trial Gardens Tour

Bob visits the Burpee Trial Gardens in Ambler, Pa. with George Ball, Burpee president and CEO. George explains the objectives of a "trial" garden and shows off several new plants and flowers.