Life Upside Down

I finally did it! After months of drooling over DIY recycled pallet gardens, I finally bit the bullet and took the proverbial pallet by the horns.

I’m not sure why it took me so long to get around to doing this, but I have a feeling that my shaky record with gardening may have had something to do with it. On our balcony sit a desolate few pots that have been dubbed “Eva’s Plant Graveyard.” My history is less than stellar, but I’m working on it.

Supplies included one pallet (free from Gumtree)

One roll of landscaping fabric ($5)

Two bags potting soil ($10)

Seeds! Oh, the variety! Since we’re entering “winter,” I chose spinach, lettuce and snow peas. To call this weather winter is a bit of a misnomer, as the distinction between winter and summer here is ridiculously small. Today I wore shorts and a scarf. (???) Seed cost: $10ish

Acquired pallet with the beginnings of landscape fabric nailed to it. Something about successfully using a hammer was super fun.

Nail nail nail. I wasn’t too concerned with making the exterior pretty, although I would consider sanding and staining the pallet if I repeated this project.

Soil added and packed down- it definitely shifts when the pallet is moved upright.

Seeds are IN!

Hopefully there will be signs of sproutling growth over the next few weeks. I also plan on adding flowers to the top row to give this baby a little more curb appeal.

This project was far easier than I anticipated and if all goes well, will hopefully give me an outlet to add a little greenery to our apartment. I have tentative visions of an abundant harvest of salads and peas, but we’ll just hold our breath on that one.