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How to build a herb garden stand

By Bunnings magazine /

Wooden herb garden stand with 6 pots of herbs being held

Overview

Combine a love of gardening and cooking this spring by building a tiered herb garden stand to keep on your kitchen benchtop or windowsill. This D.I.Y. planter project is ideal for housing a collection of your favourite grow-your-own potted herbs – plant the herbs you use most in your favourite dishes, from fragrant basil and rosemary, to coriander and chillies.  

This clever potted herb stand not only keeps your aromatics and foodie flavour-makers within reach, it also boasts low-maintenance watering. Simply water the top pots and watch the residual water drip to the plants below, with a saucer catching the overflow. Here’s how to make your own benchtop herb planter. 
 
Safety tip: Always wear the appropriate safety equipment (safety glasses, ear muffs and a mask, for example) and always follow the instructions for the product or equipment. 

Steps

1Mark up and cut the timber for your herb plant stand

Mark up a hardwood panel with a combination square to cut three 430 x 180mm shelves for your tiered planter and two 410 x 180mm end pieces using a circular saw and clamped straightedge.

Green Bunnings hammer
Tip: Make the 180mm-wide cuts first.
Hand holds a silver ruler horizontally against a plank

2Mark the shelf recesses

To mark the recesses on the end pieces, measure up to mark 22mm and 40mm for the base shelf, 92mm and 110mm for the middle shelf, 392mm and 410mm for the top.
Green Bunnings hammer
Tip: Use an offcut to check the depths.
Person uses marker to mark up plank of wood

3Cut the recesses with a router power tool

Set up a router with an 18mm straight-cut bit. Centre it on the shelf marks with a straightedge clamped against the router plate as a guide. To cut 9mm-deep recesses, make a series of passes along the marks.
Green Bunnings hammer
Tip: Have the router in position before turning it on, keep the plate flat on the surface to move it, and wait for the bit to stop completely before removing. Check the cut depth on a scrap of the same timber.
Router makes rectangular groove on plank of wood

4Mark and drill holes for plant pots

On the top and middle shelf, mark along the centre 90mm in from the sides. Mark 85mm in from the ends and the 215mm centre. Position 102mm holesaw on the marks to drill halfway, completing from the other side. 
Birds-eye view shot of a circular groove mad in a plank of wood

5Fix the shelves into place

Sand the recesses with 120-grit paper to remove any breakout, then apply timber adhesive, position the shelves and clamp from side to side. Wipe away excess adhesive with a damp cloth; leave to set.
Glue bottle putting white glue into rectangular grooves in wooden planks

6Nail in shelves and sand down the herb garden stand

Remove clamps, tape ends to protect and secure shelves using a nail gun with 20mm brads. Remove tape, fill nail holes, leave to dry then sand all over with 180-grit paper. Wipe away dust with a damp cloth. 
Blue tape placed parallel to each other with nail gun being used to connect planks of wood

7Seal timber, then plant potted herbs

Use a clean, dry cloth to apply two coats of tung oil, leaving to dry after each. Move the plant stand to a sunny spot on your kitchen benchtop or windowsill. Plant herbs into the six terracotta pots, position in the holes and add terracotta drip tray to the base shelf. Your indoor grow-your-own herb garden is now complete! 
Hand uses cloth to clean plank of wood

8Customise your indoor potted garden

Switch up your style with the wide variety of plant pots available at Bunnings.  

Some products are not available at all Bunnings stores, but may be ordered.


Photo Credit:  Belinda Merrie

Health & Safety

Asbestos, lead-based paints and copper chromium arsenic (CCA) treated timber are health hazards you need to look out for when renovating older homes. These substances can easily be disturbed when renovating and exposure to them can cause a range of life-threatening diseases and conditions including cancer. For information on the dangers of asbestos, lead-based paint and CCA treated timber and tips for dealing with these materials contact your local council's Environmental Health Officer or visit our Health & Safety page.

When following our advice in our D.I.Y. videos, make sure you use all equipment, including PPE, safely by following the manufacturer’s instructions. Check that the equipment is suitable for the task and that PPE fits properly. If you are unsure, hire an expert to do the job or talk to a Bunnings Team Member.