How to Make a Concrete Cinder Block Planter That Shares a Wall of a House

Start your planter project in mid-spring when the ground thaws. Warm, relatively moist soil offers the easiest possible digging and this timing supports a range of planting choices.

Choose a flat site with full sunshine and air movement for your project. Most flowering plants require all-day sun for blooming and growth. Choose south-facing walls to give the plants sun all day and protection from harsh winter winds and storms.

Rake the site to even it out and collect any rocks or weeds. Throw these away, then measure the borders of the garden. Measure out ends of 8 feet and a side of 10 feet. Leave the house wall to provide your second side. Mark these borders with flour or chalk. Don't use sugar, as this will draw pests.

Dig 3-inch-deep trenches at your borders as your footers. Dig these trenches 6 inches wide to accommodate the concrete blocks. Set the blocks in the trenches on their ends, with solid sides facing in and out of the garden and holed ends facing the blocks next to them. Use 15 blocks for the long side and 10 to 12 blocks for each short side.

Lay 3 inches of fill dirt along the bottom of the raised garden to keep water from seeping down against the house foundation. Mix 5 inches of organic compost to 5 inches of bagged garden loam for a rich, moist planting base. Add 5-10-10 or 10-10-10 fertilizer to the top 4 inches of soil for vitamins and minerals.