Fence Planters: Fantastic & Free Plans To Get More Growing Space

Does it feel as though you’ve filled your yard, and yet you still want to grow more? Now is the time to aspire to vertical garden options, or to use up those weird spots at the base of your fenceline. This is the perfect time to incorporate the use of fence planters of all sorts, whether hanging directly on the fence or placed alongside of it.

Today, I’m going to highlight multiple different choices for growing upward instead of outward. You’ll find the perfect plans here to expand your planter capacity without surrendering too much space! Whether it’s quirky, simple, or just something to make a statement, we’ve got options here for the perfect planter.

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Small Fence-Mounted Planters

Tin Can Alley

Tin Can Alley. Source

Are you feeling like reclaiming space while repurposing waste products into fence planters? This cool project uses old, large cans with drainage holes drilled into them to create fence-mounted growing spaces. You can do as few or as many as you’d like, of whatever size you’d like to use. With a little paint, these provide a pop of color along with a great option for growing herbs and small flowers!

Size:	Small (secured to fence)
Cost:	$
Difficulty:	Beginner

See Plans >

Shelf Planter

Shelf planter. Source

Sometimes, the simplest option is the best. This shelf-styled fence planter holds a small planter box on the top, can support a little hanging basket, and can hold a few smaller pots on its bottom shelf. When painted, it can add a lot of visual appeal to your yard. It does require a little woodworking skill, but it’s a fun and inexpensive project.

Size:	Small (secured to fence)
Cost:	$
Difficulty:	Beginner

See Plans >

Leftover Lumber Box Shelves

Leftover lumber box shelves. Source

In this extremely simple project, six scraps of leftover lumber from another project become a very simple box-shaped shelf system that can be secured directly to the fence. Surprisingly sturdy, these shelves can easily hold up potted plants and provide more growing space.

Size:	Small (secured to fence)
Cost:	$
Difficulty:	Beginner

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Vast and Variable Arrays Of Planters

Vast and variable arrays of planters. Source

Do you have old planters that have at least one flat side? Maybe they were once secured to a railing, or screwed to the wall of your patio? Or have you seen some gorgeous terracotta fence planters at the local big box store with a flat side? Taking a collection of these and making an arrangement of them will create great visual appeal. And it’s great for beginners!

Size:	Small (secured to fence)
Cost:	$-$$$
Difficulty:	Beginner

See Plans >

Wall-Mounted Window Box

Wall-mounted window box. Source

This cute little wall-mounted planter works as a window box… and as a fence box. Yes, that’s right, all of those great little window boxes will secure just as readily to a fence as to a wall, and can look phenomenal up there! Plus, if you’d rather make it a railing-top model, that’s an option too.

Size:	Small (secured to fence)
Cost:	$-$$
Difficulty:	Beginner to Intermediate

See Plans >

Slat-Style Hanging Basket

Slat-style hanging basket. Source

A simple, slatted hanging basket can be used along the fenceline, too. Simply add a secure arm extending out from your fencepost, and attach one of these cool DIY hanging planters! It’s a quick and easy project which can really dress up your fenceline.

Size:	Small (hanging)
Cost:	$
Difficulty:	Beginner

See Plans >

Soda Bottle Wall

Soda bottle wall. Source

Another repurposing project, this design takes old two-liter soda bottles and turns them into an abundance of planter space. You can hang this on the fence, secure it to a railing, or even attach it to a roof beam to add more wall garden space. It’s very simple to construct!

Size:	Small but variable (hanging)
Cost:	$
Difficulty:	Beginner

See Plans >

Copper Pipe Plant Hanger

Copper pipe plant hanger. Source

A little creativity, some wall mounts, and a sturdy copper pipe create a nice plant hanger that you can secure directly to your fence. Stagger the height of your hanging plants for visual appeal. You can allow the copper to green with age, or put on a sealer coat to keep it bright and shiny – either works!

Size:	Small (secured to fence)
Cost:	$$
Difficulty:	Beginner

See Plans >

Clay Pot Hanging Stacks

Clay pot hanging stacks. Source

These fascinating stacked pots can either be hooked to eye hooks under a roofline, or can be secured to an arm attached to your fence. They aren’t hard to build, but will get weighty, so be sure you attach these to a sturdy fencepost rather than a fence board! These can also become a living privacy fence for a balcony space, so apartment dwellers may want to take a look.

