Delighted recently to receive a commission from a lovely young couple for a wooden box in which to place presents at their wedding reception. Stuart and Nicky were hoping for something with a similar finish to the herb planter I blogged about in June, but in the style of an apple crate or bushel box – quite appropriate for the time of year!
I selected timber reclaimed from old delivery palettes to build the box; once the nails and staples have been removed and the individual pieces planed and sanded, you are left with a perfectly good construction material. All the better, in my book, for being recycled, and into the bargain possessing that worn and distressed air which becomes accentuated by the final coat of coloured wax, bringing out the roughness of the wood grain.
The orchard crate makes a handy box for storage, or to carry things around in the garden. Of course, with the addition of a thick, polythene liner, it would make a great planter for the kitchen garden.
I think I need to build a few for myself.