10 Woodworking Project Ideas for the Garden

10 Woodworking Project Ideas for the Garden

By Alan & Gill Bridgewater in Woodworking Projects for the Garden

Whatever the size of your garden or its situation, a well-thought-out woodworking project will undoubtedly make it a more exciting and dynamic place. You don’t have to have loads of experience as a woodworker in order to follow our projects successfully: If you have the correct tools, choose your wood with care, and spend time carefully designing and planning the whole exercise, you will be sure to get good results.

When you have decided what you’d like to build, the next step is to consider the project in terms of the site you have in mind. Is your chosen project perhaps too large for the site? Will you have to move a drain? Will the project upset the way that you and the family currently use the garden? So, before going ahead and enjoying the building experience, our advice is to choose your projects with great care and to involve your family (and neighbors if the projects could conceivably affect them; for example, the height of your planned structure may obstruct their views) in the decision-making.

In our Woodworking Projects for the Garden book, we not only walk you through 16 different projects but our book serves as a guide to plan your garden’s layout and materials such as stains, tools, and fasteners. Below are 10 projects to adapt to your personal oasis! 

Wheeled Garden Bench

Imagine going out into the garden on a beautiful morning to sit and enjoy the sunshine. Unfortunately, as soon as the sun moves, you will be left shivering in the shade. However, if you were sitting on our beautiful wheeled bench, you would simply take hold of its handles and move it to a sunny location. Get the full woodworking plan in Woodworking for the Garden.

Tiered Patio Planter

If you have ever stared enviously at the stunning displays of flowers exhibited at professional flower shows, and wondered how the designers manage to achieve such beautiful cascading tiers of blooms, this project tells you how. To create a similar effect, you need to display flowers on a purpose-built tiered planter.

Classic Wooden Arbor

An arbor is not only a practical idea (a perfect way of providing a sheltered seat) but a beautiful and decorative structure in its own right. With climbing plants growing up its sides, particularly scented varieties such as jasmine and honeysuckle, you can create a delightful nook to escape to. Use it as a quiet place to read a book, or make it a corner for a romantic rendezvous—it’s up to you. For a detailed arbor tutorial, check out Woodworking for the Garden. 

Flower Bed Fence

If your patio is dotted with a colorful collection of little potted plants that are forever being knocked over by children or pets, this is the perfect project for you. Gather up your plants, arrange them in the planter, and you have an enviable patio feature that keeps the area tidy and displays the plants attractively. Learn how to create this flower bed fence within a weekend.

Romantic Garden Arch

This project really comes into its own in summer—there is something gloriously exciting about a wooden arch heavy with clematis and honeysuckle, and it makes a really beautiful feature. Position it at the entrance point to a garden area, where it will frame the vista behind it, or site it midway along a path to add a romantic touch.