Size:	Small (hanging)
Cost:	$-$$
Difficulty:	Intermediate

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Chainlink Ammo Can Garden

Chainlink ammo can garden. Source

Anything can be repurposed into a garden – even old ammunition cans. These are an easy build provided that you’ve got a drill that can cut through metal. Remove the lids from old ammo cans, and drill securing holes into the sides and drainage holes in the bottom. Use heavy-duty bolts to attach the cans by their securing holes to some heavy chain. You can now hang these up on the fence, fill with soil, and have a great growing zone!

Size:	Small (hanging)
Cost:	$$
Difficulty:	Beginner to Intermediate

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Elevated Straw Bale Planter

Elevated straw bale planter. Source

Straw bale gardens have become popular in recent years. These pre-conditioned bales create their own “soil”, allowing you to plant directly into the bale. However, a concept gardener has developed the idea of using a smaller version hung up on a balcony fence to provide a multi-surface garden space.

Now, these aren’t plans per se, and you’ll need to be familiar with straw bale gardening before you begin. But with some rope netting, securing straps and a sliced-off piece of a straw bale, you may be able to convert your fences into planters. And that’s a great idea.

Size:	Small (secured to fence)
Cost:	$$
Difficulty:	Intermediate to Advanced

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Paint Can Planters

Paint can planter. Source

Do you have old paint cans lying around? While you shouldn’t use these for edible gardening due to the residual paint inside, you can certainly use them for ornamentals! It’s simple to develop a hanging system using old rope cleats and a piece of board. Attached to the fence, it’ll stand out and look fantastic.

Size:	Small (hanging)
Cost:	$
Difficulty:	Beginner

See Plans >

Large Fence-Mounted Planters

Creatively Repurposed Shutter Planters

Creatively repurposed shutter planters. Source

Do you have old shutters lying around unused? Clean them up and attach pots to them directly to construct these appealing shutter fence planters! When hung on a fence, these will give a bright pop of color and house as many plants as you’d like your shutters to hold.

Size:	Large but variable (secured to fence)
Cost:	$-$$
Difficulty:	Beginner

See Plans >

Old Belt Fence Shelves

Old belt fence shelves. Source

Do you have some old belts lying around that you’re never going to wear again? Take them and use them as the mechanism to anchor shelf boards up against your fence! Check out these, and a number of other upcycled gardening concepts, all at the same place.

Size:	Large but variable (hanging)
Cost:	$
Difficulty:	Beginner

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Rain Gutter Planters

Rain gutter planters. Source

I’ve seen this reuse of old rain gutters done in dozens of different ways. A friend of mine uses three gutters tiered on his fence to plant strawberries in. This particular site shows how old vinyl rain gutters can be secured to a cast iron fence to provide a handy flower box. No matter how you put them to work, these gutters are fantastic for growing in!

Size:	Large but variable (secured to fence)
Cost:	$-$$
Difficulty:	Beginner to Intermediate

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Fence Shelves For Plant Display

Fence shelves for plant display. Source

These simple fence shelves are constructed of two pieces of wood, and can hold anything from rain gutter planters to potted plants. Your imagination is the limit. While no plans are included here because these are extremely variable, just a quick look at the photo should give most people the inspiration they need to build these!

Size:	Large but variable (secured to fence)
Cost:	$-$$$
Difficulty:	Beginner

See Plans >

Shoe Organizer Style

Shoe organizer style. Source

Here’s a fun use for shoe organizers. Use nails, cable ties, or other methods to secure them to your fence, fill them with potting soil, and you’re ready to plant. It goes together in minutes and provides plenty of growing space!

Size:	Large (hanging)
Cost:	$
Difficulty:	Beginner

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Vertical Garden Bed

Vertical garden bed. Source

It’s rapidly becoming very popular to build vertical gardens. With this set of plans, your vertical garden can be fully enclosed, with a lattice front panel to help secure everything in place. Plant it out, let the plants secure themselves in place over a couple weeks’ time, and then hang this up on the fence to display it!

Size:	Large (secured to fence)
Cost:	$$
Difficulty:	Beginner to Intermediate

See Plans >

Hanging Pallet Planter

Hanging pallet planter. Source

So many projects start out with pallets because they’re inexpensive. But in this case, it’s not only inexpensive, it only requires landscape fabric, a heavy-duty stapler that can penetrate wood, potting soil and plants. You’ll want to give your plants a couple weeks to spread their roots before hanging this up, but it makes a great wall garden!

Size:	Large (secured to fence)
Cost:	$
Difficulty:	Beginner

See Plans >

Hanging Rope And Board Pot Rack

Hanging rope and board pot rack. Source

With some rope, some lumber, and some small pots, you can create this lovely hanging pot rack. Secure a couple strong arms to support its weight to your fence, and you can display a variety of flowers or herbs easily. Just be sure that each shelf is well-anchored – I recommend knotting the rope as well as using cable ties to secure them in place!

