Build your own pallet planter

Creating a garden from a pallet is a quick and easy way to have a garden at your center, especially if you are in an urban area. Having the timber of the pallet facing upwards enables children to walk through the garden to reach the plants without damaging them. You could preface the building of the pallet garden by involving children in growing seeds, or purchasing seedlings from a garden shop. There is no need to dig up your grass, or alter your landscape in any way with a portable pallet garden. Think about the types of plants that will be of most use to your learning community. Consider which plants make good companion plants as well. Look at the seasons and discuss which plants grow in which seasons of the year. Have open meetings where you consider the amount of sunlight, wind, and rain your pallet garden will have. All of these factors can help you plan your garden best.

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Materials needed:

• Weedmat
• Potting Mix
• Hammer
• Tacks
• Seedlings
• Wooden pallet

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How to:

1. Lay wooden pallet flat on the ground
2. Stretch weedmat over the top of pallet, ensuring there is enough to to cover the sides as well
3. Attach the weedmat to the sides and bottom of the pallet using a hammer and tacks or staple gun
4. Flip the pallet over, to reveal the underside 
5. Fill with potting mix - remember to always wear a mask and gloves and ensure you don’t inhale any of the dust from the mix
6. Water the potting mix with a watering can or hose
7. Plant the seedlings

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Teaching strategies:

• Involve children in the process. You could ask them what they would like to grow
• Try planting both flowers and vegetables
• Plant seeds as well. Take photos each day to record the growth of the plant
• Talk with children about what changes they are noticing in the plants
• If you have space create one pallet in a sunny area and one in a shady area and compare and graph plant growth
• Encourage children to water and care for the garden over time. You could create a roster to support this
• Use the right terminology for plants 

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Possible learning outcomes

• Engaging in real work in the fresh air, giving a sense of community, through genuine contribution and ownership to a joint effort (EKI)
• Developing a relationship of empathy and compassion with the natural world (EKI)
• Appreciating the connection between everything on Earth through daily participation (EKI)
• Building observation skills by noting changes in the environment or responses/adaptations of changes (EKI)

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