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If you are cursed with a passion for eating but blessed only with a patio for a backyard, building a DIY pallet garden on wheels is an excellent solution. It is mobile, incredibly practical and – most importantly – very productive. Plus: its great for complete beginners who want to try gardening.
Growing veg without a garden?
You see, until quite recently, I was utterly convinced that gardening wasn’t in my DNA. If you manage to regularly assassinate hardy succulents and cacti on a windowsill, outdoor growing feels entirely out of your league. But then – having only recently embraced vegetarianism – a thought struck me: growing your own food is an inherently sensible and useful thing to do. I like eating, food likes me. It seemed a natural partnership.
But … I didn’t actually possess a proper garden. I did, however, have permission to use the paved terrace of a shared outdoor space. It was time to get creative.
Building my DIY pallet garden on wheels
The summer weather in my country can be quite unpredictable. After a period of summer heat, your plants can be absolutely shredded by a rogue hailstorm, or flattened by sudden gusts of wind in a matter of minutes.
That’s why I wanted a setup that allowed me to wheel my entire mini-plot into a sheltered corner at a moment’s notice. The easiest solution (especially for someone like me, who possesses no real DIY skills to speak of) turned out to be a sturdy DIY pallet garden on wheels. Here’s how I put it together.
Step 1: Selecting the right pallet
I began with a decent, robust wooden pallet, large enough (120 x 100 cm) to play host to several pots and grow bags. I managed to score a leftover pallet from my old job for free that otherwise would have been destined for the skip.
Since this contraption was destined for a permanent life outdoors, I gave it a protective coat of exterior wood stain to wards off moisture, rot and premature decay. I opted for a clear stain – there is an honest charm to the natural look of wood, after all.
Step 2: Fitting serious wheels
Next came the mounting four sturdy swivel castors to the underside. Do not offend your project by using flimsy, cheap furniture wheels, because they will instantly buckle under the collective weight of timber, soil, pottery, plants and water.
Instead, I chose substantial, stainless-steel industrial castors that roll effortlessly across rough paving. For the curious: mine didn’t feature brakes, yet I never once suffered the indignity of a runaway vegetable patch.
Step 3: Populating the DIY pallet garden on wheels
Once the wheels were secure, the real fun could begin: adding the plants. I used a combination of traditional pots and fabric grow bags.
The grow bags I used were perfect for greedy plants like tomatoes, as they hold plenty of soil to plant them deep and drain well without waterlogging. Each section measured roughly 30 x 30 x 40 cm, fitting neatly into the philosophy of square foot gardening. Given the generous footprint of the pallet, I even had room left over in front of the two grow bags for a couple of extra pots.
What I grew in my first season
- Radishes
- Carrots
- Tomatoes
- Aubergines
- Peppers
- Courgettes
- Spring onions
- Bush beans
- Herbs: parsley, basil and chives
- French marigolds (with the tomatoes to ward off pests)
Biggest advantages of my DIY pallet garden on wheels
What I loved most about this incredibly simple setup was its versatility.
- Storm protection: If a summer squall threatened, I simply wheeled the entire allotment under the safety of a small shelter.
- Maintenance: When the terrace needed a good sweeping, there was no back-breaking lifting of individual pots.
- Flexible and budget-friendly: I could choose whatever pots or bags I wanted to add. Just move them around as you please. No need to buy anything fancy – just use what you have.
Would I do it all over again?
Unquestionably. I might paint the pallet a more adventurous color next time, or choose different dimensions, but the core idea was perfect. In fact, the success I experienced with that first DIY pallet garden on wheels was the gateway drug that sealed my fate. I have since graduated from that single terrace plot to a proper 100 square meter allotment on clay.
So, don’t let a lack of soil stop you. Find a pallet, grab some wheels and get started. You can grow dinner and enjoy gardening just about anywhere.
