BUILD YOUR OWN POTTING BENCH

A solid potting bench is a great thing for any gardener, and key to taking your gardening to the next level. The design I created here uses standard thicknesses of lumber and simple construction techniques to make a solid bench that lasts for years.

There are three main parts to my design: the top, the legs and the storage shelf. Keep a close eye on the plans as you read these instructions. The words make a lot more sense when you can see the parts you’re reading about.

Before you begin building, you need to do some figuring. How long should your potting bench be? How wide? How tall? A bench that’s 8 feet long and 35 inches deep from front to back is a good size if you have room for it, but your bench needn’t be this big. You can go smaller (or larger), depending on your needs and available space. The general rule for any potting bench is an overall height equal to the distance between your wrists and the ground as your arms hang loosely by your sides. You’ll find that 35 inches from