A DIY Oversized Tree Planter That'll Add Style And Privacy To Your Yard

our backyard is your own personal outdoor retreat, a slice of nature you can indulge in at any time. However, it's hard to relax if you feel like you're constantly at the mercy of wandering eyes. While you can invest in a wood or composite fence, you might not love the look — or the cost —of building and maintaining one. As a result, you may instead find yourself in search of a more natural privacy solution, such as a plant wall. While you could simply plant shrubs or trees, why not add some character and control what's inside with a concrete tree planter? This DIY oversized planter can be a great way to create a privacy nook in your yard while elevating its visual appeal.

With this project, you're adding both style and privacy to your yard. However, these aren't the only pros that come with using trees for a fence line. You also enjoy benefits like more biodiversity, microclimate regulation, and noise reduction. While relatively simple, this project requires basic masonry skills to build and plaster the planter. In addition to the planter materials — concrete blocks, stucco, and masonry and painting equipment — you'll need a soil medium of your choice and trees suited to your yard and climate.

Start by creating a level foundation for the concrete blocks. You want to ensure that each block is leveled with its neighbor. For a smaller planter, one layer of concrete blocks topped with concrete cap blocks is enough. Or craft a taller one by adding a second layer of blocks. The planter should be large enough to accommodate your tree's or trees' roots.

Once you've built your concrete structure to your liking, choose a plant-safe concrete option to seal off your design. You can use stucco or something like Quikwall surface bonding cement from Quikrete. Depending on your surfacing material, you may also be able to add dye to customize the color of your planter, or paint it with outdoor latex. While designed for trees, this DIY can easily accommodate other plants. You can combine it with a living fence that birds will love using native shrubbery and bushes for depth and layers in your yard or garden.