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Portable Potting Bench / Garden Cart

Video, Lawn and Garden, Garage and Storage, Garden Tools & Supplies Published 12/07/2007 by Danny Lipford

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If you spend a lot of time gardening, you know how handy a potting bench can be. Not only does it give you a convenient place to work with your plants, it also keeps the inevitable mess that goes with it confined to one spot.

Our potting bench has the added advantage of being portable. The wheels on the front and handles on the back allow you to move it outside when the weather is nice then store it out of the way in the garage when not in use.

For simplicity and durability, the bench was constructed entirely from 1” x 4” pressure treated pine. After cutting the sides of the top frame to length, a jigsaw was used to notch the end of the handles to make them easy to grip. The sides were then attached to the cross members with corrosion resistant screws to form a sturdy frame for the top.

A tray for gardening tools runs the width of the top while a five-gallon bucket mounted next to it can be used to store potting soil or fertilizer. A second frame was assembled to form the base, which also doubles as a storage area.

Once the two frames had been built, the legs were screwed to them. Boards were then screwed to the frames to form the top and storage rack, and a removable panel, held together from underneath by a brace, was installed in the top to cover the bucket.

After sanding off the rough edges and mounting the wheels to the base, our bench was ready for some serious gardening. You can build the potting bench from our plans (Top, Side, End).

Materials needed:

• 105 liner feet pressure treated 1” x 4” pine
• 2 – 8” wheels attached with axle or bolts

• 1 – 5 gallon plastic bucket
• Assorted screws

Cutting List for Potting Bench

(All materials are 1”x4” pressure treated pine)

Top:

Top Frame Sides	2 – 59 ½”
Top Frame Cross Members	4 – 22 ½”
Top Frame End	1 – 24”
Tray Bottom	1 – 22 ½”
Top Slats (outer)	4 – 46”
Top Slats (middle, long)	2 – 33”
Top Slats (middle, bucket)	2 – 13”
Bucket Slat Brace	1 – 11”

Base:

Bottom Frame Side Rails	2 – 46”
Bottom Frame Cross Members	4 – 22 ½”
Bottom Tray Sides	2 – 44 ½”
Bottom Tray End	1 – 24”
Bottom Tray Slats	5 – 46”

Legs:

Legs (rear)	2 – 33 ¼”
Legs (front)	2 – 31 ¼”