Building the Bin

1. Connect two of the pallets together from the inside with at least two or three brackets, forming a 90-degree angle. This is where the spacing of the boards is important. Place the side with the boards farthest apart on the inside of the bin. If you want a really sturdy box, the more the merrier when it comes to the brackets. Connect the third pallet in the same way; you now have a three-sided box.

2. You want easy access to your “Black Gold”, so now we need to put a door on it. Take your fourth pallet and connect it to the front of that three-sided box with two or three hinges to create a door that swings out. This is where that extra room comes in handy; you might even want to attach your door an inch higher, so if the hinges droop, your door will still swing freely. Position an eye and hook on the outside of the gate, so you can lock it when you are not around.

3. This next step is optional, depending on how far apart the “internal” boards are. If they are very close together or touching, you can skip this. Staple some very fine chicken wire to the inside of the pallet walls. The gate will need a piece separate from the rest. The other three can be one continuous piece.

Next,

4. Now, stain or paint the outside walls. Leave the inside raw; chemicals in stain or paint can leach into the compost. This part is where you can really have fun and hide the supposed eyesore. Use a stain that is to your liking. If you have an artistic side, you can paint a mural, just let the creativity flow.

5. After all the paint or stain is dried; we are going one more step to help hide your bin. Fill the pallet walls with potting soil. This is what the chicken wire was for, to help hold it in until the bin fills up, and when it gets emptied. After you have it filled with soil, plant some trailing jasmine or lantana into the tops of the pallets. In between the trailing plants, you could plant some upright rosemary or some other favorite herb. Again, let the imagination go wild.

The roots of these plants will go down into the potting soil and into the compost through the chicken wire. A win-win for them! If your pallets have wide spaces on both sides, use the chicken wire inside and plant different herbs and such between the slats on the outside, kind of like my inspirational picture. You can also plant some small evergreen plants around the base of your bin. Use whatever is good for your growing zone. Dwarf boxwoods would do nice or even some dwarf azaleas for spring color.