Ahhhhh, I love that! Definitely going on my inspiration list, it's simple and utilitarian and charming. I wonder if I could do it with herbs.

Awesome!

I made one with herbs. It looks/works great!

Definitely one of thos 'Why didn't I think of this before?' It's gorgeous. Will definitely recommend it to the neighbors who've just put out the cement planters in a row.

I really like it, an idea to keep on the list!

Chris actually wound up with something much more attractive than the original! By staggering the blocks, he got a much more organic and natural look. Good work!

I love this. And don't forget, you can stain cinder blocks. Just add water to thin the stain as much as you want it thinned. Depending on your setting, it might even look cool to stain them several different shades of a color. I might just do this.

I love this! But I'm confused as how to reproduce this. Annette mentioned that she cut parts of cinder block and used liquid nails to close the hole in the bottom of the cinder block so that you can use the overhanging blocks as planters.

This would make a really cool fence of sorts to divide yards.

What an awesome arrangement! Too bad we don't have a space in our condo to do it : (

hey that's cool - it's a cacti condo!

I want to make one, too! It'll be my first attempt at building planters and planting in general... How do you close up the hole in the blocks that hold plants/soil?

my mom and i did this exact thing several years ago--neither of us had a very large yard at all--she planted all different types of flowers and plants and i planted a few mini rose bushes and a couple of vegetables along with rtegular summer plants---our little structures cost us less than 25.00 to build with the cinder blocks and dirt--i also stenciled mine to add a little flair---when it was time to move(they each lasted about 4 yrs) they were pretty easy to dismantle--but i did have to scrub a little on the concrete under it to remove embedded dirt---hope ya'll have a chamce to try one of these--container gardening at it's best

Love this! Using them to grow up is a great way to grow up and provide interest. Cinderblocks can be fantastic in the garden. We used them to build a raised U-shaped bed and applied mosaics. It was a fun family project and looks fantastic! (You can read about it here: http://growandresist.com/2010/03/04/whimsical-raised-beds-make-them-now/)

also, if growing in a shady area, you could propagate moss and paint it on?

If you don't have a wet saw, how do you cut a concrete block, to make the base of the overhanging blocks?

Cool idea with potential for reclaimed materials. If I did this, I might try painting the cinder blocks in a combination of colors.

JudyFromBC, use a chisel (not a wood chisel) and hammer. First, lightly tap out a line around the middle of the block, which will control how it shears when you whack it good, which is step #2. Takes a little practice, but not hard. Works for bricks, pavers, etc.

Here's a video, just in case. Easy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9djW5ovtSIc

I feel like this post comes up every couple of months and I dont understand why

Beautiful! I'm not very good at DIY, but I think I'm going to try this one.

BruceS63, that video was awesome. Maybe i can have that guy come and do it for me. . . .

I'd bet you could just use liquid nails to glue a tile to the bottom, though, then you wouldn't have to mess with cutting the cinderblock, and it might look cleaner. different colored tiles would even look cute. I'd probably still put a piece of plastic inside the hole as a liner.

Coffee filters make great liners for any type of receptacle with a hole in the bottom. It keeps the dirt from falling through the hole(s), yet water can get through so it doesn't pool and over-water the plant. Succulents are especially prone to over-watering. You can use more than one filter if you'd like a stronger base.