Size:	Large but variable (hanging)
Cost:	$$
Difficulty:	Beginner to Intermediate

See Plans >

Mason Jar And Fence Board Herb Planter

Mason jar and fence board herb planter. Source

While originally intended as an indoor gardening project, this style of herb planter can also be put to use outside. This would be especially good attached to a balcony fence that gets regular sunlight, or perhaps along the deck fence. Just be sure to provide a little shelter during the rainy season so the jars don’t overfill!

Size:	Medium to large (secured to fence)
Cost:	$
Difficulty:	Beginner

See Plans >

Railing-Top Planters

Stylishly Simple Railing Planter

Stylishly simple railing planter. Source

This easy project helps you to construct a simple, yet beautifully-designed planter box that will top a deck railing or other similar wide railing top. Made to hold plastic planter liners, these railing planters will add plenty of planting space and take up very little room!

Size:	Small (railing-mounted)
Cost:	$$
Difficulty:	Beginner to Intermediate

See Plans >

Cedar Railing Planter

Cedar railing planter. Source

Do you want something that perhaps rises above the top of your railing, rather than sitting flush alongside of it? Consider the plans for this stylish cedar railing planter, then. Made from cedar deck or fence boards, these can be placed on top of a railing or alongside of it, depending on your requirements. Either way, you’ll have a beautiful planting space!

Size:	Small (railing-mounted)
Cost:	$-$$
Difficulty:	Beginner to Intermediate

See Plans >

Fence-Like Planters

Green Wall Planter Fence

Green wall planter fence. Source

Why not make your fences and walls into planters themselves? Instead of having a railing alongside your deck, you can have a tall and slender planter box. This will create a green wall along your deck or in the yard, filled with lush flowers or an array of herbs for cooking.

Size:	Large (fence-like)
Cost:	$$-$$$
Difficulty:	Beginner to Intermediate

See Plans >

Chicken Wire Plant Fence

Chicken wire plant fence. Source

This method of securing pots can be placed in front of an existing fence, secured onto an existing fence, or built as a separate arbor privacy-fence style (as shown in the picture). In essence, the chicken wire provides a surface which you can easily secure pots to with wire, enabling you to add as many or as few as you’d like to. This takes a little creativity but is so worth it!

Size:	Large but variable (fence-like)
Cost:	$$-$$$
Difficulty:	Beginner to Intermediate

See Plans >

Old Crate Planter Wall

Old crate planter wall. Source

Do you have a supply of old wooden crates, or the desire to build your own? If so, you can build a vertical garden wall out of them. This will work well in lieu of a fence, but also can be used in front of one – the choice is up to you.

Size:	Large but variable (fence-like
Cost:	$-$$$
Difficulty:	Beginner to Intermediate

See Plans >

Fence-Side Planters

Stackable Planter Boxes

Stackable planter boxes. Source

Do you want your garden to go vertical, perhaps alongside your fence? Check out the plans for these stackable planter boxes. You can make them go as high as you’d like, even perhaps creating a green wall out of them, or use them to liven up the space alongside a drab and boring fenceline.

Size:	Large (unattached)
Cost:	$$-$$$
Difficulty:	Intermediate

See Plans >

Ladder-Style Planter

Ladder style planter. Source

This multi-level, ladder-style planter is meant to lean against a wall… but why not along your fence instead? Create four or five layers of planting space that extends out from your fenceline by a foot or two, staggered to allow for good lighting for all the boxes. It’s a relatively simple project, but may require some angle-cuts.

Size:	Large (unattached but leans against fence)
Cost:	$$
Difficulty:	Intermediate

See Plans >

Tiered Box Planter Towers

Tiered box planter towers. Source

These standalone planter towers can be placed nearly anywhere, but they work extremely well alongside a fence. If you’re looking for a snail-free location to plant your lettuce, or just want a wall of flowers, these plans are for you!

Size:	Large (unattached)
Cost:	$-$$
Difficulty:	Beginner

See Plans >

Quirky Pot Stack With Birdbath

Quirky pot stack with birdbath. Source

Do you want something a little unusual and playful in your garden? Consider setting up one or two of these alongside your fences to provide whimsy and fun planting space. Your fence will make the perfect backdrop for the flowers. It makes a great starting garden for a kid, too!

Size:	Small to medium (unattached)
Cost:	$
Difficulty:	Beginner

See Plans >

Are you excited about some of these ideas to turn your fence into a fence planter habitat? I know I am! What’s your favorite style of fence planter? Do you have other styles you’ve used? Share your stories in the comments below!