Finally done!

It only took 21 frickin days to finally finish my seedling bench, but its done!
It's kind of fitting to, it being Earth Day and all...

(Please excuse the bad lighting in the photos... 

its in a dark part of the house)

here is the finished product with lights and seedling trays already planted... it has three growing shelves and can accommodate 6 conventional seedling trays...

I used 3/4" douglas fir plywood for the top, bottom and shelves, and used the KREG joinery to attach them to the 2x4 frame...

the lighting on each shelf is made up of two banks of fluorescent shop fixtures, for a total of four 40W T12 Daylight bulbs... connected by a 2x2, each is hanging from hooks and chains that allow one to easily adjust the height... very low cost and very effective...

seedling of an Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana 'White Crown')

seedlings of a Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

Construction Costs:

2x4s (x 8) @ $20

4x8 sheet 3/4" douglas fir plywood (x 1) @ $30

box of 1 1/4" KREG screws (x 1) @ $5

Shop lights (x 4) @ $60

Daylight bulbs (x 8) @ $36

Small hooks (x 8) @ $3

Small chain @ $2

screw-type leveling legs (x 4) @ $5

Total cost, depending on current supplies: $161

(I only needed to buy the 2x4s, screws and plywood this year, as the rest I had already )

This cost is pretty good when you compare it to similar quality store bought versions such as this one from Lee Valley for $689, plus $200 for the Verilux bulbs...

My design may not look as nice, but is probably a whole lot sturdier... I have had a lot of success with these daylight bulbs (6500k) (at least for seedlings), but I have never used the Verilux bulbs, so I cannot compare results... but at six times the price, for most people this would be cost prohibitive... and for what benefit I am not sure...

It's good to get my seedling bench up and running again, and for as little cost as possible is just a bonus!

Seedling Bench

Its spring and I am getting the itch to get things rolling for this growing season!


After taking a 2 year hiatus from starting plants from seed, I am going full force, and what better to mark the occasion than with a brand new, hand built seedling bench!

tools to cut the front rails, side rails, and legs...

a KREG pocket hole jig to serve as the joinery method (I really love this system and I use it extensively in my other passion, woodworking)...

special KREG drill bit to make the pocket holes...

the drilled holes...

all the pieces after drilling 2 holes on each end of the rails...

this will be a 3 tier seedling bench and this is one side assembled with the screws...

almost fully assembled, but I forgot how to add so I only had enough lumber for 6 front and side rails and I needed 8, so this is it until I can get more tomorrow...

Thinking about native species

Spring is here!


The trees are budding and the greenery is poking through the cold wet dirt... ah, spring is here!


Over the winter I have been thinking about what I need and want to do this year... it's a long list and will take a lot of effort and planning to execute, but it will be worth it.


Besides all the transplanting and garden reorganizing that I need to finish from last years efforts, I want to add some new native species to my garden, and also start a new native rehabilitation project at a near by conservation area.


more to follow soon...