Give a country look to a cactus garden with a box and painted frame you can make in a few hours.



You'll need:
Timber: we used 5m of 90mm plantation pine
84cm x 29cm piece of Masonite
Fine-toothed mitre or tenon saw
Mitre box
Aquadhere
Fine framing nails or staple gun
Wood filler
Paints: we used Porter's Ultra Flat Acrylic
5cm paintbrush
Fine artist's brushes
Small potted cacti
Potting mix
Craft knife
Marble chips (from nurseries)
Picture hanger or screw eyes and wire
Strong picture hook

Here's how:
1. To make the frame, measure two pieces of pine 88cm long and two pieces 33cm long. Mitre both ends of each piece using a fine-toothed saw and mitre box.

2. Apply Aquadhere to all mitred edges and, laying the pieces face down on a table, push them together against a right angle to form a frame. Secure with framing nails about 2cm from each other. Screw corner braces close to the edges of the joints.

3. When dry, turn the frame over and fill any gaps with wood filler. Allow to dry; sand smooth.

4. To make the box: Cut two pieces of pine 84cm long and two pieces 29cm long. Drill three drainage holes in one long (base) piece. Glue and nail (or staple) the pieces together to form a boxed rectangle. Allow the glue to dry. Cut the Masonite to 84cm x 29cm. Glue and nail this back onto the box. Leave to dry.

5. Lay the frame face down on the table and centre the finished box on the frame. Mark its position. Apply glue to the edges of the box and place it back on the frame in the marked position. Put a weight on the box and allow the glue to dry.

6. Paint and decorate the framed box as you wish. We painted the frame a different colour from the box, then used carbonless tracing paper to trace the design on the frame. Paint your design. Don't forget to paint the inside of the frame to provide a background for the cactus.

7. Attach the picture hanger or screw eyes equidistant from the top of the box and fit the wire.

8. There's no need to remove the cacti from their pots. Trim a centimetre from the tops of the pots and sit them in place. Spoon potting mix around the plants filling the box to just below the edge of the frame. Spoon in the marble chips to cover the potting mix.

Tip:
Hang your cactus box where it will get plenty of light. Remember, cacti need very little water.

Source: Better Homes and Gardens March 1997