Create Your Perfect Potting Bench
Having a potting bench seems like such a luxury to me, since it requires some space. I have an old waist-high table that my husband used to keep as his dining table, which he’s generously donated to my cause. It does have a shelf under the tabletop but overall is more like a storage table that collects the things-that-have-no-place.
As we embark on a garden redesign, I have been collecting the best potting bench inspiration photos that I can find. Ideally, there is an old-world stone basin for a sink, hooks for tools, and some containers built-in for a seed starter soil mix and some compost.
The potting bench is a gardener’s ultimate workspace, giving us room to transplant seedlings, harden off young plants, store tools, and cuttings, and even store some old pots and soil additives.
I feel that the key to a perfect potting bench is very personal. It needs to be accessible, storage-focused, but also useable with surface area for doing the actual potting up of plants, sowing seeds, etc. So we need counter space, and also … a pretty aesthetic. Because life is too short not to look at something that pleases you. Fact.
In my effort to create my own perfect space, I’ve collected some photos for you, and I’ll be dying to know which is a favorite!
My Top 6 Potting Bench Picks:
- One of my number one favorite potting bench for inspo is from Patina Farms. Such a great mix of fancy and old-world, as well as the pretty bell deatils. For me though, I’ll need a little more function.
2. This cute little cedar bench against the black paint is stunning. The layout is quite traditional with the upper and lower shelves, which I love. Clean, practical, and just enough.
3. This is less a potting bench and more a wall for tools, but it is part of what I want within my design. Tools off the ground and away from the elements, even slightly, is so crucial. Can we talk about the little shelf with the birdhouse? So cute.
4. Yes, this is the Martha Stewart’s potting bench (supposedly, though I suspect could be from the magazine). which is surprisingly unpretentious, and also … basic. I adore it. All the bibs and bobs are there, complete with a basket that I’d like to assume has soil in it or trimmings. Probably both at some time or another.
5. I love the top on this, and the herb rack! Plus the height of the bottom shelf looks ideal. This bench is the perfect mix of pretty and practical. Well-suited for the herbalist in us all.
6. Here is a wide bench with a sink, which I love. The little side shelf as well is so helpful. And of course, the signature top shelf is there, which is a must.
Ok, the verdict is still out on what we will design, but some key themes and elements stick out for what it take to create the perfect space for potting and propagating.
Comment here on your personal favorite and we’ll see if there’s a consensus!