In the heart of every gardener grows the desire for a potting bench. It is form and function, ornament and tool. It%u2019s a place where you work with your hands, a place where you let your mind run on. It can be used year-round, though there will be times when it stands still and orderly, its surface swept and tidy, tools, pots, labels, scissors, and soil all in their place.

As a carpenter, I have come across a number of potting benches, some bluntly utilitarian, some detailed like fine furniture. The original design concept for this bench emerged during the give and take between carpenter and client. It%u2019s not difficult to build, but if it%u2019s beyond your ambition or skill, engage a carpenter to build it for you.

My client wanted a potting bench for her garden, for seed sowing, transplanting, and potting up cuttings. She had looked unsuccessfully for the perfect piece. There were features she liked on various benches, but no single design met her needs. She wanted the bench to be 6 ft. long, about 2 ft. deep, and 32 in. high, with organizing shelves on top. I added a hatch with hardware cloth, duplicating a feature she had seen on another potting bench. The hardware cloth provides a potting surface that allows excess soil to fall through to a bin on the shelf below.