Upcycle to build, plant what you want, forget it till harvest time. This video brought to you by Squarespace. For a 10% discount, visit https://www.squarespace.com/anneofalltrades I love cooking with fresh herbs from the garden, but my garden is down a steep hill from my house, so I decided to build a Totes Easy Solar Powered Self Watering Raised Garden Planter to put right outside my kitchen on the patio. Upcycling packing totes (plastic bins) from our recent cross-country move and a handful of cedar boards, I was able to build this sleek, modern looking raised herb planter to bring my garden to me. This easy DIY container garden project can be done in a weekend. Because I spend so much time on the farm, away from the house, I needed the kitchen garden to be able to look after itself. Enter the solar powered self watering system. The sun charges a water pump that brings water from a rain barrel up to the planter and this solar drip irrigation system waters the herbs through emitters that give the plants exactly the right amount of water.The geometric pattern of the cedar wood adds visual interest, and the Japanese shou sugi ban (焼杉板) finish gives it that modern look I was going for. The storage totes make the whole system modular and portable, so if you live in a rental or have other reasons for container gardening or not wanting a permanent raised garden bed, this is a fantastic project to give you a place to grow a few things, bring your herbs closer to your kitchen, and can be an awesome decorative feature to your deck, patio or outdoor space. For a tutorial on the Shou Sugi Ban technique head on over to my website. https://www.anneofalltrades.com/blog/2020/7/10/preserve-wood-with-shousugiban The plans for this project can be found here: https://www.anneofalltrades.com/project-plans/solar-raised-planter-plans More in-depth video instructions can be found by joining my Patreon Crew. Video by the ever talented Jacqueline at https://www.entertwinemedia.com/ https://www.instagram.com/entertwinemedia ------------------------ I'm Anne of All Trades. In NASHVILLE, I have a woodworking, blacksmithing and fabrication shop, a selection of furry friends, and an organic farm. Whether you've got the knowledge, tools, time or space to do the things you've always wanted to do, everything is "figureoutable." I became "Anne of All Trades" out of necessity. With no background in farming or making things, I wanted to learn to raise my own food, fix things when they break, and build the things I need. 8 years ago I got my first pet, planted my first seed and picked up my first tool. Get a better roadmap of how to grow deep roots and live the life you want subscribing to this channel and look for NEW VIDEOS EVERY WEEK! Help Support this project and others! Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/anneofalltrades Merchandise - null Other places you can find me My website - https://www.anneofalltrades.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/anneofalltrades Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/anneofalltrades My goal is to learn and share traditional techniques and skills while showing my peers how to get from where they are to where they want to go, how to do the things they are passionate about, and what can be done TODAY to engage their own community and grow deep roots. Whether it's carving spoons, making my own hand tools, restoring my antique truck or growing heirloom tomatoes, the farm and workshop definitely keep me busy and support- whether financially through Patreon, through shopping my affiliate links, through buying merchandise, plans or project videos, or even just liking, commenting, and sharing my content with others helps me GREATLY to keep producing quality content to share. You can also support me through your purchases. By shopping my affiliate links, at no additional cost to you, I might earn a little extra if you click and there's a sale. The solar drip kit I used in this video: https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/garden/water-and-irrigation/irrigation-systems/76781-solar-drip-watering-kit Check out my Amazon Store- shop all my favorite items from business building books and resources to tools I use in the shop, to products I use around the farm! https://www.amazon.com/shop/anneofalltrades