A Potting Bench in the Garden Comes in Handy

Credit: Carol Pope

In between planting bouts, the author keeps her container lettuce, basil and other delicacies up high and out of slugs’ reach

Table it: a potting bench is a great back-saver when it comes to planting seed trays and containers

Trust me on this: at planting time, there’s no better back-saver than a good table for planting your seeds and pots.

This year, our goal is to build a fancier and more permanent version of the break-down potting bench pictured, but any table-height surface goes a long way toward making your gardening more fun. Keep an old stool handy too – there’s no reason not to sit down on the job!

A potting bench is also a place where you can store soil and other necessities for planting containers and seedling trays. This is your garden workstation, so have a trowel handy along with some small pots, a watering can and any other garden helpers that you rely on.

Over the summer months, I like to keep a garden hat and sunscreen handy too, along with my garden gloves (that I use for pulling out the prickly brambles that wheedle their way into my vegetable beds).

There is a lot of make-your-own potting-bench inspiration online. Check out this Ana White’s five gorgeous potting bench ideas and plans that you can download.  Or go to This Old House for another step-by-step make-your-own idea.

In between gardening tasks, remember too that your table is a great place to keep pots out of reach of slugs sliding by; lettuce starts and basil will particularly appreciate this high spot!