The Journey to Building My Free Planter Bench
So, there I was, sitting on my back porch one sunny Saturday afternoon, coffee in hand, looking out at my little patch of backyard wilderness. You know, the kind where it’s sort of a jungle but not in a cool way, just a mess of weeds and wildflowers. My wife had been after me for a while to come up with some kind of planter set-up so I could make better use of the space. She mentioned a planter bench, and I thought, “How hard could it be?”
Oh boy, was I in for a ride.
The Idea and Reality Check
I had seen a few free planter bench woodworking plans online. You know the ones, all pristine and perfectly staged. They made it look like any average Joe could whip one up before breakfast. I figured, “I’ve built a few things. How hard could it be?” Well, the first hiccup came when I tried to find my saw. Wouldn’t you know it—I had left my circular saw at my buddy Dave’s place after our last project, and I didn’t have the time to go get it. You’d think after all these years I’d remember where I put my tools, but nope!
So here I was, standing in my garage, looking at my jigsaw sitting on the workbench. It’s handy for small cuts, but it just wasn’t going to cut it—pun totally intended— for the big boards I needed. My clumsy wrestling match with the material made me question my sanity. Did I really wanna take this on? Yeah, I almost gave up, but then I got inspired by the thought of that beautiful bench, full of vibrant plants, instead of my scraggly war zone.
The Choice of Wood
After several erratic visits to the local hardware store—shout out to Jim over at Ace; that guy knows everything—I finally landed on cedar. It smells heavenly when you cut it, rustic and earthy, like summer camping trips. Not to mention, it’s pretty resistant to the weather. I mean, living in Missouri, the rain can come down hard, and I just didn’t want my hard work to rot away before summer even got here.
Anyway, dragging those heavy boards back home was my workout for the day. I could hear the faint rustle of leaves in the breeze, mixing with the scent of sawdust as I worked away. It’s like, there’s a strange happiness in the air when you’re creating something with your own hands, don’t you think?
The First Mistake: Measurements
Alright, that first cut? Oh boy. A rookie mistake I made was not double-checking the measurements. Everything looked good, and I was feeling pretty confident. But lo and behold, I cut the first two boards too short. I mean, what was I thinking? I had this picture in my mind of how it would fit together, and yet, simple math seemed to elude me at the time.
I almost threw a temper tantrum right then and there. Instead, I took a deep breath, put the coffee down, and looked again. My wife saw me sulking and cracked a joke about how maybe I should stick to grilling. A little chuckle at my expense? Sure, it stung, but it got me back on track.
Assembling the Dream
After a little break, I lined everything up, and what can I say? Watching all those pieces come together was like putting together a puzzle. The smell of wood, the rhythmic sound of my hammer sinking those nails into the cedar… it felt good. I was in my zone—until I wasn’t.
You see, I didn’t account for the overhang I wanted. You’d think that would be simple. But nope, I did the old “measure once, cut…” nonsense. And when I finally put the bench together, it looked lopsided. The whole thing felt like a wonky carnival ride. I stood there scratching my head, thinking about how many times I’ve heard “measure twice, cut once” and somehow thought I was above it.
Final Touches and the Glow of Success
But, hey, things started falling into place one way or another. After a few tweaks, I finally got the thing looking decent. I slapped some outdoor varnish on it to give it that glossy finish and protect it from the elements. As I took a step back, I couldn’t help but smile. I almost laughed when I realized that despite all the setbacks, I had built something I was proud of.
I’ll never forget that moment when I placed my first plant—a little tomato plant I had nurtured from a seed. It felt like a proud dad moment. Just me, my planter bench, and a fresh start for that patch of yard.
Finding Joy in the Journey
If you’ve ever thought about jumping into a project like this, just go for it. Seriously. Don’t let those mistakes derail you. They’re part of the journey. I wish someone had told me earlier that even the simplest projects can have their hiccups, and that’s okay. The smell of sawdust, the warmth of the sun, the satisfaction of creating something with your own two hands? That’s what it’s all about.
So, grab your coffee, dust off those tools, and take a leap into your own backyard adventure. There’s something out there waiting for you to build it!
