Once you embark on creating planters full of foliage and flowers, you may soon tire of bending over to fill pots and plant them up. A raised work area, otherwise known as a potting table or potting bench, may be in your future. It is a handy place for starting seeds, storing small tools, or potting up planters. Once you have one you will wonder how you ever did without it.
If you are handy, you can make a potting table out of wood. An informative website for building a DIY potting bench is on This Old House (www.thisoldhouse.com/how-to/how-to-build-potting-bench). You can, of course, purchase a potting bench or table. There are many on the market, and you’ll undoubtedly find one that fits your budget. A potting table does not have to be cumbersome. You can purchase a ready-made one that is constructed from lightweight metal, or you could even repurpose a rolling metal or composite utility cart.
Consider where you will locate the table before you make or buy one. Determine the length and the width that will fit your spot. Be sure to locate the potting bench near an outdoor water source. Here are a few more considerations:
•The potting table should be sturdy and be made of rot-resistant material.
•It should have a strong shelf to hold pots, watering cans, and other supplies.
•If the table is not under a roof then the surface must be able to withstand the weather. The tabletop can be galvanized steel or some other smooth surface.
•Strong hooks on the sides are handy for hanging tools and towels.
•A backboard adds more surface area for hanging tools.
Indoor or outdoor potting benches are a boon to a gardener. They can be placed anywhere—this workstation is partially dug into the earth, so the back of the table is level with the ground. A great way to hide the service area! This potting table is covered with plastic so that water and fertilizer do not harm its surface.