Cedar planter boxes are one of my favorite ways to bring plants closer to daily life. The wood smells good, weathers beautifully, and feels calm and natural beside foliage. They suit small balconies, big patios, and all the awkward spots in between.
If you have been eyeing cedar planters but feel unsure where to start, you are not alone. I remember staring at a bare patio once and wondering what size boxes, what soil, what plants, and how to keep the wood looking good. A little guidance would have saved me a lot of guessing.
So I pulled together ideas that I know can help. You will find shapes that fit tight spaces, simple tricks to make cedar last longer, and planting ideas that stay good looking through the seasons. My hope is that by the end, you feel ready to choose or build cedar boxes that really work for you.
My Gallery of Cedar Planter Boxes
Here are 22 cedar planter box ideas, each with simple notes on how to copy the look in your own garden.
1. Basil, Chives & Nasturtium Planters
Cedar planter boxes brim with glossy basil, upright clumps of chives, feathery greens, and trailing nasturtiums spilling soft orange flowers over the edge, turning a plain corner of decking into a fresh little herb bed.
The warm wood, rich soil, and mix of edible leaves and blooms make the space feel both useful and relaxed, like something that could easily fit beside any back step or patio.
2. Lettuce & Swiss Chard Planter Box
A long cedar planter box is packed with crisp green lettuce, frilly red leaf lettuce, and glossy Swiss chard, their colors glowing against the warm wood and neat gravel path. The sturdy box keeps the soil tidy, the vegetables close at hand, and the whole corner feels like an easy, everyday way to bring fresh food into a small garden space.
3. Boxwood, Lobelia & Bacopa Planters
Neat cedar planter boxes hold a simple mix of tight green boxwood surrounded by soft mounds of blue lobelia and small white flowers that spill gently toward the edges. The warm wood frames the fresh foliage and blooms so cleanly that the whole corner feels tidy, welcoming, and easy to picture on any patio or front step.
4. Tomato, Basil & Marigold Planters
Sturdy cedar planter boxes line the narrow gravel side yard, each one filled with tall caged tomato plants, bright basil mounds, and cheerful orange marigolds that bring quick color to the rich dark soil.
The mix of herbs, flowers, and vegetables makes smart use of this slim space, creating a tidy row of edible beds that feels both inviting and easy to imagine at home.
5. Lavender, Blue Fescue & Dusty Miller
This cedar planter box shows how soft lavender, neat blue fescue, and silvery dusty miller can share one snug bed and still each stand out, their cool shades sitting warmly against the rich wood.
The mix of upright blooms, tidy mounds, and spiky grass brings both color and easy texture to a front step, giving the space a calm, put-together feel that feels very doable at home.
6. Sage, Thyme & Mint Planter Box
A simple cedar planter box is packed with fresh herbs, with mint, thyme, and sage creating a soft mix of greens against the pale wall. Their different heights and leaf shapes fill the wooden box nicely, adding both kitchen-ready flavor and an easy, tidy look that feels very doable in any small garden corner.
7. Astilbe & Heuchera Cedar Planter Box
This cedar planter box tucks neatly against the brick wall, packed with creamy white astilbe plumes, deep plum heuchera leaves, and tufts of fine green grass that soften the edges. The mix of height, color, and texture looks full yet relaxed, giving a small patio or side yard an easy, finished feel that seems simple to recreate.
8. Coneflowers & Switchgrass Planter Box
This cedar planter box is packed with purple coneflowers, feathery switchgrass, and bright yellow black-eyed Susans, giving the long bed a full, colorful look that fits neatly along the fence.
The warm wood, clean gravel edging, and mix of tall grasses with sturdy summer flowers make the space feel both tidy and relaxed, like something any small backyard could grow into.
9. Hydrangea & Hosta Cedar Planter
This cedar planter tucks neatly beside the steps, with pale green hydrangea blooms rising at the back, a full hosta to one side, and a low edge of white impatiens spilling softly over the front.
The mix of height, leaf texture, and simple white flowers makes the box look full and tidy, giving the entry a fresh, welcoming feel that seems easy to recreate in any small space.
10. Tiered Strawberries & Lettuce Planters
Tiered cedar planter boxes turn this narrow side yard into a neat, productive strip of strawberries and crisp green lettuces, with each level packed full and easy to see. The warm wood, tidy gravel path, and rows of healthy plants work together so well that the whole space feels like a simple, satisfying garden idea anyone could tuck along a fence.
11. Salvia, Calibrachoa & Sweet Potato Vine
This sturdy cedar planter box is packed with deep blue salvia, bright orange calibrachoa, and a spill of lime green sweet potato vine that softens the clean lines of the wood. The strong color contrast and simple plant mix give the front step a welcoming, finished look that feels easy to live with and easy to imagine at any doorway.
