NotchLoading plan…
Loading plan…
Use your browser's Print (Ctrl/Cmd + P) and choose Save as PDF. This page works offline once you've opened it with a signal.
Five planter boxes climbing a pair of leaned 2x6 rails — vertical gardening from five pickets and two boards, with every angle the same 15°.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L | Material | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Box ends Both ends 15° off square, NOT parallel — then the back cut off perpendicular to the top (step 3's two-cut wedge). | 10 | 1 1/2" × 5 1/2" × 5 1/4" | 2x6 | ☐ |
| Box fronts and backs | 10 | 5/8" × 5 1/2" × 23 1/2" | Cedar fence picket | ☐ |
| Box bottoms Cut to fit your assembled boxes. | 5 | 5/8" × 5 1/2" × 20 1/2" | Cedar fence picket | ☐ |
| Rails Both ends 15° off square, PARALLEL — the lean. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 5 1/2" × 68 3/8" | 2x6 | ☐ |
| Item | Qty | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| Cedar fence picket, 5-1/2" x 72" (Cedar) Dog-eared is fine. Box fronts, backs, and bottoms. | 5 each | ☐ |
| 2x6, 10 ft The rails and all ten box ends. | 2 each | ☐ |
| Exterior decking screws, #9 x 2-1/2" Boxes to rails — two per box end. | 20 each | ☐ |
| Galvanized nails or staples, 1-1/4" Box assembly. | 100 each | ☐ |
| Exterior wood glue | 4 oz | ☐ |
Overall cost: $$. Lumber varies by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure.
Tools: Speed Square, Staple Gun. Materials: Cedar fence picket, 5-1/2" x 72", 2x6, 10 ft, Galvanized nails or staples, 1-1/4", Exterior wood glue
Staple (or nail or screw) a front and back picket to each pair of 2x6 box ends — 1-1/4" galvanized fasteners and exterior glue. Five identical open-bottom troughs.
Tools: Circular Saw, Staple Gun, Tape Measure. Materials: Cedar fence picket, 5-1/2" x 72", Galvanized nails or staples, 1-1/4"
Measure each box's actual opening, cut the bottoms to fit, set them in from the top, and tack with a few staples. Loose-ish is fine — soil holds them down, and small gaps drain.
Tools: Circular Saw, Miter Saw, Pencil, Speed Square. Materials: 2x6, 10 ft
The box-end wedges: cut the 2x6 pieces with 15° ends first, then cut the back off PERPENDICULAR to the top 15° edge. That second straight cut is all the 'complex' shape is.
Use the circular saw and start the cut from the top edge, where there's more material to register the shoe against — the source's own lesson after doing it the slower jigsaw way.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Drill Bit Set, Pencil, Tape Measure.
Lay the two rails side by side and mark every box position across BOTH at once, measuring from the same end — this is the moment that decides whether the tiers come out level.
Mount the top box first, screwed from inside the box into the rails with the 2-1/2" decking screws, pre-drilled. The 2x6 stock is often hard enough to snap screws without pilots.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Drill Bit Set, Tape Measure. Materials: Exterior decking screws, #9 x 2-1/2"
Work down the rails attaching the remaining four boxes at their marks, same inside-the-box screws.
Stand the ladder against its wall or fence — the 15° rail ends sit flat on the ground and flat against the wall. If children, dogs, or weather visit this spot, add a screw through the top of each rail into the fence. Fill with soil, plant the thirstiest things at the bottom (water cascades), and enjoy five gardens in one footprint.