Burning Boxes

Over the summer we had a client ask us to re-do their garden space. They opted for three corrugated garden boxes.

Before assembling, we decided to test out a new-to-us technique…wood burning! This technique is called Shou Sugi Ban and originated in Japan as a way to weatherproof buildings. It is very easy to do and extremely satisfying. All it takes is a propane torch (easily acquired at your local home improvement store), a place to burn (preferably over dirt or gravel), and a good hand grip to pull the trigger. As you burn the wood, you can decide on the coloration you prefer (definitely test a couple pieces first). The darker you go, the better weatherproofing you create. After burning, you will want to scrub the char off with a stiff brush and then for extra measures you can seal the wood with linseed oil. We were extremely pleased with the outcome and look forward to playing with this method more in the future!

The assembly of the three boxes went smoothly and it was time to fill the boxes with organic dirt. This can be back breaking work and there’s really no easy way to do this, but the end result is well worth the effort. After the dirt was in all the boxes, we set up a trellis between two boxes and over the walking path to provide shade in the summer.

The next step in the process was to layout the walking stones for the path through the garden and then fill in around these with pea gravel. We chose flagstones and river stone pea gravel to match. We then added some finishing touches by rearranging the client’s potted plants throughout the garden. The process of watching it all come together is always my favorite part.

Overall this installation went smoothly and the client was extremely happy with their new kitchen garden (with a little bit of ornamental garden flare thrown in too). We cannot wait to see this project in full bloom!