12. Kale & Swiss Chard Planter Box
This cedar planter box is packed with textured greens, from dark, crinkled kale to frilly parsley and glossy Swiss chard, all standing out against the warm wood and stone path. The mix of leaf shapes and heights makes the bed look full and generous, giving the space a neat, welcoming feel that seems easy to live with every day.
13. White Petunias & Trailing Ivy Planter
This raised cedar planter is filled with soft white petunias, frosty silver foliage, and trailing ivy that spills gently over the edges, bringing fresh color right onto the patio.
The clean lines of the wood, the neat mix of flowers, and the easy height of the box make the space feel tidy and welcoming, like something anyone could tuck beside a grill or along a sunny wall.
15. Snapdragons & Sweet William Planter Box
This cedar planter box shows how a mix of tall snapdragons, cheerful Sweet William blooms, and a spill of bright trailing foliage can turn a simple gate corner into a small garden moment. The warm wood, layered flower heights, and soft edge of greenery make the space feel tidy, welcoming, and easy to picture in any backyard.
16. Pepper Plants & Marigold Border
This cedar planter box is packed with sturdy pepper plants in rich, dark soil, edged by bright marigolds that frame the bed in cheerful color. The warm wood, glossy green leaves, and tidy flower border all work together to make this small space feel productive, welcoming, and easy to picture just outside any back door.
17. Sempervivum & Blue Chalk Succulent Box
This cedar planter box is packed with low, cushiony sempervivum and neat clumps of blue chalk-style succulents, all set into pale gravel that makes their shapes and colours stand out. Nestled among smooth stones at the edge of the lawn, it feels like a small, tidy corner of garden that is easy to live with and simple to imagine in any backyard.
18. Pink Ranunculus & Lavender Rail Boxes
Cedar rail boxes turn this small balcony into a bright strip of color, with soft pink ranunculus rising through fresh green foliage and spikes of purple lavender adding height. Trailing blue lobelia spills over the edges, softening the clean wood lines and making the whole setup feel like an easy, everyday way to enjoy flowers just outside the door.
19. Ferns, Coleus & Wax Begonias
This cedar planter box tucks neatly along the house, filled with upright ferns at the back, rich burgundy and lime coleus in the middle, and glossy wax begonias with soft pink flowers at the front.
The sturdy wood, fresh mulch, and mix of leafy greens and blooms make the narrow side yard feel finished yet easy to live with, like a simple idea anyone could bring to a small space.
20. Zinnia & Cosmos Cedar Planter
A long cedar planter box is packed with bright zinnias and airy cosmos, their pink, orange, and white flowers lifting gently above fresh green foliage. The neat wooden sides frame the loose planting, letting the colors pop against the brick path and wire fence so the whole corner feels simple, tidy, and easy to imagine at home.
21. Chamomile & Lemon Balm Planter Box
A simple cedar planter box is packed with soft green lemon balm and a cheerful drift of chamomile flowers, set right at the doorway where house meets garden path. The warm wood, fresh foliage, and tidy size make this little herb bed feel both useful and easy to live with, like something anyone could tuck beside a step or patio.
22. Fountain Grass & Gaura Planter
This cedar planter box is filled with airy fountain grass, white gaura, and soft purple flowers, creating a tall, textured display that feels light but full. The warm wood, neat gravel base, and mix of feathery grass with bright blooms make the whole corner look tidy, welcoming, and easy to picture in many home gardens.
FAQs
In my gardens, cedar boxes usually stay solid for 8 to 15 years. They last longer if you keep them off bare soil and let the wood dry between waterings.
You can leave cedar bare and it will weather to a soft silver gray. If you want to keep the rich color, I’d use a breathable exterior oil once a year.
I like a simple landscape fabric liner stapled inside, with holes over the drains. It slows rot, holds soil in place, and still lets water escape.
I use a mix of quality potting soil and compost, about two thirds to one third. You want it light, crumbly, and rich so roots can move easily.
Yes, cedar hates sitting in constant wet just like the plants do. I drill several holes across the base and raise the box on small blocks or feet.
I love mixing soft greens like thyme, lavender, and trailing sedum against the warm wood. For a fuller look, tuck in one taller plant, one filler, and a couple of trailers at the edges.
I add simple cross braces or metal straps across the long sides inside the box. Filling with slightly moist soil instead of soaked soil also helps the boards stay put.
You can, but I always raise the box on small feet to let air flow. This protects the deck boards and helps the cedar dry after